In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, learn how to build great Windows Store apps, Windows desktop applications, and Web applications with C# 5.0. Using this tutorial’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll master everything from the absolute basics to the newest innovations, so you can solve real problems with C#. One step at a time, you’ll learn core techniques like flow control and error handling, construct complete solutions with Visual Studio, use advanced features like attributes and dynamic types, and even build engaging, immersive Windows Store apps. Each lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a strong real-world foundation for success, even if you’ve never programmed with C# 5.0 before! Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common C# programming tasks. Quizzes and exercises at the end of each chapter help you test your knowledge. Notes and tips present interesting information related to the discussion. Cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them. Learn how to... Gain a holistic understanding of C# 5.0, .NET, and Visual Studio 2012 Use classes and objects “the C# way” Master the C# type system, inheritance, interfaces, and abstract classes Define, initiate, respond to, and send data through events Work with loops, strings, regular expressions, and collections Ensure type safety and promote code reuse with generics and collections Work with data in all forms, from file systems and streams to XML and databases Use advanced features such as attributes, dynamic types, and anonymous functions Build and debug C# applications with Visual Studio 2012 Create state-of-the-art Windows Store apps with the async pattern Improve performance and reliability by managing memory more effectively Build more responsive software with threads, concurrency, and parallelism

Table of Contents:
Introduction     1 Part I: C# Fundamentals HOUR 1: The .NET Framework and C#     5 The .NET Framework     5 The C# Language     13 Summary     20 Q&A     21 Workshop     21 Exercises     23 HOUR 2: Introducing Visual Studio     25 Introducing the Visual Studio Editions     26 Writing Your First Program     28 Debugging in Visual Studio     32 Visualizing Data     43 Commenting Your Code     44 Summary     46 Q&A     46 Workshop     47 Exercises      47 HOUR 3: Understanding C# Types     49 An Overview of Types     49 The C# Predefined Types      51 Other Commonly Used Types     55 Working with Operators     60 Default Values     66 Null and Nullable Types     67 Casting and Conversion     69 Summary     72 Q&A     73 Workshop     74 Exercises     75 HOUR 4: Understanding Classes and Objects the C# Way     77 Object-Oriented Programming     78 Component-Oriented Programming     79 Classes in C#     79 Scope and Declaration Space     79 Nested Classes     101 Partial Classes     101 Static Classes     102 Object Initializers     104 Summary     104 Q&A      105 Workshop     105 Exercises     107 HOUR 5: Inheritance, Interfaces, and Abstract Classes     109 Inheritance and Polymorphism     109 Abstract Classes and Members     120 Working with Interfaces     122 Summary     126 Q&A     126 Workshop     127 Exercises     128 HOUR 6: Creating Enumerated Types and Structures     129 Enumerated Types     129 Working with Structures     135 Summary     143 Q&A     143 Workshop     144 Exercises     144 HOUR 7: Events and Event Handling     147 Understanding Events     147 Subscribing and Unsubscribing      148 Publishing an Event     152 Raising an Event     154 Summary     157 Q&A     157 Workshop     158 Exercises     158 PART II: PROGRAMMING IN C# HOUR 8: Controlling Program Flow     159 Understanding the Selection Statements     159 Iteration Statements     165 Jump Statements     171 Summary     175 Q&A     175 Workshop     176 Exercises     177 HOUR 9: Using Strings and Regular Expressions     179 Strings     180 Mutable Strings Using StringBuilder     1