Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5: Step by Step [Paperback]

George Shepherd (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0735624267 | ISBN-13: 978-3866455153 | Publication Date: February 23, 2008

Get the hands-on, step-by-step guide to learning the latest enhancements in ASP.NET code name Orcas. ASP.NET continues to be an important application platform that delivers a simplified, high-performance, and powerful Web development experience. Building on your familiarity with the Microsoft .NET Framework and Microsoft Visual C#®, you can teach yourself the essentials of working with ASP.NET in the Microsoft Visual Studio® environment one step at a time. With STEP BY STEP, you work at your own pace through hands-on, learn-by-doing exercises. Whether you re a beginning programmer or new to this version of the technology, you ll understand the core capabilities and fundamental techniques for ASP.NET and begin building practical Web applications and Web services. Includes a companion CD with code samples, data sets, and a fully searchable eBook.

Features easy-to-follow, logically planned lessons to help you learn at your own pace

Delivers a solid understanding of how to use Visual Studio Orcas with ASP.NET to create Web applications and Web services

Includes a companion CD with code samples, data sets, and a fully searchable eBook

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Shepherd is a .NET Framework expert who works at Rockwell where he develops some of the best third-party .NET tools available. He has been programming Windows since version 2.0 back in the late 1980s. For the debut of Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) in the early 1990s, George co-authored the definitive reference for MFC, MFC Internals. During MFC s heyday as a powerful user-interface development platform, MFC Internals was part of the canon for serious MFC developers. George covers Web-based and Windows-based interface development with the .NET Framework as a contributing editor for MSDN® Magazine, and is a contributing editor for Dr. Dobb's Journal. He is also a co-author of the classic Microsoft Press® book Programming Microsoft Visual C++®. George regularly delivers seminars with DevelopMentor and is also a popular speaker at industry conferences. In his spare time, George plays a mean slide guitar.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (February 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735624267
• ISBN-13: 978-3866455153
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #650,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent beginner book, April 16, 2008

By 

Chad Adams "Chad" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5: Step by Step (Paperback)

I've just finished the end of the book and I will say it's not too bad.

A little background about me before my full review, I'm a web developer with a design background, so I've done a lot of front-end design work for clients but I've also worked a bit of the back end with PHP, and Classic ASP. .NET was new to me and never worked with my preferred IDE, (ahem Dreamweaver) past .net 2.0, recently more and more clients are asking for ASP.net / Sharepoint work from me so I've decided to study up on ASP.net.

Strait to the point, the book isn't dry and it does what it says, it walks you thru chapter by chapter explaining every "technical" bit of data regarding ASP.net and "occasionally" telling you something interesting about one of the tools for real world use.

The pros for buying this book is that you get a clear understanding of ASP.net, the history and where it's going, as well as some simple tricks using VS 2008, LINQ, and ASP.net controls and forms, it also has sample code on the disc, and a PDF of the book on the CD for on-screen reference.

My only problem with this book, (like so many other developer books) is that they really don't give real-world scenarios for building a e-commerce site, or a blog, or a contact form for that matter. It's a better starter book than a "for Dummies" or "..in 24 years" but it does the job to get you started using ASP.net.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Contrary to the title, this is actually an overview, June 8, 2008

By 

James Skemp "JamesRSkemp.com" (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5: Step by Step (Paperback)

Based upon the title, 'Step by Step,' you might think that Shepherd's book will actually cover ASP.NET 3.5 in detail, piece by piece.

While it's true that he does this, he does it to very little detail. He also makes numerous assumptions throughout the text, which may have you scratching your head more than you usually would, picking up a new language.

As a general overview, this book excels, but search elsewhere, for example, in Spaanjaars' Beginning ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer), for specifics on how to actually build a site.

Overall, I've given this book 4 stars, of 5, since the information is valuable, as an overview.

My background: I've been working on the Web for approximately a decade, professionally for half of that. I've got background in PHP and ColdFusion, with enough knowledge to read and tweak classic ASP (however, I think classic ASP is ugly).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book, January 2, 2010

By 

K. Williams (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5: Step by Step (Paperback)

Typically, a "Step by Step" book from Microsoft Press is considered a "Beginner's Book", introducing you to the topic of the book. For this book, it is not the case. You will need a good background knowledge of both HTML and Visual C#.

Also, as one other reviewer has already pointed out, the code examples in this book are full of errors. If you do purchase this book, refer to the code examples on the accompanying CD which does have the examples coded correctly. You will save yourself a lot of time and avoid frustration trying to debug it.

***Update***
I have now made it to chapter 10 (out of 24) and I am giving up. At this point you are actually instructed to copy the example code files and setup a SQL database for ASP.NET. I tried following the instructions, but it does not work. I will not waste anymore of my time. I am a "Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer" (MCSE) and have an Associates Degree in Computer Technology, so I do know my way around a computer. If I find a better book, I will update this review again. (That should be fairly easy!!)

****Final Update****
I found the perfect book. It is "ASP.NET 3.5 Unleashed" by Stephen Walther.