The C# Type System

by Steve Love

September 2023, 344 pp.

ISBN-13:

9781718501584

Download Chapter 2: VALUE AND REFERENCE TYPES

Look Inside!

The type system is the foundation upon which all C# programs are built. The C# Type System will show you how to define and implement value types effectively, and write more performant and robust code. Real-world code examples and test cases throughout will elevate your programming with C# and show you how best to implement the principles you’re learning.

Among the core aspects of working with the type system, you’ll learn:

How user-defined value types, and even simple types, can enhance your code’s readability
How reference and value types differ within C#
How method parameters and arguments relate to reference and value types
How differences in copy semantics between value and reference types affect a program’s behavior
How the different methods of value comparisons for equality work behind the scenes
The unique characteristics and roles of various types in an application, especially how value types go beyond mere data storage
Why inheritance isn’t optimal for value types
How to measure and evaluate the performance of an app’s use of different data types

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned programmer, you’ll find The C# Type System indispensable in your efforts to turn good code into great.

Author Bio

Steve Love has been a professional C# developer for nearly 20 years, and has trained many other C# developers of varying levels of expertise. He writes for the ACCU magazines C Vu and Overload, and is a frequent speaker at conferences. This is the book he wishes he’d had early in his career.

Table of contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: Making the Most of the Type System
Chapter 2: Value and Reference Types
Chapter 3: Reference and Value Parameters
Chapter 4: Implicit and Explicit Copying
Chapter 5: Types of Equality
Chapter 6: The Nature of Values
Chapter 7: Value Types and Polymorphism
Chapter 8: Performance and Efficiency
Afterword
Appendix: Further Reading
Index

View the Copyright page
View the detailed Table of Contents
View the Index

Reviews

"A detailed analysis of low-level aspects of C# and .NET memory management and performance."
—Jon Skeet, Senior Staff Engineer at Google and Convenor of the ECMA Technical Group for C# Standardization

"Exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, The C# Type System is the ideal DIY instruction manual that is unreservedly recommended for novice users and seasoned programmers alike."
—Midwest Book Review