C# Programmer's Handbook

I WAS INSPIRED to write this book because when I needed to transition from C++ to C#, I found few books that helped. All I really wanted was a book that defined the language and showed me simple examples of how to use the .NET Framework. I hope that you will find this book helpful and useful in learning C#. As you read this book, please keep in mind that my goal was to provide you with simple samples showing you how to use this language to do common tasks. I stripped out all but the essential code. Specifically, I removed safeguards such as exception handling that would normally be present in all good code. I advise you strongly to use exception handling in your own code. I have also included in this book material that will be in the next major release of C#, such as generics, anonymous methods, iterators, and more. I wish you the best of luck in your coding. xix Part One C# Language Basics CHAPTER 1 Common Type System - Identifiers and Naming Conventions - Variables - Value Types - Reference Type Variables - Constant and Static Values - Scopes - Casting and Class Conversion 3 Chapter 1 Identifiers and Naming Conventions Identifiers are used to describe allocated memory types such as integer, longs, classes, and other types defined by C# or by you, as the developer. The rules for identifiers are simple: - Identifiers can start with any Unicode letter or an underscore.