Any book suggestions for a working programmer?
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Don't bother with books. The best way to actually LEARN something new is to write code in an area that is outside your comfort zone. Of course, you have to be careful about which platform you chose because Microsoft will just stop supporting something out of the blue, and you're left standing their with your thumb up your ass - just ask the unmanaged C++ coders, and soon, Silverlight coders...
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
just ask the unmanaged C++ coders, and soon, Silverlight coders...
Should I belive you or Microsoft? http://team.silverlight.net/announcement/pdc-and-silverlight/[^]
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This is probably the most most useful general .NET book I have read: CLR via C# Cheers, Daniel
Daniel Vaughan Twitter | Blog | Microsoft MVP | Projects: Calcium SDK, Clog | LinkedIn
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Hi to everyone in this great crowd. For two years now, I've been a professional programmer. I work in .NET (C#, ASP.NET, WPF, WCF) and so far the ride has been great - I am hoping for a long and prosperous career. But I have a nagging voice in my head reminding me that everything I know of .NET was learned ad-hoc, in the heat of the moment, in a do or die situation. Starting a project in a never-before-used technology was, and still is a frequent occurrence. Now, don't get me wrong - I would soon get bored if everything stayed the same as I love learning new technologies, and googling for answers to my questions. But I have this nagging feeling that I need to learn the "proper" way to do things sooner or latter - preferably sooner. Here I am talking about using general language features, design patterns, and the lovely .NET framework classes to their full extent. So, in the attempt to en-better my (still somewhat green) professional skills I am asking for advice - do you know of some good books to get a .NET programmer on the way to better and greater coding? Do any of you have the "It may work, but learn to do it right" urge?
Oxians wrote:
But I have this nagging feeling that I need to learn the "proper" way to do things sooner or latter
I have found that there really is no "proper" way (aside from the fundamentals). Everyone is different and they think their way is the right way. You say you have been programming professionaly for 2+ years now, so I would think/hope that you have a grasp on the basics. With that said I would recommend fine tuning your craft and hammering down a consistent style of programming for yourself. Books are great and there are so many to choose from; so it is impossible to say which one is the book for you.
Oxians wrote:
nagging voice in my head reminding me that everything I know of .NET was learned ad-hoc
Welcome to the real world. Have fun.
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Hi to everyone in this great crowd. For two years now, I've been a professional programmer. I work in .NET (C#, ASP.NET, WPF, WCF) and so far the ride has been great - I am hoping for a long and prosperous career. But I have a nagging voice in my head reminding me that everything I know of .NET was learned ad-hoc, in the heat of the moment, in a do or die situation. Starting a project in a never-before-used technology was, and still is a frequent occurrence. Now, don't get me wrong - I would soon get bored if everything stayed the same as I love learning new technologies, and googling for answers to my questions. But I have this nagging feeling that I need to learn the "proper" way to do things sooner or latter - preferably sooner. Here I am talking about using general language features, design patterns, and the lovely .NET framework classes to their full extent. So, in the attempt to en-better my (still somewhat green) professional skills I am asking for advice - do you know of some good books to get a .NET programmer on the way to better and greater coding? Do any of you have the "It may work, but learn to do it right" urge?
I'd recommend 'Code Complete' by Steve McConnell - as I'm sure many others on here will as well. Truly an essential book for good developers. I've just bought a book Professional ASP.NET Design Patterns[^] and although I'm only a couple of chapters in I'm finding it to be an excellent text, explaining not only how your applications should be structured but why and the implications this has on testing etc. If you want an idea of the sort of things it's doing, head over to the Wrox site and download the code for the book - obviously there's no narrative but you can see a clear structure in terms of the coding patterns that are being used. I found the Gang of Four book 'Design Patterns' quite inaccessible and believe that other books can provide a better insight into using patterns correctly. The 'Head First' book 'Design Patterns' is a gentle introduction to many of the patterns out there and is probably a good place to start. In terms of improving your code, I'd recommend 'Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code' by Martin Fowler (who I believe is one of the best technical authors out there) in conjuntion with 'Refactoring to Patterns; by Joshua Kerievsky. For more general ASP.NET and C# books, I'd recommend 'Pro C# 2010 And The .NET 4.0 Platform 5th Edition' by Andrew Troelsen (an excellent reference) and 'Pro ASP.NET 4.0 In C# 2010 4th Edition' by Matthew Macdonald. I also think 'C# in Depth' by Jon Skeet is an excellent reference, particularly for generics and LINQ. HTH
Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
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This is probably the most most useful general .NET book I have read: CLR via C# Cheers, Daniel
Daniel Vaughan Twitter | Blog | Microsoft MVP | Projects: Calcium SDK, Clog | LinkedIn
And I'll third it. The best book by far.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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I'd recommend 'Code Complete' by Steve McConnell - as I'm sure many others on here will as well. Truly an essential book for good developers. I've just bought a book Professional ASP.NET Design Patterns[^] and although I'm only a couple of chapters in I'm finding it to be an excellent text, explaining not only how your applications should be structured but why and the implications this has on testing etc. If you want an idea of the sort of things it's doing, head over to the Wrox site and download the code for the book - obviously there's no narrative but you can see a clear structure in terms of the coding patterns that are being used. I found the Gang of Four book 'Design Patterns' quite inaccessible and believe that other books can provide a better insight into using patterns correctly. The 'Head First' book 'Design Patterns' is a gentle introduction to many of the patterns out there and is probably a good place to start. In terms of improving your code, I'd recommend 'Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code' by Martin Fowler (who I believe is one of the best technical authors out there) in conjuntion with 'Refactoring to Patterns; by Joshua Kerievsky. For more general ASP.NET and C# books, I'd recommend 'Pro C# 2010 And The .NET 4.0 Platform 5th Edition' by Andrew Troelsen (an excellent reference) and 'Pro ASP.NET 4.0 In C# 2010 4th Edition' by Matthew Macdonald. I also think 'C# in Depth' by Jon Skeet is an excellent reference, particularly for generics and LINQ. HTH
Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
The Gang of Four is IMHO the most dangerous book unleashed on the development world and I'm seriously wary of those who have a copy on their desk - nothing has done more for the world of over-engineered complex design. Simple is always best.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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Hi to everyone in this great crowd. For two years now, I've been a professional programmer. I work in .NET (C#, ASP.NET, WPF, WCF) and so far the ride has been great - I am hoping for a long and prosperous career. But I have a nagging voice in my head reminding me that everything I know of .NET was learned ad-hoc, in the heat of the moment, in a do or die situation. Starting a project in a never-before-used technology was, and still is a frequent occurrence. Now, don't get me wrong - I would soon get bored if everything stayed the same as I love learning new technologies, and googling for answers to my questions. But I have this nagging feeling that I need to learn the "proper" way to do things sooner or latter - preferably sooner. Here I am talking about using general language features, design patterns, and the lovely .NET framework classes to their full extent. So, in the attempt to en-better my (still somewhat green) professional skills I am asking for advice - do you know of some good books to get a .NET programmer on the way to better and greater coding? Do any of you have the "It may work, but learn to do it right" urge?
Oxians wrote:
Hi to everyone in this great crowd.
Flatery will get you everywhere! As others have suggested, the best way to learn is through practice. I would also try and find some online resource where you can find friendly help and articles covering every topic you could imagine; plus a few more. I found this[^] useful.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. or "Drink. Get drunk. Fall over." - P O'H
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
just ask the unmanaged C++ coders, and soon, Silverlight coders...
Should I belive you or Microsoft? http://team.silverlight.net/announcement/pdc-and-silverlight/[^]
blackjack2150 wrote:
Should I belive you or Microsoft?
Would you like to be shot or hung?
There are some really weird people on this planet - MIM.
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blackjack2150 wrote:
Should I belive you or Microsoft?
Would you like to be shot or hung?
There are some really weird people on this planet - MIM.
Rajesh R Subramanian wrote:
Would you like to be shot or hung?
toss a coin?
thatraja |Chennai|India|
Brainbench certifications
Down-votes are like kid's kisses don't reject it :-)
Do what you want quickly because the Doomsday on 2012 :-) -
Hi to everyone in this great crowd. For two years now, I've been a professional programmer. I work in .NET (C#, ASP.NET, WPF, WCF) and so far the ride has been great - I am hoping for a long and prosperous career. But I have a nagging voice in my head reminding me that everything I know of .NET was learned ad-hoc, in the heat of the moment, in a do or die situation. Starting a project in a never-before-used technology was, and still is a frequent occurrence. Now, don't get me wrong - I would soon get bored if everything stayed the same as I love learning new technologies, and googling for answers to my questions. But I have this nagging feeling that I need to learn the "proper" way to do things sooner or latter - preferably sooner. Here I am talking about using general language features, design patterns, and the lovely .NET framework classes to their full extent. So, in the attempt to en-better my (still somewhat green) professional skills I am asking for advice - do you know of some good books to get a .NET programmer on the way to better and greater coding? Do any of you have the "It may work, but learn to do it right" urge?
If you want to become an accomplished engineer this book[^] is a must - it's not .NEt specific but is about becoming a good engineer and anticipating issues etc. It sounds like you are starting to think ahead now.
Join the cool kids - Come fold with us[^]
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Don't bother with books. The best way to actually LEARN something new is to write code in an area that is outside your comfort zone. Of course, you have to be careful about which platform you chose because Microsoft will just stop supporting something out of the blue, and you're left standing their with your thumb up your ass - just ask the unmanaged C++ coders, and soon, Silverlight coders...
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
unmanaged C++
Really? unmanaged c++ and perhaps c are probably the languages I would bet on being around the longest.
Simon
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
unmanaged C++
Really? unmanaged c++ and perhaps c are probably the languages I would bet on being around the longest.
Simon
Being "around" and being "supported" are two completely different things, especialy where MS is concerned.
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001 -
Being "around" and being "supported" are two completely different things, especialy where MS is concerned.
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001C++ does not need "support" from MS to sustain itself on the market. On the other hand, MS *does* want to support C++ fully - the C++0x core language support, some UI improvements in MFC, enhanced debugging capabilities for multi-threaded native code, etc., in VS 2010 are some of the examples. Sure, they can do better than whatever they've been doing, but they're trying hard. They won't drop support for C++. And if they do take such a drastic step, they will lose more than anyone, AND that will anyway not have a measurable impact on the C++ community.
There are some really weird people on this planet - MIM.
-
Hi to everyone in this great crowd. For two years now, I've been a professional programmer. I work in .NET (C#, ASP.NET, WPF, WCF) and so far the ride has been great - I am hoping for a long and prosperous career. But I have a nagging voice in my head reminding me that everything I know of .NET was learned ad-hoc, in the heat of the moment, in a do or die situation. Starting a project in a never-before-used technology was, and still is a frequent occurrence. Now, don't get me wrong - I would soon get bored if everything stayed the same as I love learning new technologies, and googling for answers to my questions. But I have this nagging feeling that I need to learn the "proper" way to do things sooner or latter - preferably sooner. Here I am talking about using general language features, design patterns, and the lovely .NET framework classes to their full extent. So, in the attempt to en-better my (still somewhat green) professional skills I am asking for advice - do you know of some good books to get a .NET programmer on the way to better and greater coding? Do any of you have the "It may work, but learn to do it right" urge?
Anytime refer to msdn which is best resource for your purpose. Initially you might have some problem but once you keep getting how is organised, you would be amazed to see that MSDN is the superset of all study material/books :)
Thanks, Arindam D Tewary
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
just ask the unmanaged C++ coders, and soon, Silverlight coders...
Should I belive you or Microsoft? http://team.silverlight.net/announcement/pdc-and-silverlight/[^]
I wouldn't trust Microsoft's words - instead watch their actions over the next year. So far there is no announced schedule for SL5. If that's still the case in 6 months, then you have your answer.
-
Being "around" and being "supported" are two completely different things, especialy where MS is concerned.
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001 -
I'd recommend 'Code Complete' by Steve McConnell - as I'm sure many others on here will as well. Truly an essential book for good developers. I've just bought a book Professional ASP.NET Design Patterns[^] and although I'm only a couple of chapters in I'm finding it to be an excellent text, explaining not only how your applications should be structured but why and the implications this has on testing etc. If you want an idea of the sort of things it's doing, head over to the Wrox site and download the code for the book - obviously there's no narrative but you can see a clear structure in terms of the coding patterns that are being used. I found the Gang of Four book 'Design Patterns' quite inaccessible and believe that other books can provide a better insight into using patterns correctly. The 'Head First' book 'Design Patterns' is a gentle introduction to many of the patterns out there and is probably a good place to start. In terms of improving your code, I'd recommend 'Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code' by Martin Fowler (who I believe is one of the best technical authors out there) in conjuntion with 'Refactoring to Patterns; by Joshua Kerievsky. For more general ASP.NET and C# books, I'd recommend 'Pro C# 2010 And The .NET 4.0 Platform 5th Edition' by Andrew Troelsen (an excellent reference) and 'Pro ASP.NET 4.0 In C# 2010 4th Edition' by Matthew Macdonald. I also think 'C# in Depth' by Jon Skeet is an excellent reference, particularly for generics and LINQ. HTH
Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
-
This is probably the most most useful general .NET book I have read: CLR via C# Cheers, Daniel
Daniel Vaughan Twitter | Blog | Microsoft MVP | Projects: Calcium SDK, Clog | LinkedIn
-
Hi to everyone in this great crowd. For two years now, I've been a professional programmer. I work in .NET (C#, ASP.NET, WPF, WCF) and so far the ride has been great - I am hoping for a long and prosperous career. But I have a nagging voice in my head reminding me that everything I know of .NET was learned ad-hoc, in the heat of the moment, in a do or die situation. Starting a project in a never-before-used technology was, and still is a frequent occurrence. Now, don't get me wrong - I would soon get bored if everything stayed the same as I love learning new technologies, and googling for answers to my questions. But I have this nagging feeling that I need to learn the "proper" way to do things sooner or latter - preferably sooner. Here I am talking about using general language features, design patterns, and the lovely .NET framework classes to their full extent. So, in the attempt to en-better my (still somewhat green) professional skills I am asking for advice - do you know of some good books to get a .NET programmer on the way to better and greater coding? Do any of you have the "It may work, but learn to do it right" urge?
The most important book anyone should read is "Code Complete" and then look at the book recommendations in that book. It has three levels of recommendations: Level 1, 2 and 3.
-
Don't bother with books. The best way to actually LEARN something new is to write code in an area that is outside your comfort zone. Of course, you have to be careful about which platform you chose because Microsoft will just stop supporting something out of the blue, and you're left standing their with your thumb up your ass - just ask the unmanaged C++ coders, and soon, Silverlight coders...
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
Microsoft will just stop supporting something out of the blue, and you're left standing their with your thumb up your ass - just ask the unmanaged C++ coders
Maybe you mean MFC coders? Native C++ is used in many non-Microsoft envirinments, and Microsoft itself is using it for all money-making software (Windows, Office, SQL Server...)