Introducing .NET 4.5

Introducing .NET 4.5

by Alex Mackey, William Tulloch, Mahesh Krishnan
Released September 2012
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430243328

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Book description

Microsoft has introduced a large number of changes to the way that the .NET Framework operates. Familiar technologies have being altered, best practices replaced, and developer methodologies adjusted. Many developers find it hard to keep up with the pace of change across .NET's ever-widening array of technologies. The introduction of Windows 8 and its new style of applications only compounds the problem.

You may know what's happening in C#, but what about the latest innovations in the cloud? How is that going to affect your work? What possibilities do the new async capabilities bring? What you need is a roadmap. A guide to help you see the innovations that matter and to give you a head start on the opportunities available in the new framework.

Introducing .NET 4.5 is designed to provide you with just that roadmap. It serves as a no-nonsense primer that will help experienced .NET developers understand the impact of the new framework and the technologies that co-exist with it. This book will keep you updated on the changes and help you to seize new opportunities confidently and quickly.

What you'll learn

  • Get an overview and brief history of each new or changing technology that puts it into context

  • Understand how .NET and Windows 8 fit together

  • Familiarize yourself with key concepts and opportunities through highly accessible tutorials

  • Understand how to perform common tasks in new technology areas such as async

  • Gain expert performance tips

  • See examples of real-world applications of each technology to help you learn how a technology can be put to work

    • Who this book is for

    The book is aimed at existing .NET developers who will be trying to come to grips with .NET 4.5 and Windows 8, which will be changing the way they need to think about creating applications.

    Table of contents

    1. Title
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents at a Glance
    4. Contents
    5. About the Authors
    6. About the Technical Reviewer
    7. Acknowledgments
    8. Introduction
    9. Chapter 1: Introduction
      1. Aims
      2. Changes
      3. Work in Progress!
      4. What We Will Cover
      5. What We Won’t Cover
      6. Downloadable Examples
      7. .NET 4.5 Themes
      8. Visual Studio 2012 Editions
      9. What Others Think of Visual Studio 2012 /.NET 4.5
    10. Chapter 2: IDE Improvements
      1. Compatibility with VS2010 SP1 Projects
      2. Toolbar Changes
      3. Quick Launch Box
      4. Search Improvements
      5. Solution Explorer Enhancements
      6. Hubs and Pivots
      7. Improved Multi Monitor Support
      8. Tabs and Preview Mode
      9. Add References
      10. Web IDE Improvements
      11. SQL Server Object Window
      12. Support for Different Test Frameworks
      13. ASP.NET Web Forms
      14. Better Support for Emerging Technologies
      15. JavaScript Improvements
      16. Miscellaneous Changes
      17. Fakes Framework
      18. Conclusion
    11. Chapter 3: The BCL and the CLR
      1. Changes and Improvements in the BCL
      2. New Features in the Task Parallel Library
      3. Portable Class Library
      4. And Then There Is the CLR Core
      5. Conclusion
    12. Chapter 4: MEF 2 in 4.5
      1. What Is MEF?
      2. What Is New in .NET 4.5
      3. The Microsoft.Composition Package
      4. Conclusion
    13. Chapter 5: Language
      1. What Does It Mean to Do Something Asynchronously?
      2. Async and Await
      3. Caller Information
      4. VB.NET
      5. Real-World Async
      6. Conclusion
    14. Chapter 6: ASP.NET 4.5
      1. Strongly Typed Data Controls and Model Binding
      2. Value Providers
      3. HTML5 Changes
      4. Bundling and Minification
      5. Validation and XSS Changes
      6. Async
      7. WebSockets
      8. Performance Improvements
      9. Miscellaneous Changes
      10. Conclusion
    15. Chapter 7: ASP.NET MVC 4
      1. Upgrading to MVC 4
      2. Razor Enhancements
      3. New Default Project Templates
      4. Improved Support for Mobile Development
      5. Async Controller Actions
      6. EF Database Migration Support
      7. Azure Support
      8. Miscellaneous Enhancements
      9. Future Enhancements
      10. Single Page Applications and Recipes
      11. Conclusion
    16. Chapter 8: Windows Communication Foundation and Web API
      1. Support for Async Calls
      2. Configuration Improvements
      3. Tooltips, IntelliSense, and Validation Improvements
      4. Universal Datagram Protocol Support
      5. BasicHttpsBinding
      6. Compression
      7. WCF ASP.NET Web API
      8. WebSockets
      9. Conclusion
    17. Chapter 9: Working with Data
      1. LocalDb
      2. SqlClient Data Provider
      3. Entity Framework
      4. Conclusion
    18. Chapter 10: Windows Azure
      1. The Cloud
      2. The Windows Azure Platform
      3. Getting Started with Azure
      4. Web Sites
      5. Cloud Services
      6. Data Management Using Tables and Blobs
      7. SQL Database
      8. Conclusion
    19. Chapter 11: Windows Workflow Foundation
      1. New Designer Features and Changes
      2. Activities
      3. New Workflow Development Models
      4. Workflow Versioning
      5. Conclusion
    20. Chapter 12: WPF
      1. Ribbon Control
      2. Synchronously and Asynchronously Validating Data
      3. Databinding Changes
      4. New Features for the VirtualizingPanel
      5. Accessing Collections on Non-UI Threads
      6. Binding to Types That Implement ICustomTypeProvider
      7. Repositioning Data as the Data's Values Change (Live Shaping)
      8. New Methods for the Dispatcher Class
      9. Event-related Changes
      10. Summary
    21. Chapter 13: Silverlight 5
      1. A Brief History of Silverlight
      2. Improvements to Text
      3. Changes to Other Controls
      4. Improvements to XAML
      5. Changes to Graphics
      6. Changes to Trusted Applications
      7. Performance Improvements
      8. Conclusion
    22. Chapter 14: Windows 8 Applications
      1. Windows 8 Apps
      2. Classic Apps
      3. Windows 8 Apps—Fundamentals
      4. Creating Your First Windows 8 Store App
      5. Conclusion
    23. Appendix A: NuGet Introduction
      1. NuGet Package Manager
      2. NuGet Command Line
      3. Creating Your Own Packages
    24. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Introducing .NET 4.5
    • Author(s): Alex Mackey, William Tulloch, Mahesh Krishnan
    • Release date: September 2012
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430243328