C# 7.1 and .NET Core 2.0 - Modern Cross-Platform Development

Cover
Copyright
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Customer Feedback
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Hello, C#! Welcome, .NET Core!
Setting up your development environment
Using alternative C# IDEs
Deploying cross-platform
Installing Microsoft Visual Studio 2017
Choosing workloads
Choosing additional components
Installing Microsoft Visual Studio Code
Installing Microsoft Visual Studio Code for macOS
Installing .NET Core SDK for macOS
Installing Node Package Manager for macOS
Installing the Visual Studio Code extension for C#
Installing Visual Studio for Mac
Installing Xcode
Downloading and installing Visual Studio for Mac
Understanding .NET
Understanding .NET Framework
Understanding the Mono and Xamarin projects
Understanding .NET Core
Understanding .NET Standard
Understanding .NET Native
Comparing .NET technologies
Writing and compiling code using the .NET Core CLI tool
Writing code using a simple text editor
If you are using Windows Notepad
If you are using macOS TextEdit
Creating and compiling apps using the .NET Core CLI tool
Creating a console application at Command Prompt
Restoring packages, compiling code, and running the application
Fixing compiler errors
Understanding intermediate language
Writing and compiling code using Visual Studio 2017
Writing code using Microsoft Visual Studio 2017
Compiling code using Visual Studio 2017
Fixing mistakes with the error list
Adding existing projects to Visual Studio 2017
Autoformatting code
Experimenting with C# Interactive
Other useful windows
Writing and compiling code using Visual Studio Code
Writing code using Visual Studio Code
Compiling code using Visual Studio Code
Autoformatting code
Writing and compiling code using Visual Studio for Mac
Next steps
Managing source code with GitHub
Using Git with Visual Studio 2017
Using the Team Explorer window
Cloning a GitHub repository
Managing a GitHub repository
Using Git with Visual Studio Code
Configuring Git at the command line
Managing Git with Visual Studio Code
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 1.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 1.2 – Practice C# anywhere
Exercise 1.3 – Explore topics
Summary
Part 1: C# 7.1
Chapter 2: Speaking C#
Understanding C# basics
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code on macOS, Linux, or Windows
C# grammar
Statements
Comments
Blocks
C# vocabulary
Help for writing correct code
Verbs are methods
Nouns are types, fields, and variables
Revealing the extent of the C# vocabulary
Building and running with Visual Studio 2017
Building and running with Visual Studio Code
Adding more types with Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Declaring variables
Naming variables
Literal values
Storing text
Storing numbers
Storing whole numbers
C# 7 improvements
Storing real numbers
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Writing code to explore numbers
Comparing double and decimal types
Storing Booleans
The object type
The dynamic type
Local variables
Specifying the type of a local variable
Inferring the type of a local variable
Making a value type nullable
Understanding nullable reference types
The billion-dollar mistake
Changing the defaults for nullable types in C# 8.0
Checking for null
Storing multiple values in an array
Exploring console applications further
Displaying output to the user
Getting input from the user
Importing a namespace
Simplifying the usage of the console
Reading arguments and working with arrays
Passing arguments with Visual Studio 2017
Passing arguments with Visual Studio Code
Viewing the output
Enumerating arguments
Running on Windows
Running on macOS
Handling platforms that do not support an API
Operating on variables
Experimenting with unary operators
Experimenting with arithmetic operators
Comparison and Boolean operators
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 2.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 2.2 – Practice number sizes and ranges
Exercise 2.3 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 3: Controlling the Flow and Converting Types
Selection statements
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code on macOS, Linux, or Windows
The if statement
The code
Pattern matching with the if statement
The switch statement
The code
Pattern matching with the switch statement
Iteration statements
The while statement
The do statement
The for statement
The foreach statement
Casting and converting between types
Casting from numbers to numbers
Casting numbers implicitly
Casting numbers explicitly
Using the convert type
Rounding numbers
Converting from any type to a string
Converting from a binary object to a string
Parsing from strings to numbers or dates and times
Handling exceptions when converting types
The try statement
Catching all exceptions
Catching specific exceptions
Checking for overflow
The checked statement
The unchecked statement
Looking for help
Microsoft Docs and MSDN
Go to definition
Stack Overflow
Google
Subscribing to blogs
Design patterns
Singleton pattern
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 3.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 3.2 – Explore loops and overflow
Exercise 3.3 – Practice loops and operators
Exercise 3.4 – Practice exception handling
Exercise 3.5 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 4: Writing, Debugging, and Testing Functions
Writing functions
Writing a times table function
Writing a function that returns a value
Writing mathematical functions
Formatting numbers for output
Calculating factorials with recursion
Debugging an application during development
Creating an application with a deliberate bug
Setting a breakpoint
The debugging toolbar
Debugging windows
Stepping through code
Customizing breakpoints
Logging during development and runtime
Instrumenting with Debug and Trace
Writing to the default trace listener
Configuring trace listeners
Switching trace levels
Unit testing functions
Creating a class library that needs testing with Visual Studio 2017
Creating a unit test project with Visual Studio 2017
Creating a class library that needs testing with Visual Studio Code
Writing unit tests
Running unit tests with Visual Studio 2017
Running unit tests with Visual Studio Code
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 4.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 4.2 – Practice writing functions with debugging and unit testing
Exercise 4.3 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 5: Building Your Own Types with Object-Oriented Programming
Talking about OOP
Building class libraries
Creating a class library with Visual Studio 2017
Creating a class library with Visual Studio Code
Defining a class
Instantiating a class
Referencing an assembly using Visual Studio 2017
Referencing an assembly using Visual Studio Code
Importing a namespace
Managing multiple projects with Visual Studio Code
Inheriting from System.Object
Storing data with fields
Defining fields
Understanding access modifiers
Storing a value using the enum keyword
Storing multiple values using collections
Making a field static
Making a field constant
Making a field read-only
Initializing fields with constructors
Setting fields with default literal
Writing and calling methods
Combining multiple values with tuples
Defining methods with tuples
Naming the fields of a tuple
Inferring tuple names
Deconstructing tuples
Defining and passing parameters to methods
Overloading methods
Optional parameters and named arguments
Controlling how parameters are passed
Splitting classes using partial
Controlling access with properties and indexers
Defining read-only properties
Defining settable properties
Defining indexers
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 5.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 5.2 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 6: Implementing Interfaces and Inheriting Classes
Setting up a class library and console application
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Defining the classes
Simplifying methods with operators
Implementing some functionality with a method
Implementing some functionality with an operator
Defining local functions
Raising and handling events
Calling methods using delegates
Defining events
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 or Visual Studio Code
Implementing interfaces
Common interfaces
Comparing objects when sorting
Attempting to sort objects without a method to compare
Defining a method to compare
Defining a separate comparer
Making types more reusable with generics
Making a generic type
Making a generic method
Managing memory with reference and value types
Defining a struct type
Releasing unmanaged resources
Ensuring that dispose is called
Inheriting from classes
Extending classes
Hiding members
Overriding members
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio 2017 or Visual Studio Code
Preventing inheritance and overriding
Polymorphism
Casting within inheritance hierarchies
Implicit casting
Explicit casting
Handling casting exceptions
Inheriting and extending .NET types
Inheriting from an exception
Extending types when you can't inherit
Using static methods to reuse functionality
Using extension methods to reuse functionality
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 6.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 6.2 – Practice creating an inheritance hierarchy
Exercise 6.3 – Explore topics
Summary
Part 2: .NET Core 2.0 and .NET Standard 2.0
Chapter 7: Understanding and Packaging .NET Standard Types
Understanding assemblies and namespaces
Base Class Libraries and CoreFX
Assemblies, NuGet packages, and platforms
Namespaces
Understanding dependent assemblies
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Relating assemblies and namespaces
Browsing assemblies with Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio 2017 or Visual Studio Code
Importing a namespace
Relating C# keywords to .NET types
Sharing code cross-platform with .NET Standard 2.0 class libraries
Creating a .NET Standard 2.0 class library
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Understanding NuGet packages
Understanding metapackages
Understanding frameworks
Fixing dependencies
Publishing your applications for deployment
Creating a console application to publish
Publishing with Visual Studio 2017 on Windows
Publishing with Visual Studio Code on macOS
Packaging your libraries for NuGet distribution
Understanding dotnet commands
Adding a package reference
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017
Packaging a library for NuGet
Testing your package
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Porting from .NET Framework to .NET Core
Could you port?
Should you port?
Differences between .NET Framework and .NET Core
Understanding the .NET Portability Analyzer
Using non-.NET Standard libraries
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 7.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 7.2 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 8: Using Common .NET Standard Types
Working with numbers
Working with big integers
Working with complex numbers
Working with text
Getting the length of a string
Getting the characters of a string
Splitting a string
Getting part of a string
Checking a string for content
Other string members
Building strings efficiently
Pattern matching with regular expressions
The syntax of a regular expression
Examples of regular expressions
Working with collections
Common features of all collections
Understanding collections
Lists
Dictionaries
Stacks
Queues
Sets
Working with lists
Working with dictionaries
Sorting collections
Using specialized collections
Using immutable collections
Working with network resources
Working with URIs, DNS, and IP addresses
Pinging a server
Working with types and attributes
Versioning of assemblies
Reading assembly metadata
Creating custom attributes
Doing more with reflection
Internationalizing your code
Globalizing an application
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 8.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 8.2 – Practice regular expressions
Exercise 8.3 – Practice writing extension methods
Exercise 8.4 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 9: Working with Files, Streams, and Serialization
Managing the filesystem
Handling cross-platform environments and filesystems
Using Windows 10
Using macOS
Managing drives
Managing directories
Managing files
Managing paths
Getting file information
Controlling files
Reading and writing with streams
Writing to text and XML streams
Writing to text streams
Writing to XML streams
Disposing of file resources
Implementing disposal with try statement
Simplifying disposal with the using statement
Compressing streams
Encoding text
Encoding strings as byte arrays
Encoding and decoding text in files
Serializing object graphs
Serializing with XML
Deserializing with XML
Customizing the XML
Serializing with JSON
Serializing with other formats
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 9.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 9.2 – Practice serializing as XML
Exercise 9.3 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 10: Protecting Your Data and Applications
Understanding the vocabulary of protection
Keys and key sizes
IVs and block sizes
Salts
Generating keys and IVs
Encrypting and decrypting data
Encrypting symmetrically with AES
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Creating the Protector class
Hashing data
Hashing with the commonly used SHA256
Signing data
Signing with SHA256 and RSA
Testing the signing and validating
Generating random numbers
Generating random numbers for games
Generating random numbers for cryptography
Testing the random key or IV generation
Authenticating and authorizing users
Implementing authentication and authorization
Testing authentication and authorization
Protecting application functionality
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 10.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 10.2 – Practice protecting data with encryption and hashing
Exercise 10.3 – Practice protecting data with decryption
Exercise 10.4 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 11: Working with Databases Using Entity Framework Core
Understanding modern databases
Using a sample relational database
Using Microsoft SQL Server
Connecting to SQL Server
Creating the Northwind sample database for SQL Server
Managing the Northwind sample database with Server Explorer
Using SQLite
Creating the Northwind sample database for SQLite
Managing the Northwind sample database with SQLiteStudio
Setting up Entity Framework Core
Choosing an EF Core data provider
Connecting to the database
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Defining Entity Framework Core models
EF Core conventions
EF Core annotation attributes
EF Core Fluent API
Building an EF Core model
Defining the Category entity class
Defining the Product entity class
Defining the Northwind database context class
Querying an EF Core model
Logging EF Core
Pattern matching with Like
Defining global filters
Loading patterns with EF Core
Eager and lazy loading entities
Explicit loading entities
Manipulating data with EF Core
Inserting entities
Updating entities
Deleting entities
Pooling database contexts
Transactions
Defining an explicit transaction
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 11.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 11.2 – Practice exporting data using different serialization formats
Exercise 11.3 – Explore the EF Core documentation
Summary
Chapter 12: Querying and Manipulating Data Using LINQ
Writing LINQ queries
Extending sequences with the enumerable class
Filtering entities with Where
Targeting a named method
Simplifying the code by removing the explicit delegate instantiation
Targeting a lambda expression
Sorting entities
Sorting by a single property using OrderBy
Sorting by a subsequent property using ThenBy
Filtering by type
Working with sets
Using LINQ with EF Core
Projecting entities with Select
Building an EF Core model
Joining and grouping
Aggregating sequences
Sweetening the syntax with syntactic sugar
Using multiple threads with parallel LINQ
Creating your own LINQ extension methods
Working with LINQ to XML
Generating XML using LINQ to XML
Reading XML using LINQ to XML
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 12.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 12.2 – Practice querying with LINQ
Exercise 12.3 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 13: Improving Performance and Scalability Using Multitasking
Monitoring performance and resource usage
Evaluating the efficiency of types
Monitoring performance and memory use
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Creating the Recorder class
Measuring the efficiency of processing strings
Understanding processes, threads, and tasks
Running tasks asynchronously
Running multiple actions synchronously
Running multiple actions asynchronously using tasks
Waiting for tasks
Continuing with another task
Nested and child tasks
Synchronizing access to shared resources
Accessing a resource from multiple threads
Applying a mutually exclusive lock to a resource
Understanding the lock statement
Making operations atomic
Applying other types of synchronization
Understanding async and await
Improving responsiveness for console apps
Improving responsiveness for GUI apps
Improving scalability for web applications and web services
Common types that support multitasking
await in catch blocks
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 13.1 – Test your knowledge
Exercise 13.2 – Explore topics
Summary
Part 3: App Models
Chapter 14: Building Web Sites Using ASP.NET Core Razor Pages
Understanding web development
Understanding HTTP
Client-side web development
Understanding ASP.NET Core
Classic ASP.NET versus modern ASP.NET Core
Creating an ASP.NET Core project with Visual Studio 2017
Creating an ASP.NET Core project with Visual Studio Code
Reviewing the ASP.NET Core Empty project template
Testing the empty website
Enabling static files
Enabling default files
Exploring Razor Pages
Enabling Razor Pages
Defining a Razor Page
Using shared layouts with Razor Pages
Setting a shared layout
Defining a shared layout
Using code-behind files with Razor Pages
Using Entity Framework Core with ASP.NET Core
Creating Entity models for Northwind
Creating a class library for the Northwind entity classes
Defining the entity classes
Creating a class library for Northwind database context
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Defining the database context class
Creating the Northwind database in the website
Configure Entity Framework Core as a service
Manipulating data
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 14.1 – Practice building a data-driven website
Exercise 14.2 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 15: Building Web Sites Using ASP.NET Core MVC
Setting up an ASP.NET Core MVC website
Creating an ASP.NET Core MVC website
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Reviewing the ASP.NET Core MVC project template
Performing database migrations
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Testing the ASP.NET MVC website
Reviewing authentication with ASP.NET Identity
Understanding an ASP.NET Core MVC website
ASP.NET Core startup
Understanding the default route
Understanding ASP.NET Core MVC controllers
Understanding ASP.NET Core MVC models
Configuring an EF Core entity data model
Creating view models for requests
Fetch the model in the controller
Understanding ASP.NET Core MVC views
Rendering the Home controller's views
Sharing layouts between views
Defining custom styles
Defining a typed view
Passing parameters using a route value
Passing parameters using a query string
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 15.1 – Practice improving scalability by understanding and implementing async action methods
Exercise 15.2 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 16: Building Web Services and Applications Using ASP.NET Core
Building web services using ASP.NET Core Web API
Understanding ASP.NET Core controllers
Creating an ASP.NET Core Web API project
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Creating a web service for the Northwind database
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Creating data repositories for entities
Configuring and registering the customers repository
Creating the Web API controller
Documenting and testing web services using Swagger
Testing GET requests with any browser
Testing POST, PUT, and DELETE requests with Swagger
Installing a Swagger package
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Testing GET requests with Swagger UI
Testing POST requests with Swagger UI
Building SPAs using Angular
Understanding the Angular project template
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Calling NorthwindService
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Modifying the home component to call NorthwindService
Testing the Angular component calling the service
Using Visual Studio 2017
Using Visual Studio Code
Using Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code
Using other project templates
Installing additional template packs
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 16.1 – Practice with React and Redux
Exercise 16.2 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 17: Building Windows Apps Using XAML and Fluent Design
Understanding the modern Windows platform
Understanding Universal Windows Platform
Understanding Fluent Design System
Filling user interface elements with acrylic brushes
Connecting user interface elements with animations
Parallax views and Reveal lighting
Understanding XAML Standard 1.0
Simplifying code using XAML
Choosing common controls
Creating a modern Windows app
Enabling developer mode
Creating a UWP project
Exploring common controls and acrylic brushes
Exploring Reveal
Installing more controls
Using resources and templates
Sharing resources
Replacing a control template
Data binding
Binding to elements
Binding to data sources
Modifying the NorthwindService
Creating the Northwind app
Building apps using Windows Template Studio
Installing Windows Template Studio
Selecting project types, frameworks, pages, and features
Retargeting the project
Customizing some views
Testing the app's functionality
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 17.1 – Explore topics
Summary
Chapter 18: Building Mobile Apps Using XAML and Xamarin.Forms
Understanding Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms
How Xamarin.Forms extends Xamarin
Mobile first, cloud first
Building mobile apps using Xamarin.Forms
Adding Android SDKs
Creating a Xamarin.Forms solution
Creating a model
Creating an interface for dialing phone numbers
Implement the phone dialer for iOS
Implement the phone dialer for Android
Creating views for the customers list and customer details
Creating the view for the list of customers
Creating the view for the customer details
Testing the mobile app with iOS
Adding NuGet packages for calling a REST service
Getting customers from the service
Practicing and exploring
Exercise 18.1 - Explore topics
Summary
Summary
Good luck!
Appendix: Answers to the Test Your Knowledge Questions
Chapter 1 – Hello, C#! Welcome, .NET Core!
Chapter 2 – Speaking C#
Chapter 3 – Controlling the Flow and Converting Types
Chapter 4 – Writing, Debugging, and Testing Functions
Chapter 5 – Building Your Own Types with Object-Oriented Programming
Chapter 6 – Implementing Interfaces and Inheriting Classes
Chapter 7 – Understanding and Packaging .NET Standard Types
Chapter 8 – Using Common .NET Standard Types
Chapter 9 – Working with Files, Streams, and Serialization
Chapter 10 – Protecting Your Data and Applications
Chapter 11 – Working with Databases Using Entity Framework Core
Chapter 12 – Querying and Manipulating Data Using LINQ
Chapter 13 – Improving Performance and Scalability Using Multitasking
Index