[RESOLVED] Need quick info on .NET classes

[iPrank]

Where can I find quick info on all .NET classes and methods ? Like API Guide in 'grouped' mode.

[crptcblade]

Nothing beats Help, or MSDN.

[iPrank]

I agree. But MSDN is too big.

I've just started learning .NET, I need some quick-info on classes 'cause I feel it very difficult to find/remember the classes and/or methods from MSDN.

I'm using a P3 with only 128 MB RAM. Using VB.NET Express on this system is a nightmare ! So, I'm forced to use SharpDevelop. It's help is not as good as intellisence.

[RobDog888]

I was going to suggest using the Object Browser but your not using the VS IDE. Does SharpDevelop have one?

[iPrank]

No. I haven't seen anything like Object Browser in it.

[RobDog888]

Solution: Buy more RAM. You should have about 1.0 Gig.

[iPrank]

Not a chance within 3 months.

SDRAM costs too much now-a-days. I'm saving for a complete system upgrade (Athlon64, 1GB DDR). Hopefully I'll save enough within March.

Anything else until then ?

[RobDog888]

Looks like MSDN Online is your best option for low resources. Yes, its large but you just need to hone your searching skills. Its worth it.

[wossname]

Joe is right. MSDN is the best resource. You should not be coding on such a crappy little machine anyway. Sell a kidney and get something with a bit of muscle.

[iPrank]

Thanks. It looks like, it is the only choice for me.

The good thing is, I'll get a ADSL line within 2-3 days. Then may be online help woun't be as bad as it is now in my dial-up connection.

[RobDog888]

Dial-up! No wonder! Yes, then it will be no problem once you get DSL.

[iPrank]

Dial-up! No wonder!...

Yes. i have downloaded those videos in this dialup.

[jmcilhinney]

You should use the help/MSDN. If you want the topic for the overview of a class then just search for "classname class" and if you want the topic for the member listing then just search for "classname members". In almost all cases the topic you want will be in the first five returned. Check out the screenshot for an example. "String" is a pretty common programming term and yet the desired topic was returned first in each case. The key to using MSDN is to use intelligent search criteria. Given that you've installed VB 2005 Express, even if you don't use it you can still use the MSDN Express library. It will contain information on .NET 2.0-specific types and members though, which I'm guessing that you can't use with SharpDevelop. All new types and members are so marked though, so they are easily identifiable.

[iPrank]

Thanks ! Nice tip.

Given that you've installed VB 2005 Express, even if you don't use it you can still use the MSDN Express library.
It will contain information on .NET 2.0-specific types and members though, which I'm guessing that you can't use with SharpDevelop. All new types and members are so marked though, so they are easily identifiable.

I have installed SharpDevelop Beta 2.0. I never installed Fx-1.1, but SharpDevelop is working fine. May be this version is for Fx2.0 ?

Or is the Fx2.0 backward compatible ???

[iPrank]

.....search for "classname class" and if you want the topic for the member listing then just search for "classname members".....

In most cases I even don't know class/member names.
I normally search for "How To ...."

[jmcilhinney]

As it clearly states on the download page, SharpDevelop 2 supports Framework versions 1.1 and 2.0, so it will be built on, and requires, version 2.0. As for searching, say you wanted to save a text file and you didn't know about the StreamWriter class then sure you'd have to do a relatively fuzzy search. I'm talking about the zillions of times that people ask questions like how do it do A to control B. The logical first step in this case is to read the help topics for class B and its member listing. That's exactly what I did when learning VB.NET and I got the bulk of the information I needed that way.

[iPrank]

I was going to suggest using the Object Browser but your not using the VS IDE. Does SharpDevelop have one?

No. I haven't seen anything like Object Browser in it.

After using #develop for some days, I didn't find Assembly Scout in #Develop 2.0.
The closest thing I found is the Class Viewer.

also, #develop can be configured to work with MSDN Express/.NET framework help.

#Develop has an builtin C#-VB.NET-Boo converter too.

I've upgraded my RAM to 384MB. #Develop+MSDN is working fine. I'll try C# Express after downloading it.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I had a book that contained information like what you are looking for back in the days of VB5. The book was absolutely ENORMOUS! Well over 1,000 pages, and heavy as a dictionary. I dogeared the heck out of that book at the time. I can't imagine what a similar reference to .NET would look like. I've seen absolutely HUGE books that are complete references to only a couple of the namespaces.

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

More RAM, more speed, communicate faster. It's your only hope.

[iPrank]

Thanks.

At the time of starting the thred I didn't know that #develop can work with .NetFx SDK help. FCL documentation is huge compared to APIguide, but atleast it is organised.

If #develop doesn't find a documentation in local system, it connect to msdn2 site. I now have a 256kbps DSL connection. So speed is no longer a problem.

But, I'm still looking for a very 'compact' reference. If you guys find anything similar, even if after a long time, please let me know.

[eyeRmonkey]

iPrank,

It depends on what exactly you already know when you go searching, but if I have a clue what the namespace is, and I just need information about it, I do this in google:

"site:msdn2.microsoft.com string.format"

Better still is that all the MSDN2 addresses are like this: msdn2.microsoft.com/en-US/library/system.string.format.aspx

So for a general format:
"site:msdn2.microsoft.com [namespace].[method|property|event]"
msdn2.microsoft.com/en-US/library/[namespace1].[namespace2].[method|property|event].aspx

Maybe that will help. I would at least always start your searches from google (not MSDN) and at least inculde this part "site:msdn2.microsoft.com [QUERY HERE]"

Thats my 2 cents.

EDIT: When you say compact, how compact are you looking for? Just a list of all possible namespaces and classes and properties and methods? Or also what they do and what arguments they take and so on?

I don't know if this would be of any use to you, but maybe you will find it helpful: http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=393259

[techgnome]

It's not downloadable, but there is an online version of the .NET Framework at the .NET-2-the-max website: http://www.dotnet2themax.com/DotNetB...ssemblies.aspx

I findy handy, especialy since it also marks what changed from the previous FW version - what was depreciated, moved, added or modified.

-tg

[iPrank]

@eyeRmonkey,
I'm currently learning C# (why ?). But still your VB.NET table and the link posted by RD are GREAT helps. And the msdn searching tip is really cool !

@TG,
Yep ! I was looking for something like this. Just the class/method name and what it does - nothing more.

Thanks everyone for your help !