About the Book
LEARN VISUAL C# is a comprehensive step-by-step computer programming tutorial covering object-oriented programming, the Visual C# integrated development environment and toolbox, building and distributing Windows applications (using the Windows Installer), exception handling, sequential file input and output, graphics, multimedia effects (animation and sounds), advanced topics such as web access, printing, and HTML help system authoring. The tutorial also introduces database applications (using ADO .NET) and web applications (using ASP.NET). This curriculum has been used in college and universities for over two decades. It is now available as an instructor-led or self-study programming tutorial. It can also be used as a high school advanced placement course.
The focus of LEARN VISUAL C# is to use the existing objects and capabilities of Visual C# to build a wide variety of useful desktop applications. Students will also learn to build their own objects. Some of the applications built include: Stopwatch, Calendar Display, Loan Repayment Calculator, Flash Card Math Game, Database Input Screen, Statistics Calculator, full-featured Note Editor, Tic-Tac-Toe Game, Multiple Choice Quiz, Information Tracker (with plotting), Blackjack, Line, Bar and Pie charts, a version of the first video game ever - Pong, and a Telephone Directory.
LEARN VISUAL C# is presented using a combination of over 850 pages of self-study notes and over 100 Visual C# practical examples and applications. To grasp the concepts presented in LEARN VISUAL C#, you should possess a working knowledge of Windows and have had some exposure to programming concepts. Our Beginning Visual C# course would provide you with this exposure.
LEARN VISUAL C# requires the Microsoft Windows operating system. This tutorial also requires the Community Edition or Professional Edition of Microsoft Visual Studio. The Visual C# source code solutions and all needed multimedia files are included in the compressed download file available from the Publisher's website (KidwareSoftware.com) after book registration.
About the Author :
Philip Conrod has authored, co-authored and edited over two dozen computer programming books and tutorials over the past 30 years. Philip holds a Certificate in Computer Programming for Business from Warren-Tech, a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Systems and a Master's certificate in the Essentials of Business Development from Regis University. Philip has held Information Technology leadership roles in companies like Sundstrand Aerospace, Safeco Insurance, FamilyLife, Kenworth Truck Company, and PACCAR Inc. Today, Philip serves as the Chief Information Officer for large manufacturing company based in Seattle, Washington. In his spare time, Philip still enjoys writing and publishing computer programming books for students and he serves as the President of Kidware Software. Kidware Software LLC publishes computer programming books and tutorials under the trade names of KIDware, Kidware Software, BibleByte Books and ComputerScienceForKids.com. Lou Tylee holds BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Electrical Engineering. Lou has been programming computers since 1969 when he took his first Fortran course in college. He has written software to control suspensions for high speed ground vehicles, monitor nuclear power plants, lower noise levels in commercial jetliners, compute takeoff speeds for jetliners, locate and identify air and ground traffic and to let kids count bunnies, learn how to spell and do math problems. He has written several on-line texts teaching Visual Basic, Visual C# and Java to thousands of people. He taught a beginning Visual Basic course for over 15 years at a major university. Currently, Lou works as an engineer at a major Seattle aerospace firm. Lou and his family live in Seattle, Washington.
Review :
"As a programmer, a long-time college professor, and as the former head of the Computer, Engineering, and Business Department, I have reviewed countless programming books for most of the popular programming languages. "Learn Visual C#" by Philip Conrod and Lou Tylee is my favorite. The order in which the topics are presented is very easy for students to follow. The transitions from one topic to the next are so smooth it doesn't feel like steps but just a continuously smooth flow from start to finish. Object-oriented programming (OOP) is often difficult to explain to new programmers and most books give it no consideration until the second half of the book. The authors have made OOP clear, logical, and astonishingly easy to understand and they have successfully presented it in the third chapter...it is absolute genius. Consequently, every topic after that is much clearer and relevant to students. The examples in the book are interesting and easy to follow. I have worked through all of them line by line and found them easy to follow and replicate. Students quickly become frustrated with examples that contain errors so the fact that these work so well is critically important to the success of every student. Topics included in "Learn Visual C#" are date, time, and financial calculations which are lacking in most first year programming books. I really appreciate the chapters that include business graphics for pie and bar charts and general graphics applied to multimedia. The authors use code to access databases instead of the Visual Studio wizards. This gives the students a much better understanding of how databases work and how to program their interactions. Consequently, that also makes the eventual use of the database wizards less of a mystery and gives the student far more confidence in their application. The useful topics in the examples and the well written explanations make this my favorite book for learning Visual C# programming so it is with absolute confidence that I recommend this book to you." - David B. Taylor, B.S.E.T., M.A.Ed., Ed.S., Former Professor and Department Chair, Computer, Engineering, and Business, Seminole State College, Sanford, Florida
"These lessons are a highly organized and well-indexed set of lessons in the Visual C# programming environment. They are written for the initiated programmer - the college or university student seeking to advance their computer science repertoire on their own. The applications are practical, but the learning has far-reaching consequences in the student's computer science career. While full solutions are provided, the projects are presented in an easy-to-follow set of lessons explaining the rational for the solution - the form layout, coding design and conventions, and specific code related to the problem. The learner may follow the tutorials at their own pace while focusing upon context relevant information. I have seen even adult student literacy improve dramatically when students cannot get enough of what is being presented. Having used Kidware Software tutorials for the past decade, I have been successful at the expansion of my own learning of other platforms such as XNA for the Xbox, or the latest developer suites for tablets and phones. I thank Kidware Software and its authors for continuing to stand for what is right in the teaching methodologies which not only inspire, but propel the self-guided learner through what can be an intelligible landscape of opportunities." - Alan Payne, B.A.H., B.Ed., Computer Science Teacher, T.A. Blakelock High School, Oakville, Ontario
