C# 7.0 All-in-One For Dummies

John Paul Mueller, Bill Sempf, Chuck Sphar

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781119428107
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Programming in C#
• Index: Computer Science

Sharpen your knowledge of C#

C# know-how is a must if you want to be a professional Microsoft developer. It's also good to know a little C# if you're building tools for the web, mobile apps, or other development tasks. C# 7.0 All-in-One For Dummies offers a deep dive into C# for coders still learning the nuances of the valuable programming language. Pop it open to get an intro into coding with C#, how to design secure apps and databases, and even pointers on building web and mobile apps with C#.

C# remains one of the most in-demand programming language skills. The language regularly ranks in the top five among "most in-demand" languages, typically along with Java/JavaScript, C++, and Python. A December 2016 ZDNet article noted 'If your employer is a Microsoft developer, you better know C#." Lucky for you, this approachable, all-in-one guide is here to help you do just that—without ever breaking a sweat!

Includes coverage of the latest changes to C#

• Shows you exactly what the language can (and can't) do
• Presents familiar tasks that you can accomplish with C#
• Provides insight into developing applications that provide protection against hackers

If you have a basic understanding of coding and need to learn C#—or need a reference on the language in order to launch or further your career—look no further.

Book 1

The Basics of C# Programming

Contents at a Glance

1. Chapter 1: Creating Your First C# Console Application
   1. Getting a Handle on Computer Languages, C#, and .NET
   2. Creating Your First Console Application
   3. Making Your Console App Do Something
   4. Reviewing Your Console Application
   5. Introducing the Toolbox Trick
2. Chapter 2: Living with Variability — Declaring Value-Type Variables
   1. Declaring a Variable
   2. What’s an int?
   3. Representing Fractions
   4. Handling Floating-Point Variables
   5. Using the Decimal Type: Is It an Integer or a Float?
   6. Examining the bool Type: Is It Logical?
   7. Checking Out Character Types
   8. What’s a Value Type?
   9. Comparing string and char
   10. Calculating Leap Years: DateTime
   11. Declaring Numeric Constants
   12. Changing Types: The Cast
   13. Letting the C# Compiler Infer Data Types
3. Chapter 3: Pulling Strings
   1. The Union Is Indivisible, and So Are Strings
   2. Performing Common Operations on a String
   3. Comparing Strings
   4. What If I Want to Switch Case?
   5. Looping through a String
   6. Searching Strings
   7. Getting Input from the Command Line
   8. Controlling Output Manually
   9. Formatting Your Strings Precisely
   10. StringBuilder: Manipulating Strings More Efficiently
4. Chapter 4: Smooth Operators
   1. Performing Arithmetic
   2. Performing Logical Comparisons — Is That Logical?
   3. Matching Expression Types at TrackDownAMate.com
5. Chapter 5: Getting into the Program Flow
   1. Branching Out with if and switch
   2. Here We Go Loop-the-Loop
   3. Looping a Specified Number of Times with for
   4. Nesting Loops
   5. Don’t goto Pieces
6. Chapter 6: Lining Up Your Ducks with Collections
   1. The C# Array
   2. Processing Arrays by Using foreach
   3. Sorting Arrays of Data
   4. Using var for Arrays
   5. Loosening Up with C# Collections
   6. Understanding Collection Syntax
   7. Using Lists
   8. Using Dictionaries
   9. Array and Collection Initializers
   10. Using Sets
   11. On Not Using Old-Fashioned Collections
7. Chapter 7: Stepping through Collections
   1. Iterating through a Directory of Files
   2. Iterating foreach Collections: Iterators
   3. Accessing Collections the Array Way: Indexers
   4. Looping Around the Iterator Block
8. Chapter 8: Buying Generic
   1. Writing a New Prescription: Generics
   2. Classy Generics: Writing Your Own
   3. Revising Generics
9. Chapter 9: Some Exceptional Exceptions
   1. Using an Exceptional Error-Reporting Mechanism
   2. Throwing Exceptions Yourself
   3. Knowing What Exceptions Are For
   4. Can I Get an Exceptional Example?
   5. Assigning Multiple catch Blocks
   6. Planning Your Exception-Handling Strategy
   7. Grabbing Your Last Chance to Catch an Exception
   8. Throwing Expressions
10. Chapter 10: Creating Lists of Items with Enumerations
    1. Seeing Enumerations in the Real World
    2. Working with Enumerations
    3. Creating Enumerated Flags
    4. Defining Enumerated Switches

Chapter 1

Creating Your First C# Console Application

IN THIS CHAPTER

Getting a quick introduction to programming

Creating a simple console application

Examining the console application

Saving code for later

This chapter explains a little bit about computers, computer languages — including the computer language C# (pronounced “see sharp”) — and Visual Studio 2017. You then create a simple program written in C#.

Getting a Handle on Computer Languages, C#, and .NET

A computer is an amazingly fast but incredibly stupid servant. Computers will do anything you ask them to (within reason); they do it extremely fast — and they’re getting faster all the time.

Unfortunately, computers don’t understand anything that resembles a human language. Oh, you may come back at me and say something like, “Hey, my telephone lets me dial my friend by just speaking his name.” Yes, a tiny computer runs your telephone. So that computer speaks English. But that’s a computer program that understands English, not the computer itself.

The language that computers truly understand is machine language. It’s possible, but extremely difficult and error prone, for hum...