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I am looking for web sites or books that would help a C++ developer to pick up C#. So far, this is the best one I've found.

Zoman
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Frankly, when I learned .NET, it was difficult to understand it in many ways from a C++ background. I found that trying to fit C# into a C++ mindset actually worked against me - not for me.

I wouldn't focus on trying to find something that's C# for C++ developers - try to just find good resources for C# in general. Good, detail C# and .NET framework books will get you there, and your C++ background will just help you understand the details a bit better. Learning C# will be about learning the frameworks, the expected manner of doing things, and forgetting a lot of C++ habits.

I would recommend a couple of detailed books that aren't focused on beginner topics, such as CLR via C# and C# in Depth.

I also think that the Framework Design Guidelines was probably the most valuable resources for getting me to think in C#/.NET instead of C++ - it really goes into why the framework is the way it is, and learning how to write code that other C# developers will want to maintain. The guidelines are available online, but the book is very helpful in that it also explains the reasons behind the guidelines, not just the "rules."

Reed Copsey
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http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/yyaad03b(VS.80).aspx

Anzurio
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dot net book zero by Charles Petzold is specifically aimed at developers with c++ experience.

It was last updated in 2007 though, so isn't totally up to date (.net 3.0 I think).

Its mainly about the c# language, so doesn't really cover the framework much.

Simon P Stevens
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After you'll pick up basics and you will need some sort of reference book, I'd suggest C# in the Nutshell. I like to have this book my desk, and it's great written :). It's definitely not the book for learning the language though.

Marcin Deptuła
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  • Why do you think it's not the book for learning the language? – Zoman Jul 24 '09 at 19:55
  • It contains 1 chapter with introduction to C#, which is a bit short for learning from basics, rest of the book describes many features like serialization, LINQ, streams etc. Those informations are great, when you want to code something, because they contain about .NET features, not - language ones, but won't give you in-depth knowledge about language itself. Nevertheless, when you catch up with the language itself, this book may be helpful to understand .NET platform features. – Marcin Deptuła Jul 24 '09 at 23:11
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If you want to take some smaller steps, learn Managed C++. You'll be able to use standard C++ along with the .NET namespaces.

I picked up in this manor by maintaining someone else's Managed C++ project. Once I learned about C# past that, it was just a manor of cleaning up the syntax, since I knew the structure of the System namespace by that point.

Managed C++ will also come in handy in cases where you need C++ interoperability for referencing DLLs.

Will Eddins
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i too came into C# from a C/C++ background. CLR via C# "speaks our language."

It is VERY readable and covers topics in a way that is familiar to folks who are used to managing their own memory.

Paul Sasik
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I find Peter Sestoft's Java Precisely to be a nice concise reference to Java for C++ programmers; he also is the author of C# Precisely which is written in the same spirit, though I haven't read it so I can't speak to it.

Nick Meyer
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