C# for Students

by Bell, Douglas; Parr, Mike

• ISBN13: 9780321176653
• ISBN10: 0321176650
• Format: Paperback w/CD
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Addison Wesley

Summary

If you are new to computer programming then this book is for you! Starting from scratch, it assumes no prior knowledge of programming and is written in a simple, direct style for maximum clarity. C# ('C Sharp') is an object-oriented, network-enabled programming language, developed expressly for Microsoft's .Net platform. C# provides the features that are the most important to programmers: object-orientation, graphics, GUI components, multimedia, internet-based client/server networking and distributed computing. 'C# for Students' will explain key programming concepts and the central ideas of object oriented programming, using C# as the vehicle language.

Table of Contents

Preface	xvii
The background to C#	1	(6)
The history of C#	1	(1)
The Microsoft .NET framework	2	(1)
What is a program?	2	(2)
Programming principles	4	(1)
Programming pitfalls	5	(1)
Summary	5	(1)
Exercises	5	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	6	(1)
The C# development environment	7	(17)
Introduction	7	(1)
Installation and configuration	7	(1)
Creating a first program	8	(4)
Controls at design-time	12	(3)
Events and the Button control	15	(2)
Opening an existing project	17	(1)
Documenting property settings	17	(1)
Program errors	17	(1)
Editor facilities	18	(1)
The message box	19	(1)
Help	20	(1)
Programming principles	20	(1)
Programming pitfalls	21	(1)
Grammar spot	21	(1)
New language elements	21	(1)
New IDE facilities	21	(1)
Summary	22	(1)
Exercises	22	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	23	(1)
Introductory graphics	24	(13)
Introduction	24	(1)
Objects, methods, properties, classes -- an analogy	24	(1)
A first drawing	25	(1)
Creating the program	26	(1)
The graphics coordinate system	27	(1)
Explanation of the program	28	(2)
Methods for drawing	30	(1)
Colours	31	(2)
The sequence concept and statements	33	(1)
Adding meaning with comments	33	(1)
Programming principles	34	(1)
Programming pitfalls	35	(1)
Grammar spot	35	(1)
New language elements	35	(1)
New IDE facilities	35	(1)
Summary	35	(1)
Exercises	35	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	36	(1)
Variables and calculations	37	(22)
Introduction	37	(1)
The nature of int	38	(1)
The nature of double	38	(1)
Declaring variables	39	(3)
The assignment statement	42	(1)
Calculations and operators	43	(1)
The arithmetic operators	44	(2)
The % operator	46	(1)
Joining strings with the + operator	47	(2)
Converting between strings and numbers	49	(1)
Text boxes and labels	50	(2)
Converting between numbers	52	(2)
The role of expressions	54	(1)
Programming principles	54	(1)
Programming pitfalls	54	(1)
Grammar spot	55	(1)
New language elements	55	(1)
New IDE facilities	55	(1)
Summary	55	(1)
Exercises	56	(2)
Answers to self-test questions	58	(1)
Methods and arguments	59	(33)
Introduction	59	(1)
Writing your own methods	60	(1)
A first method	60	(2)
Calling a method	62	(1)
Passing arguments	63	(1)
Parameters and arguments	64	(1)
A triangle method	65	(3)
Local variables	68	(1)
Name clashes	69	(1)
Event-handling methods	70	(1)
return and results	71	(2)
Building on methods	73	(3)
Passing arguments by reference	76	(1)
out and ref arguments	77	(1)
out -- an example	77	(3)
ref -- an example	80	(1)
A swap method with ref	81	(1)
this and objects	82	(1)
Overloading	83	(2)
Passing objects to methods	85	(1)
Programming principles	85	(1)
Programming pitfalls	85	(1)
Grammar spot	86	(1)
New language elements	87	(1)
New IDE facilities	87	(1)
Summary	87	(1)
Exercises	87	(3)
Answers to self-test questions	90	(2)
Using objects	92	(21)
Introduction	92	(1)
Instance variables	93	(3)
The form constructor	96	(2)
The TrackBar class	98	(3)
using and namespaces	101	(1)
Members, methods and properties	102	(1)
The Random class	102	(4)
The Timer class	106	(3)
Programming principles	109	(1)
Programming pitfalls	109	(1)
Grammar spot	109	(1)
New language elements	109	(1)
New IDE facilities	110	(1)
Summary	110	(1)
Exercises	110	(2)
Answers to self-test questions	112	(1)
Selection	113	(30)
Introduction	113	(1)
The if statement	114	(2)
if...else	116	(2)
Comparison operators	118	(5)
And, or, not	123	(3)
Nested ifS	126	(1)
switch	127	(4)
Boolean variables	131	(4)
Programming principles	135	(1)
Programming pitfalls	135	(1)
Grammar spot	136	(1)
New language elements	136	(1)
Summary	137	(1)
Exercises	137	(3)
Answers to self-test questions	140	(3)
Repetition	143	(19)
Introduction	143	(1)
while	144	(4)
for	148	(2)
And, or, not	150	(2)
do...while	152	(1)
Nested loops	153	(2)
Combining control structures	155	(1)
Programming principles	155	(1)
Programming pitfalls	155	(1)
Grammar spot	156	(1)
New language elements	156	(1)
Summary	157	(1)
Exercises	157	(2)
Answers to self-test questions	159	(3)
Debugging	162	(11)
Introduction	162	(2)
Using the debugger	164	(3)
Case study in debugging	167	(1)
Common errors	168	(4)
Programming pitfalls	172	(1)
New IDE facilities	172	(1)
Summary	172	(1)
Exercise	172	(1)
Writing classes	173	(23)
Introduction	173	(1)
Designing a class	174	(2)
private variables	176	(1)
public methods	177	(2)
Properties	179	(3)
Method or property?	182	(1)
Constructors	183	(1)
Multiple constructors	183	(2)
private methods	185	(1)
Operations on objects	185	(2)
Object destruction	187	(1)
static methods and properties	187	(1)
Programming principles	188	(2)
Programming pitfalls	190	(1)
Grammar spot	191	(1)
New language elements	192	(1)
Summary	192	(1)
Exercises	192	(2)
Answers to self-test questions	194	(2)
Inheritance	196	(15)
Introduction	196	(1)
Using inheritance	197	(1)
protected	198	(1)
Additional items	199	(1)
Overriding	200	(1)
Class diagrams	201	(1)
Inheritance at work	202	(1)
base	202	(1)
Constructors	203	(2)
Abstract classes	205	(1)
Programming principles	206	(2)
Programming pitfalls	208	(1)
New language elements	208	(1)
Summary	208	(1)
Exercises	209	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	210	(1)
Calculations	211	(17)
Introduction	211	(1)
Formatting numbers	212	(2)
Library mathematical functions and constants	214	(1)
Constants	215	(1)
Case study -- money	216	(2)
Case study -- iteration	218	(1)
Graphs	219	(3)
Exceptions	222	(1)
Programming principles	223	(1)
Programming pitfalls	223	(1)
Summary	223	(1)
Exercises	224	(3)
Answers to self-test questions	227	(1)
Data structures -- list boxes and array lists	228	(12)
Introduction	228	(1)
Array lists	229	(1)
Adding items to a list	229	(1)
The length of a list	230	(1)
Indices	231	(2)
Removing items from a list	233	(1)
Inserting items within a list	233	(1)
Lookup	233	(2)
Arithmetic on a list box	235	(1)
Searching	236	(2)
Programming principles	238	(1)
Programming pitfalls	238	(1)
New language elements	238	(1)
Summary	238	(1)
Exercises	239	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	239	(1)
Arrays	240	(22)
Introduction	240	(2)
Creating an array	242	(1)
Indices	242	(3)
The length of an array	245	(1)
Passing arrays as parameters	245	(1)
Using constants	246	(1)
Initializing an array	247	(1)
A sample program	248	(2)
Lookup	250	(1)
Searching	251	(1)
Arrays of objects	252	(2)
Programming principles	254	(1)
Programming pitfalls	255	(1)
Grammar spot	255	(1)
Summary	256	(1)
Exercises	256	(4)
Answers to self-test questions	260	(2)
Arrays -- two-dimensional	262	(13)
Introduction	262	(1)
Declaring an array	263	(1)
Indices	263	(2)
The size of an array	265	(1)
Passing arrays as parameters	265	(1)
Constants	266	(1)
Initializing an array	267	(1)
A sample program	267	(2)
Programming principles	269	(1)
Programming pitfalls	270	(1)
Summary	270	(1)
Exercises	271	(3)
Answers to self-test questions	274	(1)
String manipulation	275	(21)
Introduction	275	(1)
Using strings -- a recap	275	(2)
String indexing	277	(1)
The characters within strings	277	(1)
A note on the char type	278	(1)
The String class methods and properties	278	(1)
Comparing strings	279	(1)
Amending strings	280	(2)
Examining strings	282	(4)
Regular expressions	286	(2)
An example of string processing	288	(1)
Case study -- Frasier	289	(3)
Programming principles	292	(1)
Programming pitfalls	292	(1)
Grammar spot	292	(1)
New language elements	292	(1)
New IDE facilities	292	(1)
Summary	293	(1)
Exercises	293	(2)
Answers to self-test questions	295	(1)
Exceptions	296	(16)
Introduction	296	(2)
The jargon of exceptions	298	(1)
A try-catch example	298	(3)
Using the exception object	301	(1)
Classifying exceptions	302	(1)
Multiple catch blocks	303	(1)
The search for a catcher	304	(2)
Throwing -- an introduction	306	(1)
Handling -- some possibilities	307	(1)
finally	307	(1)
Programming principles	308	(1)
Programming pitfalls	309	(1)
Grammar spot	309	(1)
New language elements	309	(1)
New IDE facilities	309	(1)
Summary	310	(1)
Exercises	310	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	311	(1)
Files	312	(24)
Introduction	312	(1)
The essentials of streams	313	(1)
The StreamReader and StreamWriter classes	313	(1)
File output	314	(2)
File input	316	(2)
File searching	318	(3)
Files and exceptions	321	(2)
Message boxes and dialogs	323	(2)
Using file dialogs	325	(1)
Creating a menu	326	(4)
The Directory class	330	(2)
Programming principles	332	(1)
Programming pitfalls	332	(1)
Grammar spot	332	(1)
New language elements	332	(1)
New IDE facilities	333	(1)
Summary	333	(1)
Exercises	333	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	334	(2)
Console programs	336	(15)
Introduction	336	(1)
A first console program	337	(2)
The command prompt: cd and dir	339	(1)
Ways of running programs	340	(2)
Classes in console applications	342	(1)
Command-line arguments	342	(2)
Scripting and output redirection	344	(2)
Scripting and batch files	346	(1)
Programming principles	347	(1)
Programming pitfalls	347	(1)
Grammar spot	347	(1)
New language elements	347	(1)
New IDE facilities	347	(1)
Summary	347	(1)
Exercises	348	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	349	(2)
Object-oriented design	351	(24)
Introduction	351	(1)
The design problem	352	(1)
Identifying objects, methods and properties	352	(6)
Case study in design	358	(7)
Looking for reuse	365	(1)
Composition or inheritance?	365	(5)
Guidelines for class design	370	(1)
Summary	371	(1)
Exercises	372	(1)
Answers to self-test questions	373	(2)
Program style	375	(13)
Introduction	375	(1)
Program layout	376	(1)
Comments	377	(1)
Using constants	378	(1)
Classes	379	(1)
Nested ifs	380	(2)
Nested loops	382	(2)
Complex conditions	384	(2)
Documentation	386	(1)
Programming pitfalls	386	(1)
Summary	386	(1)
Exercises	387	(1)
Testing	388	(14)
Introduction	388	(1)
Program specifications	389	(1)
Exhaustive testing	390	(1)
Black box (functional) testing	390	(3)
White box (structural) testing	393	(2)
Inspections and walkthroughs	395	(1)
Stepping through code	396	(1)
Formal verification	396	(1)
Incremental development	397	(1)
Programming principles	397	(1)
Summary	398	(1)
Exercises	398	(2)
Answers to self-test questions	400	(2)
Interfaces	402	(6)
Introduction	402	(1)
Interfaces for design	402	(3)
Interfaces and interoperability	405	(1)
Programming principles	406	(1)
Programming pitfalls	406	(1)
New language elements	406	(1)
Summary	406	(1)
Exercises	407	(1)
Polymorphism	408	(11)
Introduction	408	(1)
Polymorphism in action	409	(3)
Casting	412	(1)
Rules for casting	412	(3)
Programming principles	415	(1)
Programming pitfalls	416	(1)
New language elements	417	(1)
Summary	417	(1)
Exercises	417	(1)
Answer to self-test question	418	(1)
Appendices	419	(16)
A Selected library components	419	(15)
B Keywords	434	(1)
Bibliography	435	(1)
Index	436