Related
Imagine such situation. You get some legacy code or get some new framework. You need to investigate and understand how to work with this code as soon as possible. There is no chance to ask for help from previous developer. What are the best practices/methods/ways/steps/tools (preferred .NET Framework tools stack) to use to get maximum efficiency in investigating new to you code base.
If it is framework and there is no much documentation and unit tests, what tools you usually use to explore class hierarchy, methods, events? Is it default Object Browser, Architecture Explorer of MS Visual Studio or some other tools like Resharper hierarchy/file view?
There really isn't a best way to do this as there are so many variables and every project is different from the next.
To be absolutely honest the best way to get your head around it is to create a sandpit/test environment and, for want of a better description, play with it. Then play with it some more.
As an example of 'playing with it', using debugger and stepping through the code will tell you a lot about the flow and structure of the code. It is also worth mentioning that you should never trust comments, verify functionality yourself. Code may have changed since a comment was written.
The best way for diving into a new application with a large code base, the best solution that I've found is to get big picture of it through reverse engineering facility in applications like Enterprise Architect or so.
If it's not available to you, try class diagram provided by VS.
So far you can get the static definition of program , but for understanding the flow of execution follow the main scenarios execution path by facilities that you mat find in Resharper, VS2008(generate sequence diagrams, and ...) and VS2010(view call hierarchy and ...).
As said in previous answers debugging and profiling applications is also very helpful, set breakpoints, look at call stack, watch the objects and ....
I find that usually the best way to start with a completely unknown code base is just trying to get it to run.
After that, if there are bugs that need to be addressed, try to fix some of those.
That will give you insight into how difficult it is to update/maintain the system. You should also start to see code patterns, or lack thereof, emerge.
I often find that unit tests are a good place to start, providing there are some! At least through unit tests you get short examples of how it works, and where is should fail. Hopefully there is some documentation lying about too...
In VS2010, there is tool under Architecture which will help you analyze your code base and generate dependency diagram for you.
Check Project dependencies within a solution.
This will give you an idea about the projects flow within a solution
Check for the external Dlls used in references.
This will tell more information of the system how it is used.
Now you can make assumptions now about the flow of the architecture.
You can then run the application and Check for some logs which will give you idea about the class and functions flow.
You can then start with debugging the code/module which is assigned top you.
This will now put you in better position to now make any changes.
I started my career coding in C/C++ on a vax system, but got into a few contracts where it was all VB and then became a specialist in VB, then to VB.net. Now I am aspiring to work for Microsoft and it seems that every job they post is in C/C++/C# and I can barely read C# code, it looks like the most convoluted mess to me and the inline syntax almost hurts my feelings.
I am looking for positive, non-flaming, helpful suggestions on how to pick up C# skills again. Books..Labs..etc? I have been coding simple projects using Silverlight and C# to try and work it out but it is extremely frustrating since there are very few examples that I can find that illustrate what each code set looks like. I've Googled but have yet to find anything helpful other than channel9 labs and working through some of the example code/projects from mix10.
I am not looking for a shortcut, but a good solid skills understanding. I swear it is easier to translate English to Latin than VB to C#.
I personally would start by converting a VB.NET project into C#, having done VB.NET it wouldn't be difficult once you got started as they both use the same underlying CLR.
Doing it this way step by step, looking up how to convert each bit you don't understand, you'll soon end up teaching yourself C# based on you're knowledge of VB.NET and you'll see they're really not that much different!
I find them very similar now I know them both, they just have a habit of doing things 'slightly' differently.
Also, have a look at this wiki page for a summary comparison of VB.NET and C#, and check out the examples at the bottom to see some basic syntax comparisons that will give you a starting point for converting VB.NET into C#.
Since VB.NET and C# are both first-class object-oriented .NET languages that compile down to the nearly the same CIL code, I find it fairly easy to switch between the two. Most of the learning curve in .NET comes from learning the myriad APIs; syntax doesn't take terribly long to pick up.
I'd recommend a good book that focuses on the language of C# (that is, not a framework such as Winforms, Silverlight, or WPF). A book that I really liked was Illustrated C# 2008 by Daniel Solis. It's great at exposing the C# language from end to end. (NOTE: Although it says "Illustrated" in the title, it's not filled with lots of pretty pictures. "Illustrated" simply means that the author uses lots of helpful diagrams to explain concepts).
Also, I spent a good deal of time solving math problems at http://www.projecteuler.net in order to learn C#. It helps to have real problems to solve to learn a language and Project Euler offers problems that are small enough that you can still focus on learning different aspects of the language.
It's odd that you are having this difficulty if you can still remember anything about C. I have a similar background but I don't find C# hard to read at all.
Are you getting confused by LINQ or lambdas / anonymous methods? EDIT you say it's LINQ: here are some links for LINQ.
The LINQ syntax is different in VB from C# and there's not much help out there for the VB syntax. The MSDN 101 VB LINQ samples are good, and I also liked the coverage in the book Programming VB 2008.
Lambdas are a way of writing methods inline that might be the "inline syntax" you are referring to? In which case, just read up on them and try them out: you could try them out in C# or VB.Net.
There were some useful articles on differences between C# and VB.Net in Visual Studio magazine back in Jan 2008.
What VB developers should know about C#
And for completeness, What C# developers should know about VB
You might also be interested in the question "what's allowed in VB that is prohibited in C# (or vice versa)"
Full disclosure: the bottom part of this answer is copied almost unchanged from this question on converting C# knowledge to VB.Net
Buy "Head first C#" and enjoy yourself coding. It is the best book (according to me and a few others) on the market learning C#.
Scott Hanselman posts a regular column of his blog called the "Weekly Source Code", which is made of source code -- generally C# --- which you can learn from by reading.
My first choice is that given by W69rdy: convert some project you've already done in VB to C#.
Second, I would skim the C# documentation, or an online source like that suggested by James, at least once a day looking for something you don't understand. Perhaps something as simple as a language keyword you don't recognize. Then write something that uses it: even something as simple as a small snippet.
If you are looking for a quick read and tutorial, this one will work. I agree with #TechNeilogy and #W69rdy that converting a program from VB.NET to C# will help with understanding the similiarities and differences between the languarges.
I converted a VB.NET Windows service to a C# Windows service and it helped greatly with trying to learn C#.
I was a VB .NET programmer as well. I found that using Jetbrain's Resharper Visual Studio plug-in really helped my learning curve. I was initially converting/optimizing a VB .NET project into C# and I found the coding assistance tools really helpful. Most of the time, I was just trying to find the C# equivalent so code completion usually put me in the right direction.
I've also recently been moving to C# from VB - I've found this converter invaluable as a learning tool when you don't know a bit of C# syntax but you can write it in VB.
You should start with some C# tutorials in internet to understand the how to work with c#, then read a book with maximum 300 pages.
After that you can start the converting from VB to C#. It is not difficult.
Good luck.
I use both vb.net and c# at work. Sometimes in the same project even. Honestly, when you switch back and forth, after the first couple misplaced or missing ; or Dim's, it's pretty easy to jump between the two. The rest of the stuff (class modifiers, event handlers, etc.) is only a quick google away.
The only way you are really going to make the step across, is to just make the step across and run with it!
Sure, check out a basic tutorial or read a guide on C# to learn the syntax basics, but then you need to find a reasonably simple, self-contained project to get stuck into. If you know some of the .NET framework (which you presumably do), then the jump won't actually be that great. Obviously, don't pick a vast, complex, mission-critical system to start with!
In fact, although my current project is my first c# project, I can't believe I didn't make the switch earlier. Apart from enjoying C#, I'm also finding it easier because I'm finding there are more good quality examples around.
I don't mean this patronisingly, but the answer is to simply start coding in C#!
There are plenty of books, resources, training CDs (check out AppDev.com for some great video based training) but nothing compares to just coding for real-life problems!
(And I agree with a previous comment about converting a recent project to C#.)
"That which we learn to do, we learn by doing" Aristotle
i am currently a PHP web developer (university student next year). i want to learn more about C#/WPF development (mainly windows development first).
i know of Channel 9, Windows Client, C# How do i.
since i know programming, i dont want to spend so much time with the very basic syntax etc, which i sometime find that books do (i am reading Accelerated C# 2010, tho i find it kind of wordy, i prefer something more visual, like videos, diagrams etc if possible).
i know of PHP blogs like zend casts or killerphp, there are books like survive the deep end that are shorter than 600 pages book. such resources are what i am looking for
It's been almost 8 years since I started with C#, so I don't know where all the 'cool' kids go, but MSDN is usually a good place to start:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/beginner/default.aspx
If you've done java then C# will be pretty easy to pick up. Difference worth noting because they make life a lot easier are things like Properties, Lambda expressions and LINQ, so once you get grounded it's worth getting into that.
If you're doing WPF then I HIGHLY recommend you get your head around "MVVM" and Expression Blend, they'll change your life ;)
http://hugeonion.com/2009/02/15/intro-to-wpf-mvvm/
Also, feel free to read blogs on Silverlight, most of the stuff applies to WPF as well.
To be honest, if all of your experience is with PHP, you probably want to focus on OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) in general, rather than the specific syntax and frameworks of C#. The language itself shouldn't be massively alien to you, but the idioms and standard approaches to many problems likely will be.
Two books I would recommend for anyone starting on an OOP language:
The Pragmatic Programmer - An invaluable reference for any programmer, but it really does focus on static OOP languages such as C#.
Head First Object Oriented Analysis and Design - A java book, ironically, but the concepts taught within are perfectly applicable to C#, and it's an excellent, clear, easy to follow introduction on the proper design of object oriented software.
I'm also PHP dev (my primary profession), but I'm also doing C# codding (for personal needs and fun).
I've learned C# simply by experimenting.
My suggestion to you is to download Visual Studio Express 2010 and Google search for C# beginners tutorial (Search , Example Result) .
Only thing you need to get started is basic syntax knowledge and idea. VSE 2010 will generate lots of code for you (especially for Windows Forms project where you just need to design form and then click elements to add events).
As far as WPF concerned, I can't tell you more because I've never worked with that.
Happy codding ;)
So I've been learning C# for like a year now (I'm 20 years old) and I'm getting pretty confident with it. I've also been meddling with C++ every now and again. For example just recently I've been following the Nehe OpenGL tutorials for C++ and I find it a fun way of learning.
I want to start looking at creating cross platform GUI software after I stumbled across this library called FLTK (fluid something rather). After finally and painfully getting it to work I found it refreshing to know that there are solutions for GUI creation in C++, however I think FLTK looked pretty old.
So I googled around for some newer GUI frameworks and decided to start playing with wxWidgets (decided against Qt because of licensing).
I downloaded it, compiled it, and looked to see if there were any IDE plug-ins for RAD development, as you can imagine going from drag and drop a component onto a form in C# I was hoping for something similar.
I learned that code::blocks has something of the sort so I tried that out. It was alright but the thing that turned me off was the horrible code completion; it would only show members and methods in the current object and nothing for the #included header files. I understand that code completion/IntelliSense isn't easy for C++ but Visual Studio 2008 handles it pretty good. I did find some other RAD tools like wxFormBuilder but it costs money, not something I want to do for simply learning.
So my TLDR question is if anyone has had experience with wxWidgets? Do you just develop in whatever IDE you're comfortable with and just code the GUI? Meaning no visual helpers? Perhaps you could give me a nudge in what direction I should be going :)
Thanks, this is also my first post on this site albeit I have read many threads before that have helped me solve copious problems. Cheers!
My suggestion is to learn how to do GUI layout with wxWidgets in code, then when you get good at it learn how to use the GUI tools.
Doing this kind of work manually for a while gives you the understanding about what you need ("Ok, I need a wxSizer, vertical, to put these two horizontal wxSizers into, where I put my a wxStaticText and a wxTextCtl for each line ...")... where as I think if you started out with the GUI tools you'd just tend to get annoyed because (last time I looked) none of them were Drag And Drop editors like you get with .NET.
Definitely give Code::Blocks another try. It is a WONDERFUL environment to work with wxWidgets in. It comes with a form designer and templates for wxWidgets projects, so I can't imagine working without it.
Also, for a good beginner's introduction to wxWidgets, try this page. It helped me alot when I started with it.
I use wxWidgets without using a drag and drop designer. There are obviously drawbacks to that approach but an advantage is that you don't have any horrible automatically generated code to deal with. In the past I've found having such code in the middle of my project has caused various types of grief - especially if you decide it needs some serious changes it is often necessary to start from scratch because form designers are so much better at "writing" as opposed to "editing".
For simple applications you can assemble a UI using a mixture of customized and standard widgets without too much difficulty. Check out the wxWidgets samples and demos, which use that approach. My chess app (see my website) uses this approach too.
A more elaborate UI could possibly be implemented by writing something special at a higher level of abstraction. The kind of thing I am thinking of would be a subsystem that accepts high level flexible requests to provide different types of user interface functionality, and then sorts out the details of the controls to create and the positioning etc. of those controls itself. That is kind of a technical fantasy of mine but I haven't ever really attempted to do it. Actually, a fairly primitive facility of this type is already available and used by the demos I mentioned; It is called a "Sizer" (class wxSizer) and is basically a control container.
Finally I would point out that problems with the Qt licence have basically gone away since Nokia bought Trolltech and made it "more" free (LGPL licence). Many people think Qt is the way to go these days. I am pretty happy with wxWidgets but will definitely evaluate Qyt seriously one day. Good luck with your projects.
I have developed a number of application GUIs using wxWidgets - you can see screenshots at http://ravenspoint.com/
IMHO, you should distinguish between designing a GUI and implementing it. Expecting to use the same program to design your GUI and to automatically emit all the code to implement the design is expecting too much.
A design program should be fast and simple. I recommend http://www.balsamiq.com/
Once you have settled on the design, then you can turn to the coding. Personally, I find that placing widgets on a panel using the wxPosition and wxSize parameters of the wxWidget constructors to be trivial - easier than trying to nudge widgets into their exact positions using the mouse.
The trouble with using some kind of form builder to emit all the code for a significant GUI is that you end up with a morass of automatically generated code that is hard to find your way around in. If the code has been handwritten, then you already know where everything is located.
wxFormBuilder but it costs money
wxFormBuilder is Free and Open source
Also Visual Studio is best for C++ coding in wxWidgets, but you will run into lots of issues on Linux due to the way Visual Studio handles a lot of things, like file names you have to take extra care for case sensitivity.
Also regarding the GUI, add the wxFormBuilder to the Visual Studio solution, add the file type handler to Visual Studio. Now just double click on it and add your dialogs, like you do it in C#.
Just add the generated code files to the Visual Studio project once and you are done.
It's very easy to use Visual Studio with GUI programming in wxWidgets.
Also don't forget to watch the CodeLite editor if you want to port on Linux. It is very much compatible with the Visual Studio projects and shortcut keys.
There is wxGlade and wxFormBuilder.
I don't know if there is another one, but the wxFormBuilder I know is free and open source.
You will find links to other tools on the homepage
of wxGlade (http:// wxglade.sourceforge.net/).
Most of these programs are able to output xrc files, which are are an XML representation of your GUI. It address the issue of complexity of the generated code but is not as powerful.
Yet personally I don't use any of these tools, except sometimes to see what it's going to look like before I do it but never to actually generate code.
I just finished doing a hello world program in both wx and fltk using the netbeans IDE. Microsoft Visual Studio WinForms or MFC was much easier than either. I needed cross platform capability so I could not use it for this application. I finished fltk in much less time than wx. The program was simpler, smaller, faster, and easier to write. Wx had pretty disjointed documentation and organization. Fltk was designed back in the "old days" when small fast and efficient was valued. That's probably why it seems "old" to you. I'm an old guy so it worked for me. YMMV
As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, visit the help center for guidance.
Closed 10 years ago.
When you can create classes and do the simple stuff (GUI, reading text files, etc...), where do I go from here? I've started reading Code Complete 2nd Edition which is great but is more of a general programming book. What topics should I learn next?
I'd argue that, at some point, it's no longer about topics. It's about doing stuff. You gotta write code an you've gotta write a lot of it.
People will often tell you to find some niche problem to try and solve when learning a new language and that's perfectly fine, but if there's an application or feature of an application that you really enjoy using or really admire, attempt to build it (or parts of it) yourself. Even more so, if you find your self wondering Hey, how does [this application] do that?! Try to build it.
Many of your projects may never see the light of day beyond your desktop, but the learning, experience, and tools you'll have under your belt will be something that you can carry over to each subsequent project.
You never know, though, one of those little hobby projects may end up solving a problem for someone.
Not to disagree with the folks who are saying "write stuff," but one topic that you should learn about next is the underlying fundamentals of the CLR -- the workings of the engine that sits behind all of these libraries. A good resource for this is Richter's "CLR Via C#."
Write a desktop RSS reader. You'll get exposure to a bunch of different areas (parsing files, graphical apps, HTTP, the flakiness of the internet), and you might actually use the result on a daily basis. Picking a specific goal or feature to work towards will help you learn more quickly than something abstract.
I agree with most of the answers so far, but I think that if you want to improve as a developer you can benefit greatly by not running solo. Try to find someone who can coach you. Over the years I've made my greatest leeps in depth of understanding by teaming up with programmers who were smarter and more experienced than I was. (They still are :-) )
Learn another language and apply the learned knowledge to C#.
F#, Scala, Haskell - lots to pick :)
Get ReSharper, keep all recommendations enabled and understand them.
Learn best practices and software engineering and how to apply them to C#.
Learn Version Control, TDD, Domain Driven Development, Continuous Integration, MVC, MVP, A handful of patterns: facade, factory, repository vs. active record, etc.
Learn tools that will help you avoid reinventing the wheel: Validation Application Block, NHibernate, etc.
I found this free e-book from the guys at CodeBetter a few days ago:
link text
I haven't read all of it but it looks like a good read.
Try reading the Mono source code to get a look at how a C# compiler written in C# looks. You'll learn so much about the language, compilers, and computer architecture. This is the great benefit of a project with source - you can learn from it.
Visit CodePlex.com and GitHub.com and look for open source projects which you can contribute towards.
looking at q/a of stackoverflow, c# topic. :-D
The best way to learn is to actually get stuck in and build some cool apps, websites, whatever. Its still a good idea to keep up with the various websites to learn new stuff that you might not have come across though.
Maybe build the next facebook or google :)
Also a good way is to get involved in a small project with multiple members (friends maybe), so you can learn from each other and see how other people do their stuff.
Read code
Write code
Test code
Read books (some suggestions), blogs etc.
Repeat
write good unit tests and try to get the code coverage as high as possible
Write code yourself, and read the code that has been written be someone else. But, not anyone else; of a person of whom you're sure that he writes good, clean, smart code.
Work in a team with better programmers - get employed
Work on large open source projects.
I disagree with most people here that learning by building stuff just by yourself is the best way.
Write code, lots of it. And not those fluffy little HelloWorld-type programs.
Find either a real project that interests you or something you've already written that can be converted to C# and do that. Only by doing (and, unfortunately, making copious mistakes) do we learn.
practice, look at open source projects, understand completely what it does and how it does it, especially complex libraries like mocking frameworks, ORM, etc
CLR via C# a great book !! helped(still helping) me a lot understanding the language also you can download the c# language specification book
If you want to become a better C# (replace with any other language), work on large scale applications, the kind that has certain features on 'musts' in it that you know you have no clue how to realize them, yet. All the easy ones around these core 'nuts-to-crack' will help you, too.. it's always good to get used to thinking in large, interwoven dependencies in projects which force you to think through and layout the architecture of your final product upfront.
This isn't particularly c# related, but if you want to become a better developer, these kind of projects (that implicitly include lots of ((c)lean) coding and testing etc etc) are the best learning grounds.
If none of the clients wants to 'give you the chance' to work on such a project with your current skill set just yet, go ahead (or in any case) and start coding on an opensource project and keep friends, colleagues and places like stackoverflow involved.
Be prepared and open to make 'errors' (as you might judge them afterwards)... because only with a gazillion errors made you see the slim/windy path in between them.
That being said, learn to not over-engineer or get tooo perfectionist too early. Bugs will be made, bugs may even remain in a final product considering certain impact conditions etc, learn to live with that as an engineer/developer.
Suggest you read C# in Depth. It is a deep dive into C# that will greatly enhance your understanding of the language. The author, Jon Skeet, is rumored to be a lurker on this site...
With a new language, try to solve some of the Project Euler problems. Improving math and coding at the same time!