When comparing Head First C# vs exercism.org, the Slant community recommends exercism.org for most people. In the question“What are the best resources for a programming beginner to learn C#?” exercism.org is ranked 6th while Head First C# is ranked 11th. The most important reason people chose exercism.org is:
Rather than merely test for code correctness, Exercism uses peer review to improve general programming techniques. Users are encouraged to comment on others' solutions, and refine their own based on feedback.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Fun and engaging teaching style
As with all "Head First" books, "Head First C#" is written with a humurous, casual style that keeps the reader engaged. The creative use of captions and images increase retention of the material.
Pro Plenty of projects and examples
"Head First C#" is hands-on right from the beginning. The reader has plenty of opportunity to use their new C# skills as they are guided through developing fun programs (such as games).
Pro Human review and feedback
Rather than merely test for code correctness, Exercism uses peer review to improve general programming techniques. Users are encouraged to comment on others' solutions, and refine their own based on feedback.
Pro Practice with production tools
Unlike many code practice websites, Exercism requires the user to develop and test entirely offline, submitting only the finished code. This promotes familiarity with essential tools and workflow, not just the bare language.
Cons
Con Progresses too quickly for beginners
Head First C# progresses at a fast pace, resulting in terms or concepts being only touched on briefly or skipped entirely.
Con Custom commandline client
Exercism requires using a CLI utility to fetch and submit exercises. This is inconvenient compared to web-only alternatives, and poses an additional barrier to entry for some users.