Begin to Code with C#, 1st edition

Rob Miles

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Microsoft has completely reinvented the beginning programmer's tutorial, reflecting deep research into how today's beginners learn, and why other books fall short. Begin to Code with C# is packed with innovations, starting with its "Snaps" library of pre-built operations. It's full of "Make Something Happen" projects that let learners practice and build skills as they create their own programs. Begin to Code with C# balances playful exposition and illustration of programming fundamentals with the readers own creative input. This full-color book will inspire students to start solving problems and creating programs with code, even if they have absolutely no programming experience.

A beginner's guide to give you creative, hands-on input
Packed with "Make Something Happen" exercises to show off growing skills and help students build original code of their own
Reflects deep analysis of what hasn't worked in other beginner's guides, and innovative thinking about how to teach programming more effectively

Contents

Introduction

Part 1: Programming fundamentals

1 Starting out

Building a place to work

Getting the tools and demos

Using the tools

What you have learned

2 What is programming?

What makes a programmer?

Programming and party planning

Computers as data processors

Data and information

What you have learned

3 Writing programs

C# program structure

Identify resources

Start a class definition

Declare the StartProgram method

Set the title and display a message

Extra Snaps

Creating new program files

Extra Snaps

Creating your own colors

What you have learned

4 Working with data in a program

Starting with variables

Using a variable in a program

Working with numbers

Working with different types of data

Whole numbers and real numbers in programs

Extra Snaps

What you have learned

5 Making decisions in a program

Understanding the Boolean type

Using if constructions and operators

Creating blocks of statements

Creating complex conditions using logical operators

Adding comments to make a program clearer

Funfair rides and programs

Working with program assets

What you have learned

6 Repeating actions with loops

Using a loop to make a pizza picker

Performing input validation with a while loop

Using Visual Studio to follow the execution of your programs

Counting in a loop to make a times-table tutor

Using a for loop construction

Breaking out of loops

Going back to the top of a loop by using continue

Extra Snaps

What you have learned

7 Using arrays

Have an ice cream

Making an array

Multiple dimensions in arrays

Using arrays as lookup tables

What you have learned

Part 2: Advanced programming

8 Using methods to simplify programs

What makes a method?

Making a tiny contacts app

Adding IntelliSense comments to your methods

What you have learned

9 Creating structured data types

Storing music notes by using a structure

Objects and responsibilities: Making a SongNote play itself

Making a drawing program with Snaps

Creating enumerated types

Making decisions with the switch construction

Extra Snaps

What you have learned

10 Classes and references

Making a time tracker

Structures and classes

From arrays to lists

Storing data using JSON

Fetching data using XML

What you have learned

11 Making solutions with objects

Creating objects with integrity

Managing the object construction process

Saving drawings in files

What you have learned

Part 3: Making games

12 What makes a game?

Creating a video game

What you have learned

13 Creating gameplay

Creating a player-controlled paddle

Adding sound to games

Displaying text in a game

What you have learned

14 Games and object hierarchies

Games and objects: Space Rockets in Space

Designing a class hierarchy

What you have learned

15 Games and software components

Games and objects

What you have learned

Rob Miles has spent more than thirty years teaching programming at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. He’s a Microsoft MVP, with a passion for programming, C#, and creating new things. If he had any spare time, he’d spend it writing even more code. He loves making programs and then running them to see what happens. He reckons that programming is the most creative thing you can learn how to do. He also reckons that in a battle between us and the Martians, we’d win, because we’ve got Visual Studio and they don’t–and there isn’t anything better in the universe for building software.

He claims to know a lot of really good jokes, but nobody has ever heard him tell one. If you want an insight into the Wacky World™ of Rob Miles, you can read his blog at www.robmiles.com and follow him on Twitter via @RobMiles.

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