The first edition of this book was released at the 2001 Tech Ed conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Since that time, this text has been revised, tweaked, and enhanced to account for the changes found within each release of the .NET platform (1.1, 2.0, 3.0 and now 3.5).

.NET 3.0 was more of an augmentative release, essentially providing three new APIs: Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF). As you would expect, coverage of the "W's" has been expanded a great deal in this version of the book from the previous Special Edition text.

Unlike .NET 3.0, .NET 3.5 provides dozens of C# language features and .NET APIs. This edition of the book will walk you through all of this material using the same readable approach as was found in previous editions. Rest assured, you'll find detailed coverage of Language Integrated Query (LINQ), the C# 2008 language changes (automatic properties, extension methods, anonymous types, etc.) and the numerous bells and whistles of Visual Studio 2008.

What you'll learn

• Everything you need to know--get up to speed with C# 2008 quickly and efficiently.
• Discover all the new .NET 3.5 features--Language Integrated Query, anonymous types, extension methods, automatic properties, and more.
• Get a professional foothold--targeted to appeal to experienced software professionals, this book gives you the facts you need the way you need to see them.
• A rock-solid foundation--focuses on everything you need to be a successful .NET 3.5 programmer, not just the new features. Get comfortable with all the core aspects of the platform -- including assemblies, remoting, Windows Forms, Web Forms, ADO.NET, XML web services, and much more.

Who this book is for

If you're checking out this book for the first time, understand that it targets experienced software professionals and/or students of computer science (so please don't expect three chapters devoted to "for" loops). The mission of this text is to provide you with a rock-solid foundation to the C# 2008 programming language and the core aspects of the .NET platform (object-oriented programming, assemblies, file IO, Windows Forms/WPF, ASP.NET, ADO.NET, WCF, WF, etc.). Once you digest the information presented in these 33 chapters, you'll be in a perfect position to apply this knowledge to your specific programming assignments, and you'll be well equipped to explore the .NET universe on your own terms.