Target C#

Gerard Byrne's guide is for readers who want to learn C# and Visual Studio 2022 but feel unsure about where to begin. It opens with an introduction to programming, then builds the foundations a C# developer needs: data types, selection, iteration, arrays, methods, classes and objects, serialization, file handling, and string handling. The approach rests on the idea that classes and other advanced topics only make sense once the basics are secure. Core concepts stay the same even as languages gain new features, and many large organizations keep older core systems running without upgrading them, so employers look for developers who understand fundamentals and can later learn newer language features as they join a company.

With the foundations in place, the book turns to common programming routines, namely linear search, binary search, bubble sort, and insertion sort, which readers implement in C#. Annotations accompany the code and explain not only what each line does but why it does it. By the end, readers should have the skills to build applications similar to commercial software.

The book is aimed at beginners, at people returning to C# after a break, and at programmers switching from another language. No prior programming experience is expected. The code was written for Visual Studio 2022 Community Edition, which readers will need to download, although other development environments can also be used.