60 Quality .NET Resources and Tutorials
From installation to advice to code samples, everything .NET is here.
Coding web-savvy Windows programs got a whole lot easier with Microsoft's introduction of the .NET Framework in 2002. Providing programmers with a comprehensive object-oriented approach to managed application development, it includes a class library consisting of the classes needed to cover user experience, communications, mobility, data integration, security, and web application development.
Programs written for the .NET Framework execute in a runtime environment known at the Common Language Runtime (CLR). The CLR is a virtual machine environment that shields programmers from having to know the capabilities of the underlying hardware. The CLR provides services such as security, memory management, and exception handling. The latest version is .NET Framework 3.0, which extends the programming model with four new technologies: Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), and Windows CardSpace™. The CLR and C# class library can be compared to Sun's Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and Java and provide a strong alternative to Java 2 Enterprise Edition for web development, particularly for those programmers already working in a Windows environment.
InstallationWith the exception of Windows Vista (which by default includes the .NET Framework 3.0), all operating systems require you to install the .NET Framework 3.0 in order to run and develop managed applications. Some sample tools included in the Windows SDK also require you to install the .NET Framework 3.0. If you're running Windows Longhorn Server, you've already got the .NET Framework 3.0 Runtime components, but they will only be installed if you choose the AppServer role, not by default.
First you need to download the .NET Framework 3.0
Then you need to download Visual Studio 2005, the primary tool for developing .NET programs.
Finally, you'll need to download the Visual Studio Extensions. Download Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for WF and Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for WCF and WPF to
install the Windows Workflow Foundation, Windows Communication Foundation, and Windows Presentation Foundation project templates into Visual Studio.
TutorialsOnce you've installed .NET it's time to start coding. Here are a few starting points for you.
After you've installed the .NET Framework 3.0 and Visual Basic Studio 2005 you should be ready to start developing applications. The following links are starting place for learning the foundations of .NET.
QuickStart tutorials -- Microsoft's QuickStart Tutorials are the fastest way to understand what the .NET Framework technology offers developers.
Peer Projects --User-submitted sample .NET projects and C# source code.
Learn Windows Vista --Learn how to bring Vista's new user experience, search capabilities, RSS, and peer-to-peer capabilities to your own applications.
Advanced .NET Tutorials
Once you've mastered the beginner tutorials, check out this section for information on taking your .NET experience to the next level and building more dynamic applications.
Learn .NET Framework 3.0 --Programmers already familiar with .NET should start here to find out what's new in .NET Framework 3.0
MSDN -- Tutorials for building dynamic web sites, web applications, and XML web services.
The Code Project -- Free source code and tutorials for Window developers
CodePlex Open Source Projects -- Why reinvent the wheel when the code you need might have already been written?
Books are key items in every programmer's arsenal. Unfortunately, books are often difficult to navigate, bulky and may not have all the pieces of information you're looking for. Lucky for you, we've found several .NET books online that have the information you need, making them excellent additions to your library.
Sams Teach Yourself Visual Studio .NET 2003 in 21 Days by Jason Beres -- Still relevant, this complete online reference to programming with the .NET Framework and Visual Studio should be the first thing you bookmark.
Developer Guide to Migration and Interoperability in "Longhorn" -- A regularly updated guide to the changes introduced by the new APIs in Windows Vista.
Introducing Longhorn for Developers --A introductory look at the new technologies introduced with Windows Vista.
Sample chapters from Programming Indigo by David Pallmann -- A taste of how to program the Windows Communications Foundation in .NET.
Sample chapters from Crystal Reports .NET Programming by Brian Bischof -- Crystal Reports is the default reporting solution for .NET.
The dialog shaping .NET is both lively and informative. Here are the blogs you should stick in your RSS reader.
Ray Ozzie -- Received wisdom from Microsoft's Chief Software Architect.
ScottGu -- Insider baseball from a programmer who heads up many .NET development teams.
Steve Schofield -- Learn about developing .NET applications for Windows Server.
Ken Cox --Using .NET for RIA development.
Chris Sells --Useful links and insights from a clued-in Microsoft developer.
Thom Robbins -- The technical and sometimes uneventful side of programming in .NET and life within Microsoft.
Paul Andrew -- Learn about Windows Workflow Foundation from its product manager.
Richard Turner -- Learn about identity and service-orientation from the product manager for Windows Card Space.
Kim Cameron -- Another take on identity and Windows CardSpace.
Chris Breisch --Best .NET data practices.
Sometimes we get so stuck, that the only place we can turn to is our all-knowing peers. Here are some online communities ready to help you out.
MSDN Forums -- Microsoft's official technical forum for developers.
ASP.NET --Microsoft's official portal into everything ASP.NET.
DevASP.NET -- An alternative to the official site with articles, sample code and tools.
Channel 9 --Listen in on the Microsoft cockpit with video clips, RSS feeds, wikis, and forums designed to facilitate dialog between the mothership and .NET developers.
ASPAdvice -- An active forum covering all aspects of ASP.NET.
ASP Support Group (Yahoo!) -- The fastest growing programming group on Yahoo!
The ServerSide --Active .NET community discussing Microsoft server-side development.
ASP.NET World -- Another comprehensive portal with tutorials, newsfeeds, and resource directory
.NET integrates so many different technologies that you might find yourself drowning in documentation when all you need is a handy reference. Here are a few cheat sheets to keep you on track.
Casting in VB.NET and C# describes several casting and type related operations in VB.NET and C#.
.NET Format String Quick Reference (PDF)
Visual Studio 2005 Built-in Code Snippets (PDF)
ASP.NET Page Life Cycle diagram (PNG)
If you're unsure how operate a particular method or would like to know the capabilities of a particular class check out these documents.
Windows SDK --Documents, samples, APIs, and tools for both managed and native programming.
Microsoft .NET Compact Framework API Documentation -- A complete guide to mobile application development on .NET.
IronPython -- An implementation of the Python programming language specifically designed for .NET
Our list wouldn't be complete if we left out these Web sites.
Code: If you want to check out what everyone else is doing with .NET, these Web sites are for you.
123ASPx -- Code library.
ASP Alliance -- Code snippets.
ASP 101 -- Articles, tutorials, and sample code.
DotNetWatch -- User-submitted code and technical articles on .NET.
XML Downloads --Code and Tools for building XML applications.
WorldofASP.NET -- Code samples, tutorials and product reviews.
Ten must-have tools every developer should download now -- Go beyond Visual Studio with these handy free tools.
.NET Programming Standards and Naming Conventions --one programmer's attempt at documenting industry-accepting standard naming conventions.
Mono is an open-source project led by Novell to create a .NET compatible set of tools including a C# compiler and a Common Language Runtime that will run on Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, Windows, and Unix.
DotNetKicks -- Like a combination of YouTube and Digg but aimed at .NET developers. User-generated technical articles are voted on by readers.
EggHead Cafe -- Dive deep into .NET technologies with technical articles, product, and book reviews.
International .NET Association -- A non-profit organization that provides resources to .NET user groups and promotes .NET education.
.NET Framework Webcasts -- Tune in to live or on-demand webcasts.
.NET Rocks! -- This lively podcast often features .NET luminaries expounding on the state-of-the-art in software development.