We looked around at the C# books in print when we started developing .NET applications and found that most spend a lot of time introducing concepts that are already known to the Java programmer.
Throughout this book we have tried to be concise, comprehensive, and accurate. We have not spent time explaining the basics of programming, detailing the evolution of programming languages, or expounding our favored methodologies. We concentrate on C# and .NET, using Java as the basis for comparison, and provide frequent examples and details of how Java and .NET differ.
The first part of this book provides a brief overview of the .NET platform and includes a comparison between .NET and Java to provide a context for the later chapters.
The second part of this book consists of a detailed explanation of the syntax and features of the C# language. Java programmers will be comfortable with the majority of the C# syntax and keywords. Part II provides an exhaustive reference for each language feature and explains the differences from Java as required.
Part III discusses how to use C# and the .NET Framework to accomplish common programming tasks, including string and number manipulation, Input/Output, using collections, and dealing with XML. The contents of these chapters will provide the reader with an understanding of the basic .NET facilities and demonstrate how the C# language is applied to program the .NET Framework. After reading Part III, readers should be able to write simple C# applications.
Part IV builds on the previous chapters to introduce more advanced programming areas, such as threading, networking, and accessing databases.
Appendix A through Appendix E contain information that will be of use to the advanced developer, but which will not be essential for most development projects. Topics include configuring applications, controlling the garbage collection process, and integration with the Microsoft Windows operating system.
The Java to .NET API Reference contained in Appendix F provides mappings between the key classes of the Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) and the .NET Framework, broken down by Java package. Developers who need to know whether there is a .NET substitute for a Java class should refer to this appendix.
The best way to learn is to try out the examples in this book as you encounter them. To get the maximal benefit, we recommend using a PC that is running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems, with a complete .NET Framework installation. This can be easily achieved by installing Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
The system requirements for running the .NET Framework SDK, which can be freely downloaded from Microsoft’s Web site, are
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (SP 6a required)
Microsoft Windows 2000 (SP 2 recommended)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
and
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later
The complete requirements for running Visual Studio .NET can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/productinfo/sysreq.asp.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this book. Microsoft Press provides corrections for books through the World Wide Web at the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/support/
To connect directly to the Microsoft Press KnowledgeBase and enter a query regarding a question or an issue that you may have, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/support/search.asp
If you have comments, questions, or ideas regarding this book, please send them to Microsoft Press vial postal mail to
Microsoft Press
Attn: C# for Java Developers Editor
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
or via e-mail to
[email protected]
Note that product support is not offered through the above mail addresses. For support information regarding C# or the .NET Framework, visit the Microsoft Product Standard Support Web site at