Reddit reviews C# 6.0 and the .NET 4.6 Framework

I really enjoyed the C# Player's Guide. There's a newer version now but this is what I got.

Edit: I'm glad you guys liked this book as much as I did. To OP, I would offer two more suggestions.

1. Clean Code This book is NOT specific to C#. However, it gives you a holistic understanding of how to write code that is readable and effective. This is how I was able to transition from writing code that simply functioned (primarily for school) to code that my coworkers could pick up and run with. The book is the bible of software style where I work.
   
   
2. C# and the .NET Framework This is a very optional book in my opinion. It is also a little pricy, very long, more intermediate than beginner and you can gather much of its information from MSDN. However, I prefer looking things up and reading them in a book where possible. I also like having all this information in one location. When I have free time at work, I find myself more likely to flip to an unread section and skim over it than I would with the same information online.

This should be a great start. Also can recommend this.

It's gonna be a lot of effort on your part. I'd say just go through one of the many C# books.

Apparently these are good:
https://www.amazon.com/C-6-0-NET-4-6-Framework/dp/1484213335/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500149805&sr=8-1&keywords=c%23+framework

https://www.amazon.com/C-Players-Guide-2nd/dp/0985580127/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500124248&sr=8-2&keywords=c+players+guide

You can look for more resources on /r/csharp. I don't know much about C# so I can't really speak much about it. I think you should think less about learning exactly what you need for this project but more about learning C# in general. That way, you can tackle on other projects as they come in the future. With the knowledge you learn, you will slowly get to understand how to make your own version of stopping ethernet, blocking apps from opening, and eventually you incorporate all of them into one program that will be your finished product.

There's tutorials and getting started links on the side bar. Start there. Then check out pluralsight. The following books are good. Consider getting Microsoft Certified at some point if you really want to.

http://smile.amazon.com/C-6-0-Nutshell-Definitive-Reference/dp/1491927062/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451614908&sr=8-2&keywords=C%23

http://smile.amazon.com/Pro-NET-Framework-Experts-Voice/dp/1430242337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451614991&sr=8-1&keywords=pro+C%23

http://smile.amazon.com/Pro-ASP-NET-Experts-Voice-ASP-Net/dp/1430265299/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1451614991&sr=8-4&keywords=pro+C%23

http://smile.amazon.com/C-6-0-NET-4-6-Framework/dp/1484213335/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451615074&sr=8-1&keywords=pro+C%23+6

• https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Covers-4-0-Specific-Development/dp/0321658701
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/C-6-0-NET-4-6-Framework/dp/1484213335/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H10ZRBVGYJSZC777W1YN
  
  
• If you're doing web stuff, this is a great book on asp.net mvc
  https://www.amazon.com/Professional-ASP-NET-MVC-Jon-Galloway/dp/1118794753
  
  

There is no magic button but in the end, you need to understand code to make the transition. It doesn't really matter what flavor of code but you need to become comfortable in code because the nature of QA Automation (and subsequently, development in general) is that the technology stack is ever changing and you need to have the self-confidence to take on these new technologies, frameworks and languages.


Note: You don't just need to learn how to write test code. You need to learn how to write test code, work with source control tools, work with a CICD process, work with frameworks, setup a proper dev machine and so on.


But don't be intimidated - you don't need to be an expert coder. In fact, generally speaking it is sort of understood that QA Automation Engineers are likely to be "worse" coders than the regular dev team. In fact, you will probably still have to do plenty of manual testing in your day to day life as an Automation Engineer.


So anyhow here is what I would recommend:

1. Pick a language, say C#.
   
   
   
2. Get a high quality coding book and actually take the time to work through it. If you are into c# I recommend: https://www.amazon.com/C-6-0-NET-4-6-Framework/dp/1484213335
   
   
   Step 2 could be a video tutorial, a bootcamp, whatever but I like books.
   
   
   
3. At this point, if you actually took the time to read your book and follow the exercises you should have a reasonable understanding of your language of choice.
   
   
   

   
   

   
   
   Now it is time to flex your new code muscles and create something!
   
   
   

4. Create a github account. You will be storing your projects there. Using github will get you used to source control and it is HIGHLY LIKELY you will use it in a professional context at some point. Having a github as a portfolio is something that can and will set you apart from other job candidates.
   
   
   
5. Time to create a project and start practicing skills! Go here and choose a public API you want to test: https://github.com/toddmotto/public-apis
   
   
   
6. There are basically 2 core level 1 skills for test automation and you are going to use your API and its website to cover them both in your project:
   

• API Automation
  
• Front End Automation
  
  
  

7. So Armed with your target API and a github account, go ahead and create a new project in your language of choice and get it synced up with your github. *Note: since this github will be your portfolio, make sure your commits have high quality messages and so on. Get in the practice of writing good commits.
   
   
   
8. Now, since we know you know how to test, come up with all of the test cases you can for the API.
   
   
   
9. Automate API Tests:
   

• Add a test framework to your project like nUnit.
  
• Code up a rest client so you can call the API.
  
• Figure out how to serialize the JSON response from the API.
  
• Write validations for the serialized response (HTTP Status Codes, Expected response payload)
  
  

10. Automate front end tests:
    

• Add selenium to your project
  
• Navigate to the website of your public api
  
• Create some UI test cases and code them up.
  
  
  Congrats, you now have a project that demonstrates your ability to write front end and API integration tests using industry standard tooling.
  
  
  Of course, your very first practice project is probably going to be quite crap because you don't know best practices or patterns, but I maintain you will be better saved by actually creating SOMETHING than by learning about best practices but never writing code. Doing is the best way to learn and in tech, there is a personal power in the confidence of being able to approach a task knowing you have done it before. So if you need to, delete your first project and start over. Or even better, keep refactoring until the project is impressive. It isn't going anywhere!
  
  
  Projects like this are great because anytime you learn a new technique, it gives you a great place to try it out. And if you do it right, you will not only have a portfolio, you will have your own personal automation code library that you can pull from when you encounter a similar situation in the wild.
  
  
  For the first decade of my career in test I was of the mindset that I could never be smart enough to be a coder. The way I was able to get past this was by forcing myself to apply myself, get a base level of knowledge and then apply it practically as described above. In the end, making the jump from manual to automated QA is less about QA and pretty much all about learning to become a software dev. So get on it!

I read a beginners book on Java. Now working my way through a more detailed C# book.

Java Book

C# Book

If you already have some programming experience, this book is fantastic.

For less messy amazon links you can extract the part after "/dp/" in

https://www.amazon.com/C-6-0-NET-4-6-Framework/dp/1484213335/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484208486&sr=8-1&keywords=andrew+troelsen

and make it:

https://amzn.com/1484213335

BEEP BOP

Plz send any recommendations via PM

At 1625 pages, [C# 6.0 and the .NET 4.6 Framework][book] is the most comprehensive book about C# I know about. Open its table of contents on Amazon and there's your checklist!

Another idea is to read the [C# language specification][spec] - that way you can be absolutely sure you haven't missed anything :)

(As far as I can see, the C# 6 specification has not yet been released but there is a draft on GitHub.)

[book]: https://www.amazon.com/C-6-0-NET-4-6-Framework/dp/1484213335/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484208486&sr=8-1&keywords=andrew+troelsen
[spec]: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=7029