Conventions Used in This Book

The following typographic conventions are used in this book:

• When we've added a new piece of code and are discussing it, it'll appear shaded, and when there's more code to come, you'll see three dots. Here's what that looks like:

   class ch01_07 {  static void Main()  {   long source = 5;   int target;  target = (int) source;  .   .   .  } } 

• Occasionally, we'll discuss C# syntax in the compact form you'll see in the Microsoft documentation, and you should know how to decipher that. For example, check out this description showing how to create a method:

   [  attributes  ] [  modifiers  ]  type identifier  ([[out][ref]  type parameter  , [[out][ref]  type parameter  , ...]])  statement  

  In descriptions like this one, items in brackets ([ and ]) are optional, vertical bars, , mean "or", curly braces ({ and } ) indicate that you select only one of the enclosed items, and the items in italics are not keywords built into C#, but are meant to be replaced with your own terms.

• Code lines, commands, statements, variables , and/or code- related terms appear in a monospace typeface.

• We'll also refer to the items in menus the same way you'll see in many computer books. For example, the File, New Project menu item refers to the New Project item in the File menu.

• You'll see sidebars throughout the book, which are meant to give you something more, such as a little more insight or some new technique. Here's what a sidebar looks like:

• Also, if you're a C++ programmer, take a look at the "For C++ Programmers" sidebars in the first few chapters; these sidebars are there to let you skim through the more basic material faster because you already know C++. They're often designed to give you information at a more advanced programming level than the surrounding text.

• The "Shop Talk" sidebars are designed for more professional discussion about what's going on behind the scenes in programming these days. They go into more depth, and hit topics harder, than the sidebars.

BACKGROUND THREADS

You can also set a thread's IsBackground property to true , making it a background thread. Background threads are the same as foreground threads, except that an application doesn't need to wait for background threads to terminate before finishing.