C# in a Nutshell

This is a concise introduction to the C# language and its syntax with brief tutorials on .NET types, and a large cross-reference of namespaces, types and members. Designed as a primary reference for daily use, it also includes background information on how to become productive quickly and goes to the source of the C# language and the APIs of the .NET Framework to present the content. Brief introductions to the language and .NET runtime offer the preparation needed for programming with the C# language, whose keywords and syntax are then detailed in subsequent chapters. The book also presents key namespaces and types of the .NET Framework base class library which provides much of the functionality and power of the language. Using C# examples, the .NET Framework covers each core area, including: strings; collections; XML; networking; input/output; serialization; assemblies; reflection; custom attributes; memory management; threading; integrating with Native DLLs; integrating with COM components; and diagnostics. It also covers language reference, plus syntax, XML documentation tags, naming and coding conventions, and the various C# development tools. Next, an extensive and quick reference to the API is presented, featuring the System namespace. Figures and tables present the main features of the namespace. For those looking create alternatives to Microsoft's implementation of the C# Programming Language and the Common Language Infrastructure as submitted to ECMA (an international standards organization), each element included in the ECMA submission is labelled. Finally, the entire reference is based on Version 1 of the .NET Framework and generated by tools written in the C# language itself.

Table of Contents:
Preface PART 1: Programming with C SHARP Chapter 1. Introducing C SHARP and the .NET Framework The C SHARP Language The .NET Framework ECMA Standardization Chapter 2. C SHARP Language Basics A First C SHARP Program Identifiers and Keywords Type Basics Value Types and Reference Types Predefined Types Arrays Variables and Parameters Expressions and Operators Statements Namespaces Chapter 3. Creating Types in C SHARP Classes Inheritance Access Modifiers Structs Interfaces Enums Chapter 4. Advanced C SHARP Features Delegates Delegates Versus Function Pointers Delegates Versus Interfaces Events Operator Overloading Try Statements and Exceptions Attributes Unsafe Code and Pointers Preprocessor Directives XML Documentation PART 2: Programming with the .NET Framework Chapter 5. Framework Class Library Overview Core Types Text Collections Streams and I/O Networking Threading Security Reflection and Metadata Assemblies Serialization Remoting Web Services Data Access XML Graphics Rich Client Applications Web-Based Applications Globalization Configuration Advanced Component Services Diagnostics and Debugging Interoperating with Unmanaged Code Compiler and Tool Support Runtime Facilities Native OS Facilities Undocumented Types Chapter 6. String Handling String Class StringBuilder Class Regular Expression Support Regular Expression Basics Procedural- and Expression-Based Patterns Cookbook Regular Expressions Chapter 7. Collections Iterating Over Collections Standard Collection Interfaces Predefined Collection Classes Ordering Instances Generating Hash Code Chapter 8. XML I/O Accessing XML Documents Parsing an XML Stream Selecting Nodes Using XPath Transforming a Document Using XSLT Chapter 9. Networking Network Programming Models Generic Request/Response Architecture HTTP-Specific Support WebClient Adding New Protocol Handlers Using TCP, UDP, and Sockets Using DNS Chapter 10. Streams and I/O Streams and Backing Stores Encapsulating Raw Streams Directories and Files Isolated Storage Chapter 11. Serialization What Is Serialization? Serialization Support in the Framework Explicit Serialization Implicit Serialization [Serializable] [NonSerialized] IDeserializationCallback ISerializable [Serializable] and ISerializable Chapter 12. Assemblies Elements of an Assembly Assemblies and Modules Scoping Types and Type References Naming and Signing Assemblies Resolving and Loading Assemblies Deployment Security Permissions Chapter 13. Reflection Type Hierarchy Types, Members, and Nested Types Retrieving the Type for an Instance Retrieving a Type Directly Reflecting Over a Type Hierarchy Late Binding Advanced Uses of Reflection Creating New Types at Runtime Chapter 14. Custom Attributes Language Support Compiler Support Runtime Support Predefined Attributes Defining a New Custom Attribute Retrieving a Custom Attribute at Runtime Chapter 15. Memory Management The Garbage Collector Optimization Techniques Finalizers Dispose and Close Methods Chapter 16. Threading Thread Synchronization Common Thread Types Asynchronous Delegates Chapter 17. Integrating with Native DLLs Calling Into DLLs Marshaling Common Types Marshaling Classes and Structs In and Out Marshaling Callbacks from Unmanaged Code Simulating a C Union Mapping a Struct to a Binary Format Predefined Interop Support Attributes Chapter 18. Integrating with COM Components Binding COM and C SHARP Objects Exposing COM Objects to C SHARP Exposing C SHARP Objects to COM COM Mapping in C SHARP Common COM Interop Support Attributes COM+ Support Chapter 19. Diagnostics Logging and Assertion Facilities Conditional Compilation Debugger Integration Processes, Threads, and Stacks Event Logs Performance Counters PART 3: Language and Tools Reference Chapter 20. C SHARP Language Reference Chapter 21. XML Documentation Tag Reference Chapter 22. C SHARP Naming and Coding Conventions Case Mechanics Word Choice Namespaces Chapter 23. C SHARP Development Tools PART 4: API Quick Reference Chapter 24. How to Use This Quick Reference Finding a Quick-Reference Entry Reading a Quick-Reference Entry Chapter 25. Microsoft.Win32 Chapter 26. System Chapter 27. System.Collections Chapter 28. System.Collections.Specialized Chapter 29. System.Diagnostics Chapter 30. System.Globalization Chapter 31. System.IO Chapter 32. System.IO.IsolatedStorage Chapter 33. System.Net Chapter 34. System.Net.Sockets Chapter 35. System.Reflection Chapter 36. System.Reflection.Emit Chapter 37. System.Runtime.InteropServices Chapter 38. System.Runtime.Serialization Chapter 39. System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters Chapter 40. System.Text Chapter 41. System.Text.RegularExpressions Chapter 42. System.Threading Chapter 43. System.Timers Chapter 44. System.Xml Chapter 45. System.Xml.XPath Chapter 46. System.Xml.Xsl PART 5: Appendixes Appendix A. Regular Expressions Appendix B. Format Specifiers Appendix C. Data Marshaling Appendix D. C SHARP Keywords Appendix E. Namespaces and Assemblies Appendix F. Type, Method, Property, Event, Index