C# Programming Level 1: Intro for Non-Programmers

This is an introductory programming course provides a strong foundation that would allow students to further their skills with additional education. This course describes how to use the Visual Studio environment, and how to write good syntax in code constructs within that environment. In addition, important object-oriented concepts will be introduced. The course will conclude by incorporating database connectivity into .NET applications.

Audience Profile

This course is intended for both novice programmers and more experience programmers looking to get familiar with C# and object-oriented principles.

At Course Completion

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Comfortably navigate the Visual Studio environment
• Visually design, code, and test a Windows Forms Application
• Understand data types and choose when different types are appropriate
• Use code structures such as conditional statements and loops
• Create methods and handle events
• Utilize Arrays and Collections
• Respond to runtime errors and validate user data
• Create and use classes
• Utilize inheritance
• Understand the basics of database connectivity
• Use ADO.NET to write custom data access code (If Time Permits)

Prerequisites

Before attending this course, it is recommended that students:

• Have comfort in navigating around a Windows computer system
• Prior programming experience is not required, but helps provide some perspective

If you have prior programming experience, you should consider our regular Introduction to C# course. For details on this alternative faster paced course for programmers course, go to

C# Programming Level 1: Introduction for Programmers

Course Outline

(Note: the course material contains much more information that can serve as a useful reference to the learner going forward. This is why the chapter numbers listed are not in perfect numeric order)

Section 1: Introduction to Visual Studio

How to get started with Visual Studio

• Introduction to the .NET Framework
• A tour of the Visual Studio IDE
• How to test a project

How to design a Windows Forms Application

• Visual Studio Options and Settings
• Creating new projects

How to code and test a Windows Forms Application

• Introduction to object-oriented programming
• Properties, methods, and events
• How an application responds to events
• Coding a form
• How to run, test, and debug a project

Section 2: The C# language essentials

How to Work with Numeric and String Data

• Built-in value types
• Declaring and initializing variables and constants
• Arithmetic expressions
• Assignment statements
• Casting
• Using the Math class

How to code control structures

• Boolean expressions
• Conditional statements
• Loops

How to code methods and event handlers

• Coding and calling methods
• Parameterizing methods
• Refactoring code into a method
• Passing arguments by value and by reference to a method

How to handle exceptions and validate data

• How exceptions work
• Using Structured exception handling
• Validating data

How to use Arrays and Collections

• One-dimensional arrays
• Multi-dimensional arrays
• Jagged arrays
• Collections

Section 3: Object-Oriented Programming

How to create and use classes

• Introduction to classes
• Adding classes to a project
• Adding class members
• Fields
• Properties
• Methods
• Constructors
• Static Members
• Diagraming classes
• Structures

How to work with Inheritance

• How inheritance works
• Creating base and derived (sub) classes
• Polymorphism

Section 4: Database Programming

An introduction to database programming

• Components of a client/server system
• Introduction to relational databases
• Using SQL
• Introduction to ADO.NET

How to use ADO.NET to write your own data access code (If Time Permits)

• Connections and Commands
• Paramaterized SQL Statements
• Executing Commands