Narue

>Nahhh, you just invent the end, yourself, and make them thar suckers
>invent the beginning to match. Sheet, just tell 'em you're the high priest
>and they don't get to kiss your ring if they don't get it right.
For some strange reason, they didn't think that C was the right direction for C#. So they didn't listen to me and just did their own thing. It's obvious in the mistakes that they made.

>Are the reference materials like the language specifications (i.e. similar to
>the one I am reading) valid or are they just paper-weights in your opinion?
They're certainly valid, but C# is a simple enough language that a good .NET reference goes further. That's not to say that the specification shouldn't be in reach at all times, of course. A solid understanding of the base language is rather important in my opinion.

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_James_

Why you make fun out of c#?

It might be the new boy on the block but I hear that some people like it (me included).

The c# language spec is good for a more experience programmer that does not want to read an intro book and have to endure chapters on the basics of OOP etc. I personally learned it this way as I came form a java background. Some times if I got confused over the syntax (say array declaration syntax - confusing little buggers) I would just see what the compiler thought of my code. Reading the compiler errors and warnings usulally reminded me of whats java and whats c#. Its a trail and error aproach and it only works on small syntax things like where the [] goes on arrays and how they are declared etc. Now I will hide under the table as I am sure someone will flame me for saying what I have said.

Ooble

For the same reason anyone makes fun out of anything: because it's there.

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MBirchmeier

I think it depends on your level of familiarity with a language.

Early on I loved my paper references, easy to bookmark, nice to flip through, and I could keep it open on the desk next to me while I coded.

Any more I rarely need it, and since I'm generally familiar enough with languages to know what I'm searching for (just not always how it's used) a quick google search on say 'System.Data.SQLDataAdapter' (something I needed to look up today) was all I needed. A list of sites came up, I knew which ones would what I needed, and I was back coding in less time than it would take me to get to the bookshelf and back.

However when I was learning (or am working with something relatively unfamiliar) It's great to have a paper reference. I can keep it open without wasting screen real-estate, (or needing to flip back an forth between code and the site). I have a much better idea that a book will be accurate (as opposed to a website or tutorial) and they go to better depths to explain examples, and the steps leading up to them than most places do online.

Just my $.02

-MBirchmeier

Narue

>Why you make fun out of c#?
Why not?

>It might be the new boy on the block but I hear that some people like it (me included).
I like C# too. Don't let your likes and dislikes blind you.

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Ghost

Rob, I believe Infinite Recursion said it best, a book and google groups is what you need to learn it fast.

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RobEasy

Yea, I tend to agree with you on that, and the books are comming.

But the real question wasn't where I should get started it was about people's experiences of starting C#. Honestly (and I am sad to say this), I have to back down form the language for a little bit, because I need to teach myself some basic 'C' concepts before I get into programming devices for some classes.

I really started the thread to get peoples attention on programming again, not to ask where I should start. Jeez, if I asked a question like that, I would be strung up by my thumbs!!

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