There are a lot of areas to learn in .Net programming. I don’t know any programmer who actually knows all of them, the namespace is just too big and complex. I know programmers who specialize only in one small area of the .Net framework and still tell me they learn new things all the time.
Now imagine the range of questions we get here at VistaDB. How do I attach x to a y using z namespace? Quite often we have no idea. We know how Ado.net works inside and out, we understand a lot of things, but that does not mean we know how to do exactly what you are attempting. And as much as I really enjoy teaching and learning we don’t have the time to go do research for people and give them a one on one training session for their specific need.
I wanted to list a few resources that I find invaluable in my day to day programming, and a few sites for those just getting started or just moving to a new area of .Net.
Just Getting Started, or want to dig deeper?
ASP.Net
For Asp.net developers take a look at the official Microsoft site dedicated to Asp.net. There is a whole section on Asp.net Tutorials that includes excellent video segments, walk throughs, and much more.
Winforms and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
Desktop application typically use Winforms for their user interface, but the newer WPF is catching on with developers. Microsoft has a WindowsClient.net site dedicated to all things Winform. There is again an entire Winform help and tutorials area with videos and walk throughs.
Silverlight
Even though you cannot load VistaDB into a Silverlight client side, you can certainly use VistaDB on the server side and communicate to it using Silverlight (we even have a Todo sample showing how to do that). Microsoft again provides a great Silverlight website with a Learning Silverlight area.
Need more advanced help?
StackOverflow is your friend
Seriously, since StackOverflow was introduced I rarely bother asking questions anywhere else. If I have a programming problem I usually go here first looking for someone else who has already asked the question.
Stackoverflow is unique in that anyone can ask questions, and anyone can respond (you get to give back to others). This is a great practice and I often spend a few hours a week trying to help others (yea, in my copious amounts of free time). You can also vote on questions and responses, so there is a very social aspect to the site as well.
LearnVisualStudio.Net
LearnVisualStudio.Net is a great resource for learning about specific technologies. The format is entirely video based, but includes fantastic in depth tutorials on specific technologies. When I was first learning Visual Studio this was the best site for me. It does cost a small amount per year to maintain your subscription, but I have always found it to be well worth the small investment.
VistaDB Community Forums
Our own VistaDB Community Forums also is a great resource for asking questions of fellow programmers. Many of the development staff also read and respond here regularly. Many of the community have been using VistaDB for several years and are extremely helpful in SQL and programming tips. It is a fantastic resource for everyone who uses VistaDB.
Looking specifically for Windows 7 features?
MSDev.com has a great series of videos and tutorials that help managed programmers take advantage of new features in Windows 7. This is obviously a little more than just getting started with .Net development, but Windows 7 may be a big deal for your application.
ADO.NET Must read book
I do not usually recommend books like this, but the ADO.NET Programming reference written by David Sceppa is an absolute must for anyone who wants to master ADO.NET. The code snippets are great, but the insight on the WHY things work the way they do, and the tips of how things are done in the real world as opposed to trade show floors is priceless.
Shop for the book on Amazon
Just the beginning
This list is literally the tip of the iceberg for learning things in Visual Studio, but hopefully it will help get you started or to continue your learning. Every programmer gets stuck and needs help from time to time. Hopefully these resources will help!
Subscribe