Effective C# : 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# (Effective Software Development)

Rating:
Summary: Helps you transition from an intermediate to expert in C#
Review: I used C++ as my primary language for years. At first, most of the books I read were on the mechanics and rules of the language. Then, books like Effective C++ came along that describe many of the complications you will run into as you use it and provide good guidelines.

There are many books out there on the mechanics of C# and the .NET framework. However, the language is not yet mature and everyone is still figuring out the best way to use it.

Effective C# identifies many issues that you'll run into as a C# developer along with guidelines on how to deal with the issues. As an example, it discusses GetHashCode(), which might seem simple to implement on the face of things, but there are a bunch of complexities. It also have many good topics on issues that arise with value types vs. reference types, like boxing and unboxing. There is a great breadth of topics.

I think almost everyone will learn something from this book. I wish there was more coverage of exception handling. And, it only has minor coverage of C#/.Net 2.0 - I hope there will be an updated version available because there are many relevant changes. Also, there seemed to be spaces randomly missing throught the book which didn't take away from the content, but was distracting.


Rating:
Summary: Recommend for your Second C# Book
Review: Sub-Title: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# (Effective Software Development)

This is not a book for beginners, its subtitle explains the concept. It's a collection of fifty not exactly hints and tips, but nifty little ways to think about how to do things. It is specifically aimed at the C++/Java programmer that is moving over to C#, the professional programmer whose job it is to produce code that is to become part of a system. The format/philosophy of the book is to take some programming procedure or technique from the earlier languages and say stop doing it that way, here's the best way to do it in C#.

C# is, of course, Microsoft's newest iteration of the language, and it is an integral part of the .NET environment. Again, you should have some experience with this environment before you begin as the concepts of .NET are referenced throughout the book.

The concept of the fifty hints and tips is to provide you with an overall view that is greater than the sum of the tips. Understanding these individual points will generally improve your understanding of the concepts of the language.

This is an interesting point of view to bring greater understanding about the language itself. I recommend this as your second C# book.