EFFECTIVE C#

Another good book in the Effective series. Though if like me you have read Effective Java and have come from a Java background then you will probably have seen variations on the same items before. For instance this book has its own C# slant on the equals contract and hash codes that many Java programmers will have seen before. The items are still worth reading, as though the general theory may be known, the C# specifics are new.This book is very open to people from a wide range of programming backgrounds, but a number of items do seem to be based on beating old style techniques out of Windows C++ programmers. If you are an old Windows C++ programmers it may seem that this book was written just for you.My main criticism of this book is that I thought it had a tendency to describe items in an overly long and complicated way. But this is just a style issue and doesn't detract too much from the content. The things I loved the most were the debunking of common myths, such as 'avoid foreach' and 'avoid DataSets'. And my favourite item was a good example of how to program custom attributes to make reflection simpler and easier. This was a great example of attributes and a valid use of reflection and was the prefect precursor to the item 'Don't overuse reflection'.Like all the 'Effective' books before it this is one to read once to get the general understanding, then to leave on your desk to reference again and again when the items become relevant to what you are doing at that moment.

Bei den sogenannten "Kaffeefahrten" -neuerdings auch in den TV Shopping Kanälen- werden leichtgläubigen Kunden, häufig Senioren, hoffnungslos überteuerte Waren angedreht. Zum rhetorischen Repertoire der Verkäufer gehören endlose Wiederholungen und Bekräftigungen, wie toll das angebotene Produkt und wie einzigartig diese Kaufgelegenheit sei. Doch was hat das mit diesem Buch zu tun?Nun, bei "Effective C#" kam ich mir auch ein bisschen vor wie auf einer Kaffeefahrt...Bill Wagner hat hier de facto ein Bündel guter Tipps und Best Practises für den fortgeschrittenen C# Entwickler geschnürt. Zu allen Punkten finden sich Erläuterungen, warum in den Augen des Autors etwas so und nicht anders gemacht werden sollte, zusammen mit einer Menge Beispielcode jeweils in kurzen Schnipseln. Das liest sich flüssig und trifft zu 90% tatsächlich den Nagel auf den Kopf. Es ist gut, eigene Vorgehensweisen bestätigt zu sehen und an vielen anderen Stellen neue Anstöße zu bekommen.Alleine die Sprache gefällt mir häufig nicht. So stelle ich mir die Fernsehprediger im US-TV vor: "Do this. Do it now. And do it anytime, anywhere." Sätze in dieser Art finden sich zahlreich und man hat den Eindruck, Wagner will einem tatsächlich eine Heizdecke verkaufen resp. seine Lösungen doppelt und dreifach rhetorisch unterstreichen. Das hätte er gar nicht nötig, die Fakten im Buch sprechen für sich.Nach der Lektüre wünscht man sich mehr und hofft, dass es bald ein neues Werk zu den besonderen Merkmalen in .NET 3.5 geben könnte. "Effective C#" beschränkt sich nämlich weitgehend auf C# 1.0 mit Schlenkern hin zu 2.0 (z.B. Generics). Das ist keine Einschränkung, denn was für 1.0 guter Stil war gilt zu weiten Teilen auch heute. Aber es lässt eben naturgemäß Spezialitäten in den Neuerungen aus.1 Stern Abzug also nur für die IMHO allzu amerikanische Darstellungsweise.

Ein Kollege von mir brachte es sehr gut auf den Punkt. Man sollte nicht professionell in C# programmieren, bevor man dieses Buch gelesen hat. Durchaus auf einer Ebene mit den Klassikern von Scott Myers zu C++, Myers ist ja auch der Herausgeber bei diesem Buch.

Coming from a C++ background, I see the words "Effective C#" and it conjures up the old warm familiar book "Effective C++". Even Scott Meyers name is associated as a "Consulting Editor". I think this book may be a trap for C++ developers like myself. While there is some good content in this book (and I haven't even finished a third of it), the items are not nearly as polished as the "Effective C++" book series. Maybe I'm just biased.Like I said,the information has been good. Most of the first items revolve around distinguishing between behavior driven code vs data. It's a cool distinction and it's definitely been an eye opener. They cover cool things like what the differences in the MSIL look like (okay, I admittedly added a star after really rethinking this).I think the book would have been better if there were some syntax highlighting in the examples. The examples in this book are way too similar between each other! It would be helpful if the authors would have put in some special coloring between examples to show what has changed OR what is really important to take away from the example! Instead it forced me to go through and really pick at the examples.Overall I liked the book. I picked it up used, not sure if I would buy it new.

As a manager, I look for books that can help me but also help my team. This book did both. It is the C# version of the effective C++ books.To me it is a must read for engineers writing/reviewing code in C#.The only problem with it is that the language is a bit of a moving target so the most effective ways to use C# is changing. To me, instead of having an effective C# book and a more effective C# book they should have had just a second edition of the first. This probably is not likely to be solved as I imagine many will be just digesting C# 3.0 with 4.0 looming on the horizon. This, however, is beyond the authors control.