.net – How to learn the .NET Framework

.net

Considering the fact that .net is a massive collection of classes, structs, interfaces, methods etc what would be the correct and appropriate approach to get started with and understand the fundamentals of the framework.

Bearing in mind the two facts that there is no substitute for experience and that there is no limit to learning.

Many Thanks.

Best Solution

Start off by picking one of the .Net languages to learn. I would personally go for C# as being the mainstay of .Net development. Then just go and code something, like problems from Project Euler.

Once you've mastered the basics of the language (like the data types, language constructs and so forth) then it is an appropriate time to start learning one or more of the .Net frameworks. Here you just pick whatever you're interested in, be it WPF for desktop development, ASP.NET/ASP.NET MVC for Web development, WCF, etc.

Language first, libraries second.

Related Solutions

C# – the difference between String and string in C#

string is an alias in C# for System.String.
So technically, there is no difference. It's like int vs. System.Int32.

As far as guidelines, it's generally recommended to use string any time you're referring to an object.

e.g.

string place = "world";

Likewise, I think it's generally recommended to use String if you need to refer specifically to the class.

e.g.

string greet = String.Format("Hello {0}!", place);

This is the style that Microsoft tends to use in their examples.

It appears that the guidance in this area may have changed, as StyleCop now enforces the use of the C# specific aliases.

.net – When should I use a struct instead of a class

MSDN has the answer: Choosing Between Classes and Structures.

Basically, that page gives you a 4-item checklist and says to use a class unless your type meets all of the criteria.

Do not define a structure unless the type has all of the following characteristics:

It logically represents a single value, similar to primitive types (integer, double, and so on).

It has an instance size smaller than 16 bytes.

It is immutable.

It will not have to be boxed frequently.