C# 7.0 in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference 1st Edition

From the Preface

C# 7.0 represents the sixth major update to Microsoft’s flagship programming language, positioning C# as a language with unusual flexibility and breadth. At one end, it offers high-level abstractions such as query expressions and asynchronous continuations, while at the other end, it allows low-level efficiency through constructs such as custom value types and optional pointers.

The price of this growth is that there’s more than ever to learn. Although tools such as Microsoft’s IntelliSense—and online references—are excellent in helping you on the job, they presume an existing map of conceptual knowledge. This book provides exactly that map of knowledge in a concise and unified style—free of clutter and long introductions.

Like the past four editions, C# 7.0 in a Nutshell is organized around concepts and use cases, making it friendly both to sequential reading and to random browsing. It also plumbs significant depths while assuming only basic background knowledge—making it accessible to intermediate as well as advanced readers.

This book covers C#, the CLR, and the core Framework assemblies. We’ve chosen this focus to allow space for difficult topics such as concurrency, security, and application domains—without compromising depth or readability. Features new to C# 6 and C# 7 and the associated Framework are flagged so that you can also use this book as a C# 5 and C# 6 reference.

Intended Audience

This book targets intermediate to advanced audiences. No prior knowledge of C# is required, but some general programming experience is necessary. For the beginner, this book complements, rather than replaces, a tutorial-style introduction to programming.

This book is an ideal companion to any of the vast array of books that focus on an applied technology such as ASP.NET, WPF, UWP, or WCF. The areas of the language and .NET Framework that such books omit, C# 7.0 in a Nutshell covers in detail—and vice versa.

If you’re looking for a book that skims every .NET Framework technology, this is not for you. This book is also unsuitable if you want to learn about APIs specific to mobile device development.

What You Need to Use This Book

The examples in this book require a C# 7.0 compiler and Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6/4.7. You will also find Microsoft’s .NET documentation useful to look up individual types and members (which is available online).

While it’s possible to write source code in Notepad and invoke the compiler from the command line, you’ll be much more productive with a code scratchpad for instantly testing code snippets, plus an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for producing executables and libraries.