Best-selling genius Herb Schildt covers everything from keywords, syntax, and libraries, to advanced features such as overloading, inheritance, virtual functions, namespaces, templates, and RTTI—plus, a complete description of the Standard Template Library (STL).

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Very good book
Nice book if you want to learn c++. I bought also thinking in c++ by bruce eckel but it is difficult reading and understanding. If you really want to learn c++ search no further, buy this book.

5 Stars Very nicely done
Most of my work is done at a low level using C with occassional C++ work usually with certain parts of C++ heavily restructed due to performance and maintenance problems. So recently when I needed to brush up on all of C++ for some application level work where I knew I would be code reviewing and or writing using some of the more beastly aspects of the language I went through my 8 or 10 C++ books to pick one to spend some time with and remind myself of the particulars of things I don’t normally use. I chose this book and was happily surprised. It is organized properly, clearly written, and accomplished what I needed it to do in a minimum of time.

5 Stars Great as a tutorial and as a reference
Herbert Schildt’s “C++: The Complete Reference” is a gargantuan tome indeed. It fully covers the C++ syntax, and gives useful, working examples that demonstrate each of the language’s features. If you’re a professional (or hobbyist) working on a project and need to quickly look up how to use some part of C++ syntax, then this book is absolutely perfect. If you’re a developer who has spent his/her life working in C and want to (or need to!) learn C++, then you’ll find this book’s content well organized and you’ll be able to find what you need instantly.

Also, this book seems as though it could function as a tutorial for the complete beginner. Now, I didn’t learn C++ from this book initially, so I can’t really speak from experience, but the book DOES cover the entire syntax and it does so in an unpretentious and very clear manner. The only thing that it’s missing for newbies is exercises — but if you’re really serious, you’ll make up your own little tasks, or try to extend/modify the examples.

I program video games as a hobby and have used this as a reference countless times in various projects. I’ve obviously bought other reference books (”C++ in a Nutshell”, and Stroustrup’s tome), but I find that this book is my most used and most beloved reference.

So, if you’re looking for a clear, easy to understand reference on C++, I reccomend this tome. If you’re a true C++ neophyte, then perhaps you should purchase this book along with Schildt’s “C++: A beginner’s Guide” or “C++ from the Ground Up” (also by Schildt).

3 Stars Didn’t answer the question I bought the book for
My older references are in storage and I thought it would be neat to have a c++ ref on my kindle. It says reference and the reviews are good, so I bought it.

I wanted to be reminded of how to use variable numbers of parameters for macro defines. Forget whether this is a good idea. It’s a language feature and I want to know how it works.

#define with parameters is handled in one paragraph which doesn’t even include the possibility of multiple parameters, let alone any details. Given this, I was curious to see if there was any discussion of the continuation-line functionality in the preprocessor. Nope. Not there.

I’m sure this is a wonderful c++ primer as the other reviews indicate. My spot check demonstrates that this is in no way a complete reference.

Even if you don’t like a coding style, completeness allows you to read the code of others.

So I’m out $28 bucks and my question isn’t answered. oh well.

5 Stars Great product & service
This was my first purchase from amazon and I was totally impressed by the quality of the product and the service!

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Renowned author Matthew MacDonald combines careful treatment of the API with detailed user-interface design principles. Further, this book incorporates C# and the final beta of .NET 2.0. The result: thorough coverage of Windows Forms and GDI+ namespaces for you .NET programmers! You will become equipped to design state-of-the-art Windows interfaces and program graphics, and learn how to create your own controls.

As a developer, you must know more than just how to add a control to a window. You must be able to create an entire user interface framework that’s scalable, flexible, and reusable. This book is not a reference manual. Instead, it contains detailed discussions about user interface elements that youll use on a regular basis.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Chapter 20: Multithreading is Great!
I checked this book out online and only read chapter 20(multithreading). In this chapter the author does an excelent job progressively building your knowledge about .net Threading. I would highly recommend reading this book to anyone wanting to learn about Threading.

The only downfall about this chapter is that it does not talk about some of the more advanced Threading classes such as Monitor and ReaderWriterLock. I would love for this author to do a standalone book just about threading.

4 Stars Good Solid Information
I needed this book for a training course on Windows development in .Net. It helped a great deal to have a good reference that was not the same as the book used in the course. Sometimes I found the examples a little hard to follow because of the distraction of the scenarios shown, but when I boiled them down to what they were meant to present, they were very helpful.

5 Stars Master of Controls
Since the moment when I took this book in my hands and was able to make practice with the examples on this book, I was able to feel recognized the simplicity in the complexity of the controls.

The examples are clear and very well done, impeccables and flawless a good thing for the newbie and the old programmer.

I am enjoying the controls that allow me to click on them and assign my own properties.

5 Stars Awesome Reference for WinForms and Custom Controls
This book has already paid for itself in just a couple of weeks — due to the time saved in trying to find the information I need. Every time I have a question regarding an issue in Windows Forms or with Custom & User Controls, I can find it here. Additionally, the content is written in a manner that can be understood by mere mortals, with some good tips and tricks thrown in too.

Highly recommended.

On the merits of this text, I’ve already purchased Matthew MacDonald’s WPF book (the 3.0 one, since I haven’t *quite* moved to VS 2008 yet…).

4 Stars Excellent read
I’ve read quite a few books on Windows Forms applications which include creating custom controls. There are some that are average and there are some that are very good. Usually the average books tend to touch on the simpler aspects of windows forms and forms controls and not go into much detail, which is OK for the novice programmer dabbling in .NET for the first time. However, the more experienced programmers among us want much more. In this respect the very good books tend to be a little over the top for the average user.

This book falls somewhere in the middle for novice and experienced programmers alike, whilst still being rather good. It offers a good discussion on what makes up the underlying architecture of Windows Forms applications which many books lack. The .NET IDE attempts to hide a lot of the nuts and bolts behind the outer layers and generally you shouldn’t touch what’s under the covers. But occasionally you need to, especially when using visual inheritance because that’s when the IDE starts the go a little haywire. By understanding a little about what’s happening underneath goes a long way in helping you get out of the mess when the IDE does screw up.

The book covers most of the interesting forms controls .NET 2.0 has to offer and describes them in better detail than what can be found in the relatively useless MSDN on-line help. The code examples given are excellent, concentrating on real-world scenarios. A good portion of the book illustrates how to extend these controls further using custom controls and GDI+ owner drawing to modify the look and feel of these controls.

The book also concentrates on developing 3-tier applications isolating the presentation layer from the business logic and data layers, which is a highly recommended practice for developing scalable applications.

The book doesn’t include a CD but all the code examples can be downloaded from the publisher’s web site.

Overall I give it 4 out of 5.

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4 Stars Good book
I like the author’s modesty (very ofter his sentences start with “I think”), his rational thinking and his quoting the relevant big guys. He uses a very nice and simple language throughout the book which makes it an easy read. But sometimes, he is dragging on a subject for too long, for that I have to give it 4.5 stars.

4 Stars Very good but before read it…
Read fowler’s and Evan’s, the book is very good but it is an extension of books of the two authors. So, to understand it completely it is better to read those before.

I have not read the books that this is based but I have enjoyed it a lot.

5 Stars Excellent, expecially after the book of Evans
This is really an exellent book on DDD, I read soon after the Evans book and I must admit that is really worth money I spent on it. Sure the book is not for beginners, and it is not an introduction to DDD, I think that a background on the subject is needed to fully appreciate this book.

Alk.

5 Stars Applying Domain-Driven Design and Patterns
The book provides a massive detailed walk through the construction of the domain-driven framework creation. It is in Jimmy Nilsson’s conversational tone and that makes the book very interesting.

I do wish there were a few diagrams to tie each chapter together, but that is for the reader to do.

3 Stars Ease into DDD
This book covers many topics and has loads of references for patterns and domain driven design. It reads a bit choppy - almost as if a conversation were taking place. Overall it is a good compliment to Eric Evan’s book and would be a good guide for newcomers to patterns and agile development.

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Microsoft SharePoint: Building Office 2007 Solutions in C# 2005 is the third edition of Scot Hilliers market-leading SharePoint book. This book features extensive updates to the previous edition, with a complete focus on SharePoint 2007 and its integration with the 2007 Microsoft Office System. It also features new approaches for using SharePoint to improve business efficiency as well as new workflow solutions for SharePoint and BizTalk, plus a new chapter on building a SharePoint solution from start to finish.

With this book, youll gain intermediate-level guidance for designing and deploying business solutions based on Microsoft SharePoint 2007 technologies. Hillier defines the business cases and scenarios for these technologies. He also reviews the installation, configuration, and administration of business solutions based on Microsoft SharePoint technologies, and provides programming instruction, guidance, and examples for custom web parts and solutions.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Work as Usual
I remember when I was learning MTS I bought Scot’s book, MTS Programming With Visual Basic, and was truly amazed at what an easy read it was on such a technical subject. The reason is very clear. Scot knows what he is wrting about not only from a technical perspective, but also from a business perspective. His insights are priceless.

I thoroughly enjoyed his MOSS 2007 book and recommend it highly. Personally, I am very thankful that people like Scot take the time to write valuable books like this one. He makes up for other authors, who write huge books, that are painful to read and contribute nothing. One such author, and apparently his editors, does not even know that he is the “principal” not “principle” author of his book.

5 Stars Very good guide and reference
This is a very good book from C# developers point of view. It covers most of the features that you want to customize in SharePoint. I like the presentation of ideas first and then exercises. It gives you a starting point on how to do it and it’s up to you to go to a more complex level but at least it already gives you an idea what to look for.

I highly recommend it and it is easy to carry as it has only around 500 pages.

After this I will read the SharePoint Administrators Companion book by Bill English from Mindsharp.

1 Star Just like a training class… …useless
As the author states in the book, this is basically a written version of what he would say in a class. And as with 95% of the training classes out there, it isn’t worth anything. He doesn’t cover things to make you understand how SharePoint works. He does even write much about C# SharePoint development. Most of what he writes steps you through setting up SharePoint servers/services, and many of the steps don’t work. This is the first SharePoint book I have purchased, and I am looking for one that is accurate and useful… …again… …still.

3 Stars Scratches the surface
I was assigned on a project where I should be using MOSS 2007. I had not used MOSS before and I needed a book that will give me a jump start. This book does that. For a beginner it is a very good book. However the instance you need more detailed information this book is not that useful.

5 Stars Excellent training book for sharepoint
Wow! I like the way Scot Hillier wrote this book. For experienced .net developers new to sharepoint, this book must be on your book shelf.

Scot Hillier walks you through fundamental aspects of Sharepoint, and shares his insightful thoughts along the path. At first, I do not understand why he solves problems using a variety of Microsoft technologies such as Visual Studio, InfoPath, Sharepoint Designer. To me, isn’t that Visual Studio enough? Later, I realize that his way is the best since he picks the right tool for the right moment.

However, I do not see an enterprise sample in his book. I do expect that. Second, web part security is a tough topic. I expect more explanation. In the exercise, a medium trust level is used. According to the context of that chapter, a minimal trust level should be used.

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Whether you’re a total novice or a programmer shifting to C#, the newest version of this programming language is full of cool features you’ll want to use. With its Visual Studio compatibility, C# is the perfect language for building Windows Vista applications. And the 2008 version works with LINQ, a query language with syntax similar to SQL but which simplifies database code and can also write queries on XML files.

For the best basic C# how-to, it’s hard to beat C# 2008 For Dummies. This plain-English guide to programming with C# can have you creating your first console application before you finish Part I. In fact, the basic template you create at that point will be the foundation of many other apps as you move through the book. Along the way you’ll get the scoop on organizing your data, object-oriented programming (also known as OOP), and a great LINQ-related feature called delegates and events. You’ll find out how to

• Create a console application template
• Perform logical comparisons
• Work with loops and if statements
• Understand collection syntax
• Use interfaces and object-oriented concepts
• Apply delegates and events, and much more

You’ll even gain some rare insight into how to understand error messages you may get when programming in C#. All the code you need can be found on the companion Web site, along with great bonus information that helps you do more with C# 2008. So — what are you waiting for? Grab C# 2008 For Dummies and let’s get started!

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Though most programmers use two or more languages, they usually have a mastery of one. Although Microsoft has advertised that the .NET runtime is language agnostic and that C# and Visual Basic .NET are so close that switching between the two is really quite easy, that’s only true up to a point. Some of the differences are obvious, but others are very subtle. “C# & VB.NET Conversion Pocket Reference” helps you easily make the switch from one language to another.

The differences occur in three main areas: syntax, object-oriented principles, and the Visual Studio .NET IDE. Syntax concerns the statements and language elements. Object oriented differences are less obvious, and concern differences in implementation and feature sets between the two languages. IDE differences include things like compiler settings or attributes. There is also a fourth area of difference: language features that are present in one language but have no equivalent in the other. These unique language features are also covered in this book.

“C# & VB.NET Conversion Pocket Reference” is a perfect companion for documents and books that don?t have examples using your mastered language. Author Jose Mojica expects that you know one of the two languages, but does not make an

assumption about which one. He presents the information in a

language-neutral point of view so that programmers from either background can read a section and feel that it is targeted to them.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Pocket Reference
This is a great pocket reference for those of us who go back and forth between C# and VB.NET. It is also good for those who do not have to do that, but want to know the differences.

Granted, much of the .NET platform allows almost line-for-line conversion between languages, but there are many syntax differences. This book covers those for these two languages, as well as a special section of significant differences between the languages (in addition to the item-by-item coverage).

This is a handy little book, but because it is little, it sometimes slides to the back of the bookshelf (between two larger books). Still, well worth the price and peace of mind.

5 Stars Excellent Reference and Useful for Learning Both Languages
There are at least two advantages to knowing both languages.

- Understanding sample code and examples.

- Flexibility on multi-language projects.

I’m from a C++ background in the bad old days before .NET, but now I’m equally comfortable in either C# or VB.NET, largely due to this book.

Exclusive of conversion between the two langauges, it’s also the best quick reference I have for either. Many times I’ve continued to search for my copy rather than turn to another source. Now I also subscribe to it on Safari, and when my hardcopy falls apart I’ll probably buy another one.

It would be nice if it had an index, but I’m still giving it five stars since as far as I know there is no adequate substitute.

5 Stars Very good book!
I picked up this book on a fling… but I am amazed at how useful I’ve found it. Most book authors today are gauged (by the publishing houses) according to the number of pages they turn in. This book on the other hand tries to squeeze a lot of good solid information into a small space without beating the topic to death.

It goes over some of the core differences of VB.NET and C# making not just a valuable reference in conversion between the two, but amazing for learning both languages if you’re coming from a high level language (I’m a very strong VB programmer). Within a few minutes I learned how to build classes in both C# and VB.NET from this book. About 10 minutes later I had basic Overloading and Inheritance down. Granted, this book won’t teach you what Inheritance is, but if you already know it your only problem is to learn the syntax and this book gives you the syntax quickly.

Another cool thing about this book is that it quickly also shows you what’s WRONG with the languages at the IL level and will give you a quick bit of info about things that can cause problems (i.e., case sensitivity in C# which allows you to write functions that would result in ambiguous interpretation in VB.NET)

Remember: this book won’t tell you what object oriented design is and won’t tell you how to build an n-tier app in .Net, but it will teach you how to write a class in C# and VB.NET in about 1 minute Its just as helpful to learn the basics, such as loops, indexing, calling conventions, etc…

If you are already good in high level languages and have gotten dropped head first into .NET, get this book and keep it nearby.

4 Stars Good book
This book has been a lot of help for me. I came from an all C# programming background and took a job as a VB.NET programmer. With what I already knew, and this book as a reference I was programming VB.NET almost as well as I had programmed C# the very first day.

This book is a very handy tool for anyone to have especially for the price. My one compliant is that there is no index but you can quickly get use to thumbing though to find what you need in a hurry.

5 Stars Great for experienced VB.NET Programmers
This is a great book to start programming in C#. I have been programming in VB.NET for over three years and this book has been very helpful while making the transition from VB to C# and every time I am going from one language to the other. It is nicely organized and you can quickly find the information and exmaples you need to start working.I definitely recommend this book. I got it (…)at my local bookstore and it is worth alot more than that.

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Get in-depth coverage and expert insights on advanced Visual C# programming topics such interfaces, delegates, generics, and much more. Targeting experienced, professional software developers who design and develop any kind of application, this book assumes that the reader knows and understands the basic functionality and concepts of Visual C# and that he or she is ready to move to mastering the development of components and assemblies and other uses of class libraries in the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0. This book includes extensive practical code samples.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The best C# book on the market
I have read a few programming books and I can honestly say that no single one has had more positive impact on my level of programming skill and knowledge than this one. Let me preface this by saying that this is not a beginner book. That is, if you have never programmed with C# before, this is not the book for you. However if you have just finished a “beginner” book and are looking for the next step, then I highly recommend this book for you. Whether you are planning on getting into ASP.Net development, WinForms, SOA, or even XNA, this book will provide you with a firm grasp of the language fundamentals that will make jumping into any or all of the above much easier. The book is broken down into several chapters, each one covering different key topics of the C# language such as basic data types (what is boxing? How does the compiler handle value types vs reference types and why should you care?), Generics, Serialization, Reflection, and COM Interop, just to name a few. Mr Balena also maintains an online blog at the Code Architects site and has even been kind enough to personally answer a few of my questions that I had about the topics covered in the book. I can’t recommend this book more, it really did make the difference for me between being a C# enthusiast and a professional C# developer.

5 Stars Visual C# 2005:The Base Class Library
Francesco Bakena is a well-known author, the book is good.

The themes and the examples are clean. The same line as Visual Basic. I recommend.

Manoel de Assis - Brazil - [...]

Programming Microsoft Visual C# 2005: The Base Class Library (Pro-Developer)

5 Stars Exactly what I Needed
I sought and purchased this book for the purpose of moving to C# 2005 from 2003. I have an extensive library of language and class references, guides and detailed texts for .NET 1.1. Much of that information will, of course, serve me well with the newer language, so what I sought was a good, basic introduction to C# 2005 that covered the important differences in the base classes. This book seems to have been written exactly for me!

Balena has an easy style of writing, also, that just seems to allow the information to jump right into your brain. There are other authors whose technical expertise is obvious to me, and whose books I regularly look to buy, but whose writing have quirks that can distract me at times. Balena is not such an author. Clearly, he knows how to make proper use of the IBrain.InputInformation(T info) method, rather than using the older, weakly-typed IBrain.InputInformation(object info) method. OK. Bad joke. But I hope you got my point!

5 Stars The best!
Having sweated through thousands of pages of other C# books, I found Francesco Balena’s eloquence as refreshing as a perfectly chilled Corona. It immediately tightened my loose grip on particulars such as string formatting, delegates, generics, regular expressions and interoperability. And it is the best discussion of the base classe I’ve ever seen. Be aware that this book does NOT intend to teach programming. However, if you’re someone who can code in some OOP language, knows C# syntax, and seeks professional proficiency in this language, then in my opinion, there is no better book you could own.

5 Stars Great Intermediate Level C# Material
If you have C# skills of no less then an advanced beginner, and want to find yourself securely in the intermediate range, then you have found the right book. Read it once and you will find your skill set drastically improved. Read it twice and study it thoroughly, and you will find yourself getting turned to for help from your more senior developers. Quite the ego booster.

It’s well written, has appropriate examples for the target audience, and doesn’t get bogged down in beginning C# material. It has plenty of advanced material, if that is what you are looking for.

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