Effective C#: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# (Effective Software Development Series): Wagner, Bill: 9780321658708: Amazon.com: Books

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C# has matured over the past decade: It’s now a rich language with generics, functional programming concepts, and support for both static and dynamic typing. This palette of techniques provides great tools for many different idioms, but there are also many ways to make mistakes. In Effective C#, Second Edition, respected .NET expert Bill Wagner identifies fifty ways you can leverage the full power of the C# 4.0 language to express your designs concisely and clearly.

Effective C#, Second Edition, follows a clear format that makes it indispensable to hundreds of thousands of developers: clear, practical explanations, expert tips, and plenty of realistic code examples. Drawing on his unsurpassed C# experience, Wagner addresses everything from types to resource management to dynamic typing to multicore support in the C# language and the .NET framework. Along the way, he shows how to avoid common pitfalls in the C# language and the .NET environment. You’ll learn how to

Use both types of C# constants for efficiency and maintainability (see Item 2)
Employ immutable data types to promote multicore processing (see Item 20)
Minimize garbage collection, boxing, and unboxing (see Items 16 and 45)
Take full advantage of interfaces and delegates (see Items 22 though 25)
Make the most of the parallel framework (see Items 35 through 37)
Use duck typing in C# (see Item 38)
Spot the advantages of the dynamic and Expression types over reflection (see Items 42 and 43)
Assess why query expressions are better than loops (see Item 8)
Understand how generic covariance and contravariance affect your designs (see Item 29)
See how optional parameters can minimize the number of method overloads (see Item 10)

You’re already a successful C# programmer–this book will help you become an outstanding one.

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Customers find the book helpful for learning C# programming techniques. They find the content useful and easy to understand. The book is described as concise and well-written, with good fonts on the Kindle app for iPad.

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16 customers mention "Knowledge level"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for beginners and intermediate to advanced programmers. It provides a deeper understanding of C# through techniques and advice for better programming. The topics are concise and come with solid examples, making it an easy-to-read reference that answers their own questions.

"...but for the most part, each item gave a firm understanding...." Read more

"Its a really nice and useful book, I'm discovering new ways to improve my code and sharing most of the knowledge with my team." Read more

"Bill Wagner's insights on C# are useful and thought provoking through every edition...." Read more

"...The tips inside are interesting and useful, especially if you are an experienced programmer just starting out with C#..." Read more

9 customers mention "Book content"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's content helpful and insightful. They say it covers areas not generally covered.

"...in C# but you want to improve your codding style, this is the right book...." Read more

"I'm reviewing this with some co-workers and it's good...." Read more

"I really like the content of this book, it digs deep in some areas not generally covered by website searching or basic C# books...." Read more

"Excellent book. Practical advices crucial to everry C#/.NET developer." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"6 positive1 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and concise. They appreciate the efficient ways to write C# and the fonts on the Kindle app for iPad.

"...The items are written in a very clear manner. Most of the figures are illustrative of the concepts...." Read more

"...by discussing many techniques for better C# programming in an easy to read format. Highly recommended...." Read more

"...anyway, but was happy to learn that there are always more efficient ways to write C#...." Read more

"...bad, but I like reading textbooks on my iPad, so the fonts on kindle app for iPad are great, loved it!" Read more

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S. Anderson
A new edition brings new insight to C# on .NET 4.0
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2010
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I have both editions of "Effective C#". The older, first edition did not have lambda expressions, LINQ, or generics (though it hinted at generics towards the end). In the second edition, tips (called "Items") that have since fallen out of practice are weeded out and are replaced with fresh concepts from .NET 2.0, through 4.0.

The items are written in a very clear manner. Most of the figures are illustrative of the concepts. Some of the pictures aren't quite as clear as they could be (.NET's Garbage Collector sticks out in my mind - Bill! read some Tufte! :) but for the most part, each item gave a firm understanding. I could read the first and last paragraph of each item to get a clear bird's eye explanation. Later, I would pore over the details with a highlighter and come away enlightened.

This book has a sister - "More Effective C#". This was released PRIOR to "Effective C# - Second Edition". I own that copy too, and it's dog-eared by now. The two books go together like peas and carrots, though "More Effective C#" touches on more advanced .NET 3.0 concepts. "More Effective C#"'s treatment of "yield return", dependency injection, and composition in the third chapter alone are inspiring.

If you really want to go all out, I'd recommend getting "C# in Depth" by John Skeet. There's a new edition coming out in the summer of 2010. Skeet's book will bring the reader up to speed on the advancements of C# in .NET 3.0 (and soon 4.0) without giving them any specific tips. The "Effective C#" series will give the reader specific tips without bringing anybody up to speed.

Also, the author is a cool guy. I emailed him back in 2009 with questions about the first edition and he brought me up to speed by responding on his blog. You are encouraged to give him feedback.

I consider "Effective C#" as one of the first books I reach when I want to brush up on my skill set.

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25 people found this helpful

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Clerks
Really effective book
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2012
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Its a really nice and useful book, I'm discovering new ways to improve my code and sharing most of the knowledge with my team.

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J. Spurlin
Stick with the print version: Kindle is poorly formatted
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2012
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Bill Wagner's insights on C# are useful and thought provoking through every edition.

I am only going to comment on the kindle version: I bought this book despite a bad kindle review. Sadly, the critique was accurate. The Kindle formatting for the code examples are just not acceptable, even when using Kindle for PC and outputting to a 46" HDTV.

The formatting and end result for the Kindle version do not justify the asking price.

As badly as you may want a Kindle version of this book, you may need the print version as a companion. I understand the limits of the Kindle and have an extensive library of programming books. This one disappointed my lowered expectations.

Amazon: We need a two-tier rating system in the Kindle department. One for content and another for how well the Kindle version is produced. Since we do not yet have this option, I will rate for content.

Thank you, Bill Wagner. I have loved everyone of your books.

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Ch3w33
OK, but not as good as Effective C++
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2013
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I loved the Effective C++ book and bought this because it is part of the same franchise. The tips inside are interesting and useful, especially if you are an experienced programmer just starting out with C# (e.g., difference between const and read-only, how properties are compiled). More than a few of the recommendations are really based on the author's opinion of "elegant" or "readable" code. For example, the author advocates almost always using LINQ queries instead of nested for loops; he recognizes the potential performance hit, but argues in favor of it anyway because of the elegance of the resulting code. I appreciate his opinion, but in my own experience the performance penalty is often prohibitive, and as a long-time C/C++ coder, I happen to think nested for loops are very readable. In general, I don't mind espousing some coding philosophy, but I'd rather there were more quantifiable examples in the book.

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5 people found this helpful

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Alex
Short and easy to read.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2012
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If you have some codding experience in C# but you want to improve your codding style, this is the right book. I found a lot of answers on my own questions, when I had some doubts which way better to go. I liked this book because it reminds me googling on inet, when it brings you to the right sample, with some brief explanation how it works and why it is better solution.

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dotsnail
Very useful addition to a programmer's bookshelf
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2012
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My copy of Effective C++ by Scott Meyers (1998) is well worn, even though I had many good C++ books when I bought that copy. So when I came across Effective C#, I had high expectations. This book exceeded those expectations by discussing many techniques for better C# programming in an easy to read format. Highly recommended. No matter how long you have been programming, you can always be a better programmer by getting rid of some constructs that have weaknesses. Most .NET books introduce new features of a new version of .NET and C#, but few actually make you a better C# programmer. This one does.

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Elogis Gmbh
Sehr gutes Buch!
Reviewed in Germany on January 16, 2013
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Sehr gut geschrieben und mit guten Beispielen. Kann man auch in Fragmenten lesen.

Nicht für absolute Anfänger aber Leute mit C#-Erfahrung können hier noch einiges lernen.

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ヴェレ・クリストフ
確実な定番
Reviewed in Japan on February 27, 2014
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C#の仕事を初めて担当することになって、C# in a NutshellとMore Effective C#と一緒に買いました。実践的なアドバイス満載で、とてむ役に立ちます。仕事上で、よく参考しています。本が厚くないので、短時間で読めます。

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Neil Martin
Great book. Happy with the purchase
Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2017
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Second hand. Minimal wear. Great book. Happy with the purchase.

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Nodoid
Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2014
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A damned good book and great reference

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Aman
Not for experienced C# person
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 14, 2013
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Nothing much to learn for experienced .Net developers apart from Dynamic programming which is a new feature. I think it is mainly focused on people switching from c++ to C#

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Effective C#: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your C# (Effective Software Development Series) 2nd Edition

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars A new edition brings new insight to C# on .NET 4.0

4.0 out of 5 stars Really effective book

5.0 out of 5 stars Stick with the print version: Kindle is poorly formatted

3.0 out of 5 stars OK, but not as good as Effective C++

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and easy to read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful addition to a programmer's bookshelf

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr gutes Buch!

5.0 out of 5 stars 確実な定番

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book. Happy with the purchase

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for experienced C# person

A new edition brings new insight to C# on .NET 4.0

Really effective book

Stick with the print version: Kindle is poorly formatted

OK, but not as good as Effective C++

Short and easy to read.

Very useful addition to a programmer's bookshelf

Sehr gutes Buch!

確実な定番

Great book. Happy with the purchase

Four Stars

Not for experienced C# person