Part 1. Preparing for the Journey

Every reader will come to this book with a different set of expectations and a different level of experience. Are you an expert looking to fill some holes, however small, in your present knowledge? Perhaps you consider yourself an average developer, with a bit of experience in using generics and lambda expressions, but a desire to know how they work better. Maybe you’re reasonably confident with C# 2 and 3 but have no C# 4 experience.

As an author, I can’t make every reader the same—and I wouldn’t want to even if I could. But I hope that all readers have two things in common: the desire for a deeper relationship with C# as a language, and at least a basic knowledge of C# 1. If you can bring those elements to the party, I’ll provide the rest.

The potentially huge range of skill levels is the main reason why this part of the book exists. You may already know what to expect from later versions of C#—or it could all be brand new to you. You could have a rock-solid understanding of C# 1, or you might be rusty on some of the details—some of which will become increasingly important as you learn C# 2, 3, and 4. By the end of part 1, I won’t have leveled the playing field entirely, but you should be able to approach the rest of the book with confidence and an idea of what’s coming later.