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Authors
Vijay Mukhi
(vmukhi@vsnl.com) is one of the pioneers of the Indian Infotech Industry. For years, he has been the first to teach the emerging technologies in India thus ensuring that Indiaalways has people trained in technologies that the world requires. Vijay has written over 80 books on computers and programming over the last eight years on subjects ranging from C, C++(The Odyssey Series) to Animation and Networking to ERP. His newly released book ‘Java-Servlets-JSP’ has covered many aspects of Java in the most simplified form. Vijay abhorscomplexities and hence his books showcase the most difficult concepts explained through small programs, thereby giving a good understanding. Microsoft's .Net technologies is what Vijay isnow focussing on and he aims at writing volumes on it.
Sandeep Shanbhag
(sandy.shanbhag@vsnl.com) is a Chartered Accountant by profession, atechnical and financial writer by choice. Under the aegis of Wonderland Investment Consultants,he has hitherto been writing regular columns for professional journals, websites and newspapers.Starting out with the aim of leveraging technology to his domain knowledge of finance, this ishis first stepping stone.
Sonal Mukhi
(svmukhi@yahoo.com) is a freelance programmer having a widespread exposureto computer techniques and languages. Sonal has done groundbreaking work on various InternetTechnologies like Java, ActiveX, Perl and more. She has co-authored a few books on computer  programming too.
Introduction
Welcome to the first installment on a series of 12 volumes dedicated to the latest technology tohit the third rock from the sun. But before diving in and getting both feet wet, a wee bit of  background. Microsoft has always had a habit of doing things in style. Whether it was the basic yet robustDisk Operating System (DOS) or the (user-friendly?) Windows Operating System, Microsoft hasalways managed to rewrite the rules in the computer world. In fact it won't be exaggeration tosay that today it is thanks to the efforts of Microsoft and the vision of its founder, Bill Gates, thatit is software and not machines, that occupy centrestage. But then that is another story altogether. Notwithstanding its hegemony over operating systems, it must be said that Microsoft took itstime to wake up to the call of the Internet. Netscape was way ahead in the race, and Internet
 
Explorer was a distant follower, almost nowhere in the reckoning. Even as users had begun towrite off Microsoft as a non-starter for the web, it has gone and done what he does best --- pounced back with technology that is more cutting edge than its peers.Although, Netscape isn't history as yet, most people would rather use a browser that works better with the latest versions of Windows. Internet Explorer literally chooses itself. Then of coursethere are other utility tools like Excel, Word and Power Point - all Microsoft-owned and near-indispensable.And now Microsoft has come out with Microsoft.Net, a project until recently called Microsoft's Next Generation Windows Services architecture. The objective is the integration of the Internet -to offer software - like Word and Excel - through your browser on the computer as well as on arange of devices such as the mobile phone and the personal digital assistant (Palm Pilot etc).The grand design, as it were, is to change the very nature of the way people work presently.Today we generally use one computer per person. Soon, all we shall be using would be only theInternet. For all our needs. In other words, whenever you switch your computer on, you would beconnected directly to the Internet and not your hard disk for even the most rudimentary of tasks.The task is enormous: every package now on offer will need additional code (even recoding). Inthe new regime, Microsoft has got Visual Studio .Net which can enable even the most uninitiatedto design complex websites provided of course one is web and design savvy.And all of this will be made possible through a new programming language called C#(pronounced C-Sharp).
Why C-Sharp?
When people talk of computer programming languages, there is always a debate on which one is better. C++, Java, Perl, PHP3… the arguments and counter-points can be endless. However, it isour considered belief that that C# would be in a sense better than the rest. And there is a reasonfor this. Normally, whenever a new product is introduced, it betters the technologies of its ilk. For existing technologies evolve with their own pros and cons. Therefore, in 1995, when Sunintroduced Java, it took the best from amongst all languages and added current technology. NowMicrosoft has done the same. Its taken the best features from C++ and Java and morphed theminto this new programming language called C#.Imagine those who worked on Java when it was launched six years ago. Today a CV boasting of a six-year experience in Java means the maximum possible. Simple arithmetic - Java waslaunched only in '95. Similarly, if you get into C# today, only a Microsoft engineer could havemore working knowledge of it! Therefore, we don't think we need to elaborate further on the
 
weight that a CV with C# exposure would command! Think for yourself. You may know of  people who have struck lucky in getting a job. But when it comes to keeping it, Lady Luck is powerless.Indeed, technology is ruthless, in that, it breaks across all age and seniority barriers. That's thereason why even a teenager could have as much experience with a new technology as a 40-year-old. Unfair, but true.
Who should read this book?
Anyone wanting to be on the cutting edge of new technology. The book is written assuming no prior programming knowledge on the part of the readers. However, we make certain other assumptions that we shall explain now.Many a times, on a clear night when we look up at the stars, we can't help but wonder whether there is intelligent life out there - or are they just like us?For we don't believe that intellect is a quality that we are born with. In fact we are going to sharea secret with you. It is the secret of success given to us by an old gypsy woman. This magicmantra has worked with many and we assume you would also use it in your life. In fact this isthe only assumption we make in this book.The secret is in persistence - nothing in the world can take place of persistence. Talent will not,nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not, unrewardedgenius is almost a proverb. Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistenceand determination alone are omnipotent. We hope you agree with the old gypsy apply the maximwhile learning C#. Now, the mere fact that you are reading this means that you are interested in learning somethingnew. However, there is a great deal of difference between a person who wants to read a book andthe person who just wants a book to read. We hope you belong to the former category.Though we attempt to infuse a certain degree of humour in our writing, please do not buy this book for its jokes. This is no coffee table book or even bedtime reading. This is a book, amedium, which we hope will do the serious job of teaching the reader a new programminglanguage.And how do we propose to go about it? Just like when you eat, no matter how delicious the foodin front of you is, you have to consume it, one mouthful at a time. You just cannot eat it all atonce, can you?Similarly, when learning, it is always better to take small steps - one concept at a time.Sometimes, we even repeat the same concept several times, in different ways. For we firmly believe that if you do the little things well enough, big things will come to you asking to be done.
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