Sebastopol, CA--With its ability to simplify and add flexibility to complex enterprise applications using reusable code, it's no wonder that component-oriented programming has established itself as the predominant software development methodology over the last decade. There are a number of tolerable and even outstanding component technologies to choose from, such as CORBA and JavaBeans. Why then do many specialists contend that the latest entrant to the field, the .NET Framework, is the easiest to use?
".NET is the result of much soul-searching by Microsoft, and in my view it improves on the deficiencies of previous technologies, especially COM," explains Juval Lowy, a .NET expert and noted authority on component-oriented programming, as well as the author of Programming .NET Components, Second Edition (O'Reilly, US $44.95). "These improvements are of little surprise, because .NET architects were able to learn from both the mistakes and successes of previous technologies."
With Microsoft set to release .NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005 later this year, Lowy has revised his best-selling introduction to .NET to cover the addition of generics, iterators, anonymous methods, and other customer-focused changes to the framework. "Some of the recommendations and practices I introduced in the first edition of this book are now part of .NET 2.0," Lowy says. "I have had two more years of ideas, techniques, and breakthroughs to share, and .NET 2.0 and C# 2.0 offer new opportunities."
Packed with helpful code examples, tips, warnings, design guidelines, and original utilities from Lowy, the new edition of Programming .NET Components not only teaches the skills developers need to design and develop component-based .NET applications, but also explains the rationale behind them.
"I've been fortunate in my career to have lived through most generations of Microsoft component technologies," Lowy explains. "My understanding of component-oriented programming has evolved and grown over that time, just as the component-based technologies themselves have done. I believe I have identified some core principles of component-oriented design that transcend any technologies available today and that result in components that are easier to reuse, extend and maintain over the long term."
In his new edition, Lowy begins with a look at the fundamentals of component-oriented programming, and introduces a variety of .NET essentials, as well as .NET development techniques. Separate chapters are devoted to each critical development feature, including asynchronous calls, serialization, remoting, security, and more.
Since the .NET platform provides several specialized frameworks, including Windows Forms for rich Windows clients, ADO.NET for data access, ASP.NET for web applications, and web services for exposing and consuming remote services that use SOAP and other XML-based protocols, Lowy's book appeals to the full spectrum of Windows developers, including those who have yet to migrate to .NET.
"For those committed to component-based development, and those wondering if they should be, this book not only teaches them about .NET component programming and the related system issues, but also about relevant design options, best practices, and pitfalls," Lowy points out. "Anyone who develops complex or enterprise-grade applications with the .NET platform will discover the benefits of component-oriented programming by reading this book."
In fact, with Programming .NET Components, experienced programmers who are comfortable with object-oriented development concepts will be able to start developing .NET components immediately, taking full advantage of .NET development infrastructure and application frameworks. "If you are a developer, architect, or a technical lead targeting .NET 2.0," Lowy says, "you have to have this book to come to terms with what .NET 2.0 has to offer, how to best use it, and understand the rational and the motivation behind the new features."
Praise for the previous edition:
"[This is] one outstanding book on practical .NET development. The chapter on Events is worth the price of admission alone. The chapter on Versioning is excellent as well, but the rest of the sections are every bit as good... Summary: if you are into creating top-quality .NET software you should own this book."
--Christopher Brandsma, Boise Software Developers Group"I have purchased literally hundreds, and I mean hundreds of technology books over the last 20 years, and this may be the best. This work addresses not only how one builds software, but why, and provides clear insight into the design goals of component technology from early Windows dll(s), to the current Microsoft .Net Framework. This is the 'Rosetta Stone' of Microsoft .Net."
--Randall S. Young, Amazon.com Customer Reviews
Further reviews of Programming .NET Components
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Programming .NET Components, Second Edition
Juval Lowy
ISBN: 0-596-10207-0, 624 pages, $44.95 US, $62.95 CA
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