Data Binding with Windows Forms 2.0 : Programming Smart Client Data Applications with .NET (Microsoft Net Development Series)

CLR via C#, Second Edition

Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms and Custom Controls in C#

Framework Design Guidelines : Conventions, Idioms, and Patterns for Reusable .NET Libraries (Microsoft Net Development Series)

Programming

Windows Forms 2.0 Programming (2nd Edition) (Microsoft Net Development Series)

Format: Paperback
Author: Chris Sells
ReleaseDate: 16 May, 2006
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Rating:

more powerful graphics than HTML
This book by Sells and Weinhardt shows that trend in action, with its description of MS Windows Forms 2. Microsoft is well renowned for usually doggedly improving its products.0. It describes major improvements over version 1.

The book is all about UI programming in a Microsoft operating system. The code examples are written in C# and the text shows a close interaction between Forms programming and the . NET framework. What is also interesting is the authors' remark that Forms 2 focuses on writing code for client applications, and not necessarily for web-based applications. After all, the very name . NET was chosen in the expectation that the latter would be what a lot of programmers would want.

It is hard to tell what an arbitrary reader of this book might be looking for. But, as a guide, there is now a consistency possible in the look and feel with that of MS Office. The authors allude to a considerable demand in the marketplace for this. And given Microsoft's dominance with Office, this should be no surprise. Although one should add that you are not restricted to your applications having an Office-like look and feel. There is considerable leeway in customising, with code showing how this is done.

Also, if some of you have written HTML pages, or web applications that use JavaScript or JScript, then Forms gives you a far richer set of widgets. It can make writing static HTML or HTML/JScript seem very restrictive.

The layout of the book and its content should not present any problems if you have done some previous graphics programming (and not necessarily restricted to Microsoft environments). Most of the chapters deal with topics that are now common to any major graphics package. So there is a chapter on drawing basic entities like lines and curves, and filling areas. Another chapter on drawing text. Another on laying out widgets inside a Form (window). Obviously, the syntax is specific to Forms. But not the concepts, and if you already have those, everything else will be straightforward.

WOW
The examples are high-quality and real-world. The quality of this book goes far beyond any programming book I have purchased in the past 10 years. Chris and Michael have a way of conveying their expertise without making the presentation too geeky or simplified.

While it's not an end-all reference, it touches on most of the issues that Windows Forms programmers will face in completing their applications. In fact, it does such a good job, that the only books I will need to compliment it are those that are subject-expert/specific (i. e. Data Binding with Windows Forms 2. 0 (B. Noyes), etc).

I am definitely going to purchase their next book(s). .

Brilliant; I am in awe
0. Truly an excellent book on Programming Windows with 2. This book should be on every Windows programmer's shelf. I am very impressed. .