If we were to describe the C# language and its associated environment, the .NET framework, as the most important new technology for developers for many years, we wouldn\'t be exaggerating. .NET is designed to provide a new environment within which you can develop almost any application to run on Windows, while C# is a new programming language that has been designed specifically to work with .NET. Using C#, you can write, for example, a dynamic web page, a component of a distributed application, a database access component, or a classic Windows desktop application. Between them C# and .NET are set to revolutionize the way that you write programs and to make programming on Windows very much easier than it has ever been. In this book, we introduce all the key concepts of the C# language and the .NET Framework. As well as full coverage of C# syntax, there are examples of building all types of applications using C# - Windows applications and Windows services, web applications and web services with ASP.NET, and Windows and web controls. There is also full discussion of the most common .NET class libraries, such as data access using ADO.NET, and accessing Active Directory using the DirectoryServices classes. Who is this book for? This book is aimed at experienced developers - probably from a VB, C++, or Java background - but no previous experience of C# or .NET programming is assumed. This book will provide the ideal introduction to writing C# programs on the .NET Framework, for developers working at the leading edge.