C# - What will I miss if I start with .NET 2.0?

Question

I got a book named "Pro C# 2005 and the .NET 2.0 Platform, Third Edition by Andrew Troelsen". I am wondering whether I should buy the "Pro C# 2010 and the .NET 4 Platform, Fifth Edition" instead. Since, the latest version of .NET is 4.0. If I learn C# based on this old book, do I miss some critical parts of the C# language? Or, I can start with this book and learn new .NET 4.0 features with other resources.

Thank you

Answer 1

You can start with that book and learn C# 4.0 from elsewhere. This is what's been added after C# 2.0:

C# 3.0:

• LINQ
• lambdas
• extension methods
• expression trees
• anonymous types
• local type inferencing
• automatic properties
• object initializers
• collection initializers
• partial methods

C# 4.0

• dynamic member lookup
• covariant and contravariant generic type parameters
• optional parameters and named arguments
• parallelization framework (actually part of .NET 4, not C# 4.0 per se)

Answer 2

You will miss a lot. Most notably in my opinion, Linq. Linq changes the whole face of idiomatic C# so much that I could not reccommend starting with the old book.