Design Patterns in C#

I really liked this book. My background was in VB6 and classic ASP, until just over two years ago. I was introduced to C# and I've never looked back. Reading about C# best practices led me into design patterns and that naturally led me to this book. It was the first book I've read on patterns (aside from a few articles online.) Concise - Metsker doesn't waste my time with unnecessary text (such as lame jokes or repetitive text). If I don't get something the first time, I go back and read it over. Readable - The information in the book is dense, and there are certainly sections that may be confusing initially. However the book thoughtfully organized, the spacing and layout are comfortable, the author's voice reminiscent of a friendly college professor Specific - His implementation of patterns take advantage of C# specific features. This is important, and I would not have recognized this without the input of C++ developer. In addition, this book helped to clarify a number of Object Oriented and Component Oriented concepts (such as delegates, interfaces, and iterators). Likewise, it shed light on the .NET FCL (streams and enumerators) Regarding the exercises in the book; I was irritated with them at first, however I found that they were really useful for making the concepts stick once I quit being lazy. On the flipside, the book is quite useable even if you skip over them. The only real negative is the metaphor of the fireworks company. It's not intuitive and it takes a while to sink in.

Let's get real. When talking about C# and Design Patterns, there are so many people with different levels and areas of experties. Some knows VB.NET well and nothing about C# and Design Patterns, some knows Java and Design Patterns well but nothing about C#, some knows nothing well, ... So, who will benefit from this book most? For people knows about Design Patterns but not C# and .NET, you will learn how C# implements design patterns. For people knows .NET but not Design Patterns, you will find this book more approachable than GoF. You can use this book as a supplement or introductory book for GoF's discussion. For people knows nothing about .NEt and Design Patterns, this is probably not the book you should pick. Learn some .NET and OO stuff. For me, I did some Java and design patterns in the paste. After reading this book, I have a deeper understanding of Design patterns, while I gain more knowledge of C#. So, if you think you need to know more about design patterns, I would recommend this book without reservation.

Fine book for the experienced C# developer wanting to enhance their understanding of design patterns ala Java. (I've picked up many "new" ideas!) But this slant is not without its pitfalls. For example, the recommendation for implementing a singleton may be a best practice in Java, but its a big no-no in .NET.

I've read several books on design patterns (including the classic "Gang of Four" work) and this is by far the best I've seen. What is unique about this book is its concise focus on the practical application of each of the 23 classic design patterns. The examples are short and can be written and tested quickly, yet cover real world programming issues that are encountered every day. "Challenges" (with solutions) are interspersed throughout the text to reinforce the concepts and help you bridge the gap between the specific example and a more general understanding.If you've been fascinated with the elegance and power of design patterns, yet sometimes struggle with exactly how and where to apply them, then the "light" will go on after reading this book.Get this book first, then grab the classic "Gang of Four" work. You'll find your understanding of both books and design patterns in general greatly enhanced.

This book will serve you well whether you knowPatterns and are trying to learn C# or know C# and are trying tounderstand Patterns better. It is not a replacement for the DesignPatterns Book or a good C+ reference, but it is an excellent companion for both.