Designing Microsoft® ASP.NET Applications [Paperback]

Douglas J. Reilly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2001

ASP.NET, the next generation of Active Server Pages, provides a new programming model based on the Microsoft® .NET Framework for writing Web applications. Learn about ASP.NET development—with reusable code samples in languages such as Microsoft Visual Basic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#™—in DESIGNING MICROSOFT ASP.NET APPLICATIONS. This book provides an in-depth look at how to create ASP.NET applications and how they work under the covers. You’ll learn how to create Web Forms and reusable components and how to develop XML Web services. You’ll also learn how to create database-enabled ASP.NET applications that use XML (Extensible Markup Language) and ADO.NET (a new version of Microsoft ActiveX® Data Objects).

Coverage in this guide includes:

• Managed code and the common language runtime
• Overview of the .NET Framework and languages
• The ASP.NET development model
• Creating and using Web Forms and controls
• Creating ASP.NET components
• Balancing server vs. client functionality
• Getting and displaying data: XML and ADO.NET
• Creating and consuming XML Web services

INCLUDED ON CD-ROM:

• Sample source code in Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual C# for all the book’s examples

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 402 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (November 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735613486
• ISBN-13: 978-0735613485
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,285,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good ASP.NET book, January 22, 2002

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Microsoft® ASP.NET Applications (Paperback)

After working with ASP.NET for more than a year and a half, I am glad to see that the product is very near to its ship date. Perhaps this is why we are finally seeing some good books on the market.

Of all the ASP.NET books out thus far, this is the first that actually follows proper development practice, according to Microsoft. Let me explain:

* While most of the ASP.NET books slap code into the ASP.NET page (which is legal), the paradigm is separation of code and tags using a CodeBehind file. This is the first book that follows that paradigm, over all. The chapter on validation is the most glaring fallback.

* While most of the books on the market are placing their SQL code in the page, this one is actually using SQL stored procedures to create a data tier (thin, but still a data tier).

Now that I have worked through the good, let's look at the shortcomings. While there is a lot of good material, it is rather thin. This can partially be blamed on the breadth of ASP.NET, but it can also be blamed on a tighter focus. This is not a major shortcoming, overall, but, after spending the first few chapters introducing the framework, et al, you would think the author would have some form of object reference somewhere.

Shining moments:
* Validation controls - this is very useful stuff
* Working with Visual Studio .NET - some of the most useful screen shots I have seen.
* User controls - while a bit thin, a great into to real world user controls.
* ADO.NET - while the coverage is not in depth, the material that is there is well worth the read
* XML Web Services - nice, real world perspective

While a beginner might be able to pick up this book and run with it, the material is not aimed at those without programming experience. Keep this in mind if you are planning on using this book to learn your first language.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 stars, March 5, 2002

By 

Mike Tanona (Plum Island, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Microsoft® ASP.NET Applications (Paperback)

I rounded up. I found this book very helpful for 3 reasons. Many books just throw code at you - pages and pages stuff that you can find in MSDN for example. What you need is perspective The first several chapters give a good summary of the technical underpinning. The following chapters show development with more emphasis on the IDE than any other books I've seem. After all, that's what most of us are using to actually develop apps.

The appendix on configuring IIS was also helpful. Most of what you need to know can be explained in one appendix chapter. If your are coming from a C++/Windows (not a web developer) background you really need a summary not another book to buy. Why all books don't have this is strange.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 27, 2002

By 

Steve Shirkey (Manhattan Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Designing Microsoft® ASP.NET Applications (Paperback)

I have to admit that I expected more from MS Press. This book doesn't appear to be simple enough for beginners or advanced enough to help existing developers architect solutions. Most of the information is presented in an elliptical format. Events, methods and properties of core classes are rushed in randomly with little introduction before fading away in obscurity. No detail is given to any important topics: the complete Page lifecycle, how the code-behind and aspx page eventually are compiled together, how state management is being performed on the server, internationalization best practices - essentially how to design an ASP.NET application. The most significant flaw is the use of alternating C# and VB examples, distracting the reader from the topic at hand by switching between the two languages randomly and without notice. Based on the numerous "VB programmers will notice..." references, I have to assume this text may be aimed at just that audience - VB developers with no previous web development experience. Better information on the topic can be obtained from the QuickStart tutorials or MSDN.