The team behind Professional Active Server Pages 2.0 has written a definitive guide for the latest version of ASP included with Windows 2000. This lengthy text offers a comprehensive look at the technology and is geared toward seasoned professionals looking to truly master this important development platform. The team of authors touch on almost every topic a working ASP coder might be interested in, including what to do when "it all goes wrong."

This title is divided into six sections that focus on key aspects of ASP: the basics, ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), building components for ASP, integration with BackOffice, security/performance/scalability, and reference material. This organization makes the book useful for both lengthy reads and quick daily reference. The index and set of appendices are also quite comprehensive.

Code snippets of judicious size and summary boxes with key information such as errors and function calls make the reading productive without being distracting. Most of the material is presented in a structured topical tutorial; however, an excellent XML newspaper case study provides a real-world perspective on XML and ASP.

While a number of working programmers authored this guide, the group's expertise has been well-integrated to read consistently. The team provides some error-preventing programming procedures such as formatting and indenting code, being "Explicit" about declarations, converting variables to the appropriate data types, using good variable naming conventions, encapsulating script, and more. Whether you're looking for information on utilizing components, implementing certificates, or working with Active Directory, you'll find answers in this fine work. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: ASP basics and versions, Active Server Components, ADO, XML data, components, COM/COM+, ASP Script Components, C++ component issues, ADSI and Active Directory, Message Queue Server, Collaboration Data Objects, Exchange Server integration, certificates, performance optimization, site load balancing, and ASP Object Model.


Book Description
This book is about Active Server Pages 3.0, as included with Windows 2000. However, because ASP is now a core part of so many Web-oriented features within Windows, this book covers a far wider area than just how ASP works. ASP is maturing all the time to encompass more integration with other Windows services and software, and so there are many other areas that impinge directly on the use and performance of ASP. In particular this involves the Windows operating system itself, including the new security features of Windows 2000, and the Internet server software that comes with Windows 2000 - Internet Information Server (IIS). On top of this are the other less obvious services, which also have a direct or indirect effect on the way that ASP works. These include COM+, the various Internet service administration tools, and (indirectly) the many other services and installed software packages that either provide additional functionality to ASP, or which have interfaces that are available for use in ASP. So, as well as chapters all about the roots of ASP, the base object structure, and how it's used, you'll also see chapters that demonstrate the many different ways that ASP integrates seamlessly with other software and services in Windows. One of the most obvious of these is access to data in a relational database or other type of data store (such as Active Directory), and you'll see several chapters devoted to these topics. We'll also explore the intimate relationship between Internet Information Server and COM and the new COM+, and see how ASP has changed the way that it hosts and executes external components to provide better performance and scalability. This also affects the way that components are designed and built, and we'll be exploring this topic in some depth as well.


Book Info
Explains all the traditional usages of classical ASP in the real, practical world of site building and provides a briefing on all the new tools, services and challenges of the Windows 2000 environment. Softcover.


From the Publisher
This book has been selected by the editors of Wrox Press to be part of the Wroxbase website. Professional Active Server Pages 3.0 is the next edition of the number one selling ASP book in the world; Professional Active Server Pages 2.0. This is a next edition covering all the new features that appear as part of Win2000 but it is also a completely new book in terms of content, recycling essentially nothing from the previous edition. Instead all the concepts are taken a step further for a more mature audience and ASP is considered in terms of an N-tier enterprise environment including extensive coverage of components, Index Server, ADO 2.5, XML, CDO, ADSI, and much more. Wrox provides community and email support for all its titles. Discuss your ASP 3 problems with other readers on p2p.wrox.com. Get direct email support from support@wrox.com - support on this is provided by a Wrox editor and the book's authors.


About the Author
Brian is a Senior Developer with NCR's Human Interface Technology Center in Atlanta, Georgia. At the HITC, Brian is responsible for prototyping and developing advanced applications that apply superior human interfaces as developed at the Center. His tools of choice include Visual Basic, Visual C++, Java, and all of the Microsoft Internet products. Brian has developed and deployed Multimedia Kiosk applications, Computer-based Training applications, and other advanced user interface prototypes for the past three years. He is also a regular Wrox author who contributed to Professional Active Server Pages 2.0.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Professional Active Server Pages 3.0 is the next edition of the number one selling ASP book in the world; Professional Active Server Pages 2.0. This is a next edition covering all the new features that appear as part of Win2000 but it is also a completely new book in terms of content, recycling essentially nothing from the previous edition. Instead all the concepts are taken a step further for a more mature audience and ASP is considered in terms of an N-tier enterprise environment including extensive coverage of components, Index Server, ADO 2.5, XML, CDO, ADSI, and much more.

SYNOPSIS

This book is about Active Server Pages 3.0, as included with Windows 2000. However, because ASP is now a core part of so many Web-oriented features within Windows, this book covers a far wider area than just how ASP works. ASP is maturing all the time to encompass more integration with other Windows services and software, and so there are many other areas that impinge directly on the use and performance of ASP.

In particular this involves the Windows operating system itself, including the new security features of Windows 2000, and the Internet server software that comes with Windows 2000—Internet Information Server (IIS). On top of this are the other less obvious services, which also have a direct or indirect effect on the way that ASP works. These include COM+, the various Internet service administration tools, and—indirectly—the many other services and installed software packages that either provide additional functionality to ASP, or which have interfaces that are available for use in ASP.

So, as well as chapters all about the roots of ASP, the base object structure, and how it's used, you'll also see chapters that demonstrate the many different ways that ASP integrates seamlessly with other software and services in Windows. One of the most obvious of these is access to data in a relational database or other type of data store (such as Active Directory), and you'll see several chapters devoted to these topics.