Written for any Web developer making the move to the latest Microsoft .NET Web development technologies, Professional ASP.NET provides both a tutorial to APIs and a real guide to the best practices for this new platform. Ideal for those with a little previous ASP experience, this book strikes just the right balance between theory and practice to show what works with the new .NET.

Although this is quite a big volume (over 1,300 pages), it is never a dense one. Written by a team of authors, it still manages to keep a fairly consistent tone and approach to programming with the new ASP.NET. The book first covers what's new and improved in .NET and why ASP.NET offers a better way to develop Web applications.

Throughout this text, short code excerpts are used to illustrate key programming principles, from the basics of building dynamic Web pages using "code behind" functions and (eventually) business objects. There's excellent coverage on the many choices for server-side components from HTML Controls to Web Forms, to wireless support and even building your own custom server components. (Most of the coding examples rely on the new Visual Basic.NET, but there is also help on using C# and JScript.NET.) Besides APIs and sample code, the authors give numerous concrete tips. For instance, for programming ADO.NET databases and XML, they cover a wide range of choices and provide recommendations for selecting the right objects for better performance.

The book also covers the emerging world of Web services on .NET in good detail with a high-level view of what Web services are, plus practical examples of how to implement them. Importantly, you'll learn how to build business objects, a must for scalable Web applications. (These techniques come together at the end with a case study for an online store that sells outdoor gear.) There's also coverage of basic .NET classes for common programming tasks, like working with strings, collections, and files.

Though .NET is still under construction, Professional ASP.NET offers a real benefit in showing readers the right ways to use new features and APIs. Besides presenting a really understandable tutorial to the basics of ASP.NET, their expert-level insight into what works best on the new platform should pay off with faster and more scalable Web applications on .NET. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Introduction to ASP.NET and the Microsoft .NET platform ASP and ASP.NET compared (including benefits and design goals of ASP.NET) .NET vs. the Windows Distributed interNet Architecture (DNA) The Common Language Runtime (CLR) explained Basic introduction to ASP.NET development languages (Visual Basic.NET, C#, JScript.NET, and C++ compared) Performance issues Declaring variables, functions, and procedures The ASP.NET Page class Using "code behind" scripts and page caching Custom controls Tutorial for the ASP.NET HTML Server controls Using input validation controls Tutorial for the ASP.NET Web Form controls Data binding controls explained Using styles and templates Editing data with bound controls ADO.NET database APIs and programming techniques (using the DataReader and DataSet objects) ADO.NET and XML support XML basics (including the XML DOM and navigating, writing, and reading XML) Relational database programming techniques (complex and nested data, calling stored procedures) The DataTable object Sorting and filtering data Updating data (the Command object, transactions, DataSet, and managing concurrency) XML data techniques in .NET (XML and DataSet objects, XML, and SQL Server) Validating, creating, and editing XML documents Quick tutorial on XSL and XSLT Administering Web applications (including global.asax, state management, and application events) Configuring ASP.NET (including common configuration settings, plus tracing, custom errors, authentication, and authorization) In-depth tutorial on security Tutorial for working with basic .NET classes (including collections, lists, directories, and files) Creating custom .NET business objects (including cross-language inheritance) Building custom ASP.NET Server controls (plus composite controls) Introduction to Web services (creating and using a simple Web service, SOAP and XML standards, and .NET Web service class support) Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) and the Web Service Description Language (WSDL) described Web service security issues ASP.NET support for wireless with mobile controls Debugging, tracing, and error-handling techniques Migration and interoperability issues for older code and COM used with ASP.NET Case study for a sample online e-commerce store using .NET business objects Quick reference to the .NET common system namespaces Performance hints for ASP.NET

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
As developers get to know ASP.NET, they're coming to agree with Microsoft: this is a very big deal. Microsoft has systematically addressed nearly all of ASP's traditional limitations. Too slow? ASP.NET is far speedier: For one thing, all code is compiled. ASP mixed code and content? Now it's easy to separate the two. Too much code to write? ASP.NET writes much of it for you. For example, here's all the code needed to display a fully functional calendar: .

Of course, there are some little issues (ASP.NET breaks your existing ASP code, though you can run ASP and ASP.NET concurrently). And there's lots to learn. That's where Professional ASP.NET comes in. Alex Homer, Peter Sussman, and the Wrox gang have put together 1,400 pages of expert guidance and sample code.

They begin with an overview of the .NET framework and ASP.NET's role in it. You'll review the basics of writing ASP.NET pages, understand the new server processing architecture, and discover the powerful roles played by ASP.NET server and web form controls. ASP.NET's simplified approach "doesn't mean that the controls are simple, just simple to use. The onus of coding has moved from the web page developer to the control developer."

The authors systematically introduce list controls, data binding, database integration, collections, components, web services, and security. There's a full chapter on mobile controls, which can output HTML or WML depending upon the client device. You'll find extensive coverage of debugging and error handling, and a full chapter on migration and interoperability. (Some of this is easy. For instance, a new .aspx file extension tells your IIS server it's seeing ASP.NET pages, not ASP pages. Some of this is less easy.) The book concludes with a complete case study. By the time you've finished, you'll be as ready for ASP.NET as any mortal can be. (Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

If you're currently developing with ASP 2.0 or 3.0, and are considering the implications of the .NET Framework, then this book is for you. It is aimed at experienced ASP developers who are working at the leading edge, rather than the casual ASP developer or beginner.

Anyone with programming experience in virtually any language can create .NET applications, thanks to its Common Language Runtime, but experience of VB or C-based syntax (C++, Java, or C#) would be beneficial in understanding this book.

Author Biography: David Sussman is a full time author specializing in data access and internet technologies. When not writing he spends most of his time playing with alpha and beta technologies, playing the guitar (badly), or juggling.

Alex Homer is a software developer and technical author living and working in the idyllic rural surroundings of the Derbyshire Dales in England. He started playing with Microsoft's Active Server Pages technology right from the early Betas of version 1.0 (remember "Denali"?) - and has watched with awe and excitement as it has evolved into probably the most comprehensive server-side Web programming environment available today. And with the advent of ASP.NET, it gets even better. In fact, he's so excited about the whole new framework and application model that he once nearly referred to it as a "paradigm". You can contact Alex at alex@stonebroom.com.

Rob Howard is a Program Manager on Microsoft's .NET Framework team. Within the .NET Framework team he specifically works on ASP.NET and is responsible for the Http Runtime, Error pages, Caching, Session State, and Web Services. He currently writes a column for MSDN online entitled "Nothin' but ASP.NET", as well as writing the .NET Framework column for Windows 2000 magazine. You can reach Rob at: rhoward_public@hotmail.com.

Karli Watson is an in-house author for Wrox. He started out with the intention of becoming a world famous nanotechnologist, so perhaps one day you might recognize his name as he receives a Nobel Prize. For now, though, Karli's computing interests include all things mobile, and upcoming technologies such as C#. He can often be found preaching about these technologies at conferences.

Brian Francis is the Technical Sales Director for NCR's Web Kiosk Solutions. Brian is responsible for enlightening NCR and its customers in the technologies and tools used for Web Kiosk Applications. He is the author/co-author of numerous Wrox books including the Professional and Beginning ASP Series of books, and is now totally immersed in the .NET world.

Richard Anderson is an established software developer who has been working with Microsoft technologies for longer that he can remember. Richard works for a great company in the UK called BMS who specialize in Internet payroll/hr solutions. Richard would like to say a big Hello and Thank You to: Al and Dave (not forgetting Tina!) - everybody should go and check out their very funny, yet informative website.

SYNOPSIS

What does this book cover? ASP.NET and the .NET Framework Creating ASP.NET pages and working with server controls Data in ASP.NET and an introduction to ADO.NET ASP.NET class libraries Configuration and deployment XML as an integral part of data manipulation Using Web Services to provide asynchronous background services to applications Migration issues Microsoft's Active Server Pages technology is still a relatively new way to create dynamic Web sites and Web-based distributed applications. During its short life span, however, it has evolved to become the foremost tool in the Windows-oriented Web programmer's toolbox. The latest version, ASP.NET, is a major breakthrough for developers, giving more functionality and flexibility than ever before, while enabling them to write less code. ASP.NET isn't just a point upgrade, but is an evolutionary leap in the whole concept of dynamic Web applications.

This comprehensive compendium combines plenty of practical code examples and a comprehensive case study with the information you need to master ASP.NET and build dynamic, successful, enterprise Web applications.

Who is this book for?

If you're currently developing with ASP 2.0 or 3.0, and are considering the implications of the .NET Framework, then this book is for you. It is aimed at experienced ASP developers who are working at the leading edge, rather than the casual ASP developer or beginner.

Anyone with programming experience in virtually any language can create .NET applications, thanks to its Common Language Runtime, but experience of VB or C-based syntax (C++, Java, or C#) would be beneficial in understanding this book.

AUTHOR DESCRIPTION