To get the most out of this book

You must know C# and how to program. Boolean logic, loops, and other basic programming constructs should be mastered, including object-oriented programming basics. Some knowledge of ASP.NET will be beneficial. Knowing how to read UML class and sequence diagrams is an asset, but not required.

The code samples and resources are available on GitHub (https://net5.link/code). The README.md file at the root of the repository is filled with information to help you find the code and resources that you are looking for. If you don't find something, look at the README.md file – chances are you will find a pointer to the information that you seek.

Most links are shortened in the form of https://net5.link/**** so readers of a physical copy can easily type URLs quickly.

In the book, I use a mix of Visual Studio 2019 (which has a free version) and Visual Studio Code (free). I recommend that you use one or both of those. The IDE is unrelated to most of the content. You could use Notepad if you are impetuous enough (I don't recommend that). Unless you install Visual Studio, which comes with the .NET SDK, you may need to install the .NET 5 SDK. The SDK comes with the dotnet CLI as well as the building tools for running and testing your programs. I develop on Windows, but you should be able to use another OS. OS-related topics are very limited, even inexistent. The code compiles on both Windows and Linux.

Linux that is supported by .NET 5: https://github.com/dotnet/core/blob/master/release-notes/5.0/5.0-supported-os.md

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code via the GitHub repository (link available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.