Chapter 2. Let's Build a Simple Application

The title of the chapter says Let's Build a Simple Application, but that is not entirely true. What is true is that we are going to start building an application. This chapter sets the foundation for that. So, in this chapter, I am going to introduce you to the application that we are going to build as we progress through the book.

However, just knowing the application is not enough in my opinion. In order to make sure that you make most out of this book and stay on track while your training shoes are still on, I am going to take you through my development setup and talk about various tools that I will be using. If you try out the sample code from this book and stick to the versions of tools mentioned in this chapter, then you can be assured that things will go smoothly. However, this does not mean that you must use the tools that I am using and the versions that I have installed in my environment. Most tools in the .NET ecosystem these days are backward compatible, so if you happen to have a lower version of some tool, never mind. As long as you know how to use the tool, we are in business.

Besides tools, I will also give you a brief introduction to the methodologies, particularly Test-driven Development (TDD), that we will be using throughout the book. If you are new to TDD, then do not worry because I am not going to use any knowledge beyond what can be called basic.

So, let's get started!