C# in Depth (4th edition)

placeholder

✅ Year: August 23, 2019 (Fourth Edition)

✅ Authors:Jon Skeet

✅ Language: English

✅ Pages: 528

✅ Size: 4.78 MB

✅ Download source code:
source-4thEdition.zip
source-3rdEdition.zip
source-2ndEdition.zip
source-1stEdition.zip

C# in Depth is a book for those who are passionate about C#. It aims to be a bridge between the existing introductory books and the language specification: something readable but detailed, exploring every aspect of the language from version 2 onwards. In the interests of brevity, it doesn’t spend much time on C# 1 - readers are already expected to know the first version at least reasonably. Every new feature from C# 2 onwards is covered, however, as shown in the table of contents below.

One of my hobbies is helping other developers on sites such as Stack Overflow. before Stack Overflow came along, I used to post a lot on the C# newsgroups. I’ve come to appreciate that whatever technologies you might use on top of C# - MVC, WPF, Windows Forms, etc - if you don’t have a firm grasp of the language, you’ll find it a lot harder. My hope is that C# in Depth helps readers to really “grok” the language, so they feel they’re working in tandem with the compiler rather than fighting against it; making the most of new features instead of constantly being caught out by subtle “gotcha” behaviour.

Part 1. C# in context

Part one provides a brief history of the language.

Chapter 1. Survival of the sharpest

1.1 An evolving language

1.1.1 A helpful type system at large and small scales
1.1.2 Ever more concise code
1.1.3 Simple data access with LINQ
1.1.4 Asynchrony
1.1.5 Balancing efficiency and complexity
1.1.6 Evolution at speed: Using minor versions

1.2 An evolving platform

1.3 An evolving community

1.4 An evolving book

1.4.1 Mixed-level coverage
1.4.2 Examples using Noda Time
1.4.3 Terminology choices

Summary

Part 2 C# 2-5

Part two describes C# versions 2 through 5. This is effectively a rewritten and condensed form of the third edition of this book.

Chapter 2. C# 2

2.1 Generics

2.1.1 Introduction by example: Collections before generics
2.1.2 Generics save the day
2.1.3 What can be generic?
2.1.4 Type inference for type arguments to methods
2.1.5 Type constraints
2.1.6 The default and typeof operators
2.1.7 Generic type initialization and state

2.2 Nullable value types

2.2.1 Aim: Expressing an absence of information
2.2.2 CLR and framework support: The Nullable struct
2.2.3 Language support

2.3 Simplified delegate creation

2.3.1 Method group conversions
2.3.2 Anonymous methods
2.3.3 Delegate compatibility

2.4 Iterators

2.4.1 Introduction to iterators
2.4.2 Lazy execution
2.4.3 Evaluation of yield statements
2.4.4 The importance of being lazy
2.4.5 Evaluation of finally blocks
2.4.6 The importance of finally handling
2.4.7 Implementation sketch

2.5 Minor features

2.5.1 Partial types
2.5.2 Static classes
2.5.3 Separate getter/setter access for properties
2.5.4 Namespace aliases
2.5.5 Pragma directives
2.5.6 Fixed-size buffers
2.5.7 InternalsVisibleTo

Summary

Chapter 3. C# 3: LINQ and everything that comes with it

3.1 Automatically implemented properties

3.2 Implicit typing

3.2.1 Typing terminology
3.2.2 Implicitly typed local variables (var)
3.2.3 Implicitly typed arrays

3.3 Object and collection initializers

3.3.1 Introduction to object and collection initializers
3.3.2 Object initializers
3.3.3 Collection initializers
3.3.4 The benefits of single expressions for initialization

3.4 Anonymous types

3.4.1 Syntax and basic behavior
3.4.2 The compiler-generated type
3.4.3 Limitations

3.5 Lambda expressions

3.5.1 Lambda expression syntax
3.5.2 Capturing variables
3.5.3 Expression trees

3.6 Extension methods

3.6.1 Declaring an extension method
3.6.2 Invoking an extension method
3.6.3 Chaining method calls

3.7 Query expressions

3.7.1 Query expressions translate from C# to C#
3.7.2 Range variables and transparent identifiers
3.7.3 Deciding when to use which syntax for LINQ

3.8 The end result: LINQ

Summary

Chapter 4. C# 4: Improving interoperability

4.1 Dynamic typing

4.1.1 Introduction to dynamic typing
4.1.2 Dynamic behavior beyond reflection
4.1.3 A brief look behind the scenes
4.1.4 Limitations and surprises in dynamic typing
4.1.5 Usage suggestions

4.2 Optional parameters and named arguments

4.2.1 Parameters with default values and arguments with names
4.2.2 Determining the meaning of a method call
4.2.3 Impact on versioning

4.3 COM interoperability improvements

4.3.1 Linking primary interop assemblies
4.3.2 Optional parameters in COM
4.3.3 Named indexers

4.4 Generic variance

4.4.1 Simple examples of variance in action
4.4.2 Syntax for variance in interface and delegate declarations
4.4.3 Restrictions on using variance
4.4.4 Generic variance in practice

Summary

Chapter 5. Writing asynchronous code

5.1 Introducing asynchronous functions

5.1.1 First encounters of the asynchronous kind
5.1.2 Breaking down the first example

5.2 Thinking about asynchrony

5.2.1 Fundamentals of asynchronous execution
5.2.2 Synchronization contexts
5.2.3 Modeling asynchronous methods

5.3 Async method declarations

5.3.1 Return types from async methods
5.3.2 Parameters in async methods

5.4 Await expressions

5.4.1 The awaitable pattern
5.4.2 Restrictions on await expressions

5.5 Wrapping of return values

5.6 Asynchronous method flow

5.6.1 What is awaited and when?
5.6.2 Evaluation of await expressions
5.6.3 The use of awaitable pattern members
5.6.4 Exception unwrapping
5.6.5 Method completion

5.7 Asynchronous anonymous functions

5.8 Custom task types in C# 7

5.8.1 The 99.9% case: ValueTask
5.8.2 The 0.1% case: Building your own custom task type

5.9 Async main methods in C# 7.1

5.10 Usage tips

5.10.1 Avoid context capture by using ConfigureAwait (where appropriate)
5.10.2 Enable parallelism by starting multiple independent tasks
5.10.3 Avoid mixing synchronous and asynchronous code
5.10.4 Allow cancellation wherever possible
5.10.5 Testing asynchrony

Summary

Chapter 6. Async implementation

6.1 Structure of the generated code

6.1.1 The stub method: Preparation and taking the first step
6.1.2 Structure of the state machine
6.1.3 The MoveNext() method (high level)
6.1.4 The SetStateMachine method and the state machine boxing dance

6.2 A simple MoveNext() implementation

6.2.1 A full concrete example
6.2.2 MoveNext() method general structure
6.2.3 Zooming into an await expression

6.3 How control flow affects MoveNext()

6.3.1 Control flow between await expressions is simple
6.3.2 Awaiting within a loop
6.3.3 Awaiting within a try/finally block

6.4 Execution contexts and flow

6.5 Custom task types revisited

Summary

Chapter 7. C# 5 bonus features

7.1 Capturing variables in foreach loops

7.2 Caller information attributes

7.2.1 Basic behavior
7.2.2 Logging
7.2.3 Simplifying INotifyPropertyChanged implementations
7.2.4 Corner cases of caller information attributes
7.2.5 Using caller information attributes with old versions of .NET

Summary

Part 3 C# 6

Part three describes C# 6 in detail.

Chapter 8. Super-sleek properties and expression-bodied members

8.1 A brief history of properties

8.2 Upgrades to automatically implemented properties

8.2.1 Read-only automatically implemented properties
8.2.2 Initializing automatically implemented properties
8.2.3 Automatically implemented properties in structs

8.3 Expression-bodied members

8.3.1 Even simpler read-only computed properties
8.3.2 Expression-bodied methods, indexers, and operators
8.3.3 Restrictions on expression-bodied members in C# 6
8.3.4 Guidelines for using expression-bodied members

Summary

Chapter 9. Stringy features

9.1 A recap on string formatting in .NET

9.1.1 Simple string formatting
9.1.2 Custom formatting with format strings
9.1.3 Localization

9.2 Introducing interpolated string literals

9.2.1 Simple interpolation
9.2.2 Format strings in interpolated string literals
9.2.3 Interpolated verbatim string literals
9.2.4 Compiler handling of interpolated string literals (part 1)

9.3 Localization using FormattableString

9.3.1 Compiler handling of interpolated string literals (part 2)
9.3.2 Formatting a FormattableString in a specific culture
9.3.3 Other uses for FormattableString
9.3.4 Using FormattableString with older versions of .NET

9.4 Uses, guidelines, and limitations

9.4.1 Developers and machines, but maybe not end users
9.4.2 Hard limitations of interpolated string literals
9.4.3 When you can but really shouldn?t

9.5 Accessing identifiers with nameof

9.5.1 First examples of nameof
9.5.2 Common uses of nameof
9.5.3 Tricks and traps when using nameof

Summary

Chapter 10. A smörgåsbord of features for concise code

10.1 Using static directives

10.1.1 Importing static members
10.1.2 Extension methods and using static

10.2 Object and collection initializer enhancements

10.2.1 Indexers in object initializers
10.2.2 Using extension methods in collection initializers
10.2.3 Test code vs. production code

10.3 The null conditional operator

10.3.1 Simple and safe property dereferencing
10.3.2 The null conditional operator in more detail
10.3.3 Handling Boolean comparisons
10.3.4 Indexers and the null conditional operator
10.3.5 Working effectively with the null conditional operator
10.3.6 Limitations of the null conditional operator

10.4 Exception filters

10.4.1 Syntax and semantics of exception filters
10.4.2 Retrying operations
10.4.3 Logging as a side effect
10.4.4 Individual, case-specific exception filters
10.4.5 Why not just throw?

Summary

Part 4. C# 4: Playing nicely with others

Part four addresses C# 7 (all the way up to C# 7.3) and completes the book by peering a short distance into the future.

Chapter 11. Composition using tuples

11.1 Introduction to tuples

11.2 Tuple literals and tuple types

11.2.1 Syntax
11.2.2 Inferred element names for tuple literals (C# 7.1)
11.2.3 Tuples as bags of variables

11.3 Tuple types and conversions

11.3.1 Types of tuple literals
11.3.2 Conversions from tuple literals to tuple types
11.3.3 Conversions between tuple types
11.3.4 Uses of conversions
11.3.5 Element name checking in inheritance
11.3.6 Equality and inequality operators (C# 7.3)

11.4 Tuples in the CLR

11.4.1 Introducing System.ValueTuple<…>
11.4.2 Element name handling
11.4.3 Tuple conversion implementations
11.4.4 String representations of tuples
11.4.5 Regular equality and ordering comparisons
11.4.6 Structural equality and ordering comparisons
11.4.7 Womples and large tuples
11.4.8 The nongeneric ValueTuple struct
11.4.8 The nongeneric ValueTuple struct

11.5 Alternatives to tuples

11.5.1 System.Tuple<…>
11.5.2 Anonymous types
11.5.3 Named types

11.6 Uses and recommendations

11.6.1 Nonpublic APIs and easily changed code
11.6.2 Local variables
11.6.3 Fields
11.6.4 Tuples and dynamic don?t play together nicely

Summary

Chapter 12. Deconstruction and pattern matching

12.1 Deconstruction of tuples

12.1.1 Deconstruction to new variables
12.1.2 Deconstruction assignments to existing variables and properties
12.1.3 Details of tuple literal deconstruction

12.2 Deconstruction of nontuple types

12.2.1 Instance deconstruction methods
12.2.2 Extension deconstruction methods and overloading
12.2.3 Compiler handling of Deconstruct calls

12.3 Introduction to pattern matching

12.4 Patterns available in C# 7.0

12.4.1 Constant patterns
12.4.2 Type patterns
12.4.3 The var pattern

12.5 Using patterns with the is operator

12.6 Using patterns with switch statements

12.6.1 Guard clauses
12.6.2 Pattern variable scope for case labels
12.6.3 Evaluation order of pattern-based switch statements

12.7 Thoughts on usage

12.7.1 Spotting deconstruction opportunities
12.7.2 Spotting pattern matching opportunities

Summary

Chapter 13. Improving efficiency with more pass by reference

13.1 Recap: What do you know about ref?

13.2 Ref locals and ref returns

13.2.1 Ref localsts
13.2.2 Ref returns
13.2.3 The conditional ?: operator and ref values (C# 7.2)
13.2.4 Ref readonly (C# 7.2)

13.3 in parameters (C# 7.2)

13.3.1 Compatibility considerations
13.3.2 The surprising mutability of in parameters: External changes
13.3.3 Overloading with in parameters
13.3.4 Guidance for in parameters

13.4 Declaring structs as readonly (C# 7.2)

13.4.1 Background: Implicit copying with read-only variables
13.4.2 The readonly modifier for structs
13.4.3 XML serialization is implicitly read-write

13.5 Extension methods with ref or in parameters (C# 7.2)

13.5.1 Using ref/in parameters in extension methods to avoid copying
13.5.2 Restrictions on ref and in extension methods

13.6 Ref-like structs (C# 7.2)

13.6.1 Rules for ref-like structs
13.6.2 Span and stackalloc
13.6.3 IL representation of ref-like structs

Summary

Chapter 14. Concise code in C# 7

14.1 Local methods

14.1.1 Variable access within local methods
14.1.2 Local method implementations
14.1.3 Usage guidelines

14.2 Out variables

14.2.1 Inline variable declarations for out parameters
14.2.2 Restrictions lifted in C# 7.3 for out variables and pattern variables

14.3 Improvements to numeric literals

14.3.1 Binary integer literals
14.3.2 Underscore separators

14.4 Throw expressions

14.5 Default literals (C# 7.1)

14.6 Nontrailing named arguments (C# 7.2)

14.7 Private protected access (C# 7.2)

14.8 Minor improvements in C# 7.3

14.8.1 Generic type constraints
14.8.2 Overload resolution improvements
14.8.3 Attributes for fields backing automatically implemented properties

Summary

Chapter 15. C# 8 and beyond

15.1 Nullable reference types

15.1.1 What problem do nullable reference types solve?
15.1.2 Changing the meaning when using reference types
15.1.3 Enter nullable reference types
15.1.4 Nullable reference types at compile time and execution time
15.1.5 The damn it or bang operator
15.1.6 Experiences of nullable reference type migration
15.1.7 Future improvements

15.2 Switch expressions

15.3 Recursive pattern matching

15.3.1 Matching properties in patterns
15.3.2 Deconstruction patterns
15.3.3 Omitting types from patterns

15.4 Indexes and ranges

15.4.1 Index and Range types and literals
15.4.2 Applying indexes and ranges

15.5 More async integration

15.5.1 Asynchronous resource disposal with using await
15.5.2 Asynchronous iteration with foreach await
15.5.3 Asynchronous iterators

15.6 Features not yet in preview

15.6.1 Default interface methods
15.6.2 Record types
15.6.3 Even more features in brief

15.7 Getting involved

Summary

C# in Depth
https://csharpindepth.com
C# in Depth, Fourth Edition
https://livebook.manning.com/book/c-sharp-in-depth-fourth-edition

Table of contents

Part 1. C# in context

Chapter 1. Survival of the sharpest

1.1 An evolving language

1.2 An evolving platform

1.3 An evolving community

1.4 An evolving book

Summary

Part 2 C# 2-5

Chapter 2. C# 2

2.1 Generics

2.2 Nullable value types

2.3 Simplified delegate creation

2.4 Iterators

2.5 Minor features

Summary

Chapter 3. C# 3: LINQ and everything that comes with it

3.1 Automatically implemented properties

3.2 Implicit typing

3.3 Object and collection initializers

3.4 Anonymous types

3.5 Lambda expressions

3.6 Extension methods

3.7 Query expressions

3.8 The end result: LINQ

Summary

Chapter 4. C# 4: Improving interoperability

4.1 Dynamic typing

4.2 Optional parameters and named arguments

4.3 COM interoperability improvements

4.4 Generic variance

Summary

Chapter 5. Writing asynchronous code

5.1 Introducing asynchronous functions

5.2 Thinking about asynchrony

5.3 Async method declarations

5.4 Await expressions

5.5 Wrapping of return values

5.6 Asynchronous method flow

5.7 Asynchronous anonymous functions

5.8 Custom task types in C# 7

5.9 Async main methods in C# 7.1

5.10 Usage tips

Summary

Chapter 6. Async implementation

6.1 Structure of the generated code

6.2 A simple MoveNext() implementation

6.3 How control flow affects MoveNext()

6.4 Execution contexts and flow

6.5 Custom task types revisited

Summary

Chapter 7. C# 5 bonus features

7.1 Capturing variables in foreach loops

7.2 Caller information attributes

Summary

Part 3 C# 6

Chapter 8. Super-sleek properties and expression-bodied members

8.1 A brief history of properties

8.2 Upgrades to automatically implemented properties

8.3 Expression-bodied members

Summary

Chapter 9. Stringy features

9.1 A recap on string formatting in .NET

9.2 Introducing interpolated string literals

9.3 Localization using FormattableString

9.4 Uses, guidelines, and limitations

9.5 Accessing identifiers with nameof

Summary

Chapter 10. A smörgåsbord of features for concise code

10.1 Using static directives

10.2 Object and collection initializer enhancements

10.3 The null conditional operator

10.4 Exception filters

Summary

Part 4. C# 4: Playing nicely with others

Chapter 11. Composition using tuples

11.1 Introduction to tuples

11.2 Tuple literals and tuple types

11.3 Tuple types and conversions

11.4 Tuples in the CLR