Murach's ASP.NET 2.0 Web Programming with C# 2005

Description

This ASP.NET 2.0 book will teach you web programming from scratch...and serve as a time-saving reference to all the ASP.NET features you'll use every day. It works if you're new to web programming. It works if you have experience in classic ASP or Java servlets and JSPs. And it works if you know ASP.NET 1.x, want to upgrade to 2.0 quickly, yet also want a comprehensive ASP.NET reference to rely on.

As its title implies, this book covers all of the new ASP.NET 2.0 features that make it easier to add quality and functionality to every web application you write. That includes:

Master pages… database access using both SQL and object data sources… the new code-behind model… site navigation features… login controls to authenticate users… profiles to personalize a site… themes to customize formatting elements… and web parts, the building blocks of portals that can be customized by the user

But beyond that, this book has features that set it apart from all the others. So here are some of the reasons why we say, "No other ASP.NET 2.0 book will teach you so much, so fast, or so thoroughly."

#1: There's a 5-chapter section on database programming

This is an area that's changed dramatically from ASP.NET 1.x, with developers now being more sheltered from dealing with ADO.NET directly.

So this section teaches you how to use SQL data sources and the GridView, DetailsView, and FormView controls...all new in ASP.NET 2.0...to develop database applications with little or no C# code. Then, it teaches you how to use object data sources, also new in 2.0, to create 3-layer applications that let you separate the presentation code from the data access code in an application.

#2: It teaches development the way it should be done today, using Visual Studio

Today, no developer should miss out on the productivity features of Visual Studio by using limited tools like Notepad. So section 1 in this book shows you how to use Visual Studio 2005 to design, code, test, and debug multi-page web applications that get database data and manage session state. Then, later chapters cover VS tools like the Query Builder and the Web Site Administration Tool.

#3: Complete applications show how all the pieces interact

The key to mastering ASP.NET 2.0 is to have plenty of real-world applications that guide you in using the new features you’re learning…and that help you avoid the problems that you can run into as you build complex web sites. That’s why this book gives you complete applications, including the web forms, the aspx code, and the C# code.

#4: The paired-pages format lets you set your own pace

Murach books have a distinctive format. Each two-page spread presents a single topic: the lefthand page explains the topic, while the righthand page shows the critical details, using syntax, code, screen shots, and how-to notes.

Beginners tell us they like this format because it breaks the material down into manageable bites. Experienced developers like it because they can pick up on information that's new or interesting just by paging through. And developers at any level find it makes a great reference format because it's so easy to pinpoint the development details they're looking for.