In C# Essential Training, author Joe Marini offers a tour of the foundational programming language at the heart of several Microsoft platforms, including Windows, ASP.NET, Silverlight, SharePoint, and Windows Phone. Joe walks through the basic syntax and structure of the language, introduces object-oriented concepts, and shows how to define custom classes. The course also demonstrates using C# language features, compiling and running code, handling exceptions, reading and writing files, and addressing common compilation issues through debugging. Exercise files accompany the course.

Topics include:

Installing the Visual Studio C# Express IDE
Creating a C# application
Reading and writing from and to the console
Writing conditional statements
Using loops
Exploring operators, expressions, constants, and enumerations
Understanding data types and type conversion
Working with variables such as numbers, characters, and strings
Defining classes and properties
Working with data structures such as arrays, stacks, and queues
Building abstract classes and methods
Handling, creating, and re-throwing exceptions
Setting breakpoints and examining code