C# Reference
Visual Studio 2008
This section provides reference material about C# keywords, operators, compiler errors, and warnings.
Format of this presentation leaves something to be desired
Given that Microsoft seems to want the coding community to abandon C/C++ in favor of C#, evidence the fact that as time goes by there are fewer and fewer current, reliable C/C++ examples offered whilst C# examples abound. It would seem it would be to Microsoft's advantage to have more people become familiar with and learn C#, specifically as it pertains to Visual Studio and Visual Studio examples.
The current format of 'standalone' web pages with links leading to other 'standalone' pages is not very suitable for structured learning. And learning should always be structured, should it not? In the current presentation, blind alleys and endless loops are common. This is frustrating to the student, and not conducive to engendering in them a desire to 'forge ahead' into the adventure of learning.
I should think that in this case, as in many other cases in MSDN Library tomes, a more linear approach to linking (allowing jumping ahead and back, of course) would be of more benefit to the wouldbe scholar of C#. This is the approach used by most every other online reference on anything, not just programming languages. Whilst the 'free standing' model used by MSDN may be 'elegant' from a web information distribution theory vantage point, it is completely inelegant for practical learning. Add to this that the student is required to remain online whilst ferreting out the meaningful next branch in the learning tree, and you definitely have a system that's doomed to go largely unused and attract very few new users of C#, if any.
Having references, such as the C# Reference, encapsulated rather than cast adrift on the sea of MSDN Library web pages, would go a long way to attracting more individuals (and groups) to make use of them. Additionally, having that encapsulated reference available for download would entice a lot of true 'students', those in school who haven't the income or resources to spend long hours online in study.
I guess it all depends on what, exactly, MSDN wishes to accomplish by providing language references, especially for languages created by, fostered by, encouraged by, and standards for championed by Microsoft.
MM&I
The current format of 'standalone' web pages with links leading to other 'standalone' pages is not very suitable for structured learning. And learning should always be structured, should it not? In the current presentation, blind alleys and endless loops are common. This is frustrating to the student, and not conducive to engendering in them a desire to 'forge ahead' into the adventure of learning.
I should think that in this case, as in many other cases in MSDN Library tomes, a more linear approach to linking (allowing jumping ahead and back, of course) would be of more benefit to the wouldbe scholar of C#. This is the approach used by most every other online reference on anything, not just programming languages. Whilst the 'free standing' model used by MSDN may be 'elegant' from a web information distribution theory vantage point, it is completely inelegant for practical learning. Add to this that the student is required to remain online whilst ferreting out the meaningful next branch in the learning tree, and you definitely have a system that's doomed to go largely unused and attract very few new users of C#, if any.
Having references, such as the C# Reference, encapsulated rather than cast adrift on the sea of MSDN Library web pages, would go a long way to attracting more individuals (and groups) to make use of them. Additionally, having that encapsulated reference available for download would entice a lot of true 'students', those in school who haven't the income or resources to spend long hours online in study.
I guess it all depends on what, exactly, MSDN wishes to accomplish by providing language references, especially for languages created by, fostered by, encouraged by, and standards for championed by Microsoft.
MM&I
- 7/16/2009
- Observations by Queries at ememni.com
- 8/1/2009
- Thomas Lee
