Build Your Own ASP.NET Website Using C# & VB.NET

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BuildYour Own ASP.NET Website Using C# & VB.NET

Here sthe deal with this book: Newbies to the world of programming ASP.NET Webapplications who are constrained to using the most cost-effective technologiesMicrosoft offers will be delighted with what author Zak Ruvalcaba haspresented. Armed with a Windows 2000 or XP-loaded OS, the .NET Framework SDK,and Microsoft Access (with MSDE or SQL Server), readers will crawl, walk, andrun with Zak as he teaches the practical uses of ASP.NET in fewer than 750pages. After the obligatory Hello, world example in Chapter 2, discussionsare dished out in terse prose designed to maximize ideas while converselyminimizing page real estate. To get an idea of the delivery style employed bythe author, interested customers can submit their e-mail address to Sitepoint sWeb site to download for free the first 4 chapters (129 pages) of the book in asingle PDF file. Readers can also make a choice of the preferred language towork with, since every code sample in the book is presented in both C# and itsVB.NET interpretation.

Thechapters cover the standard outline of many ASP.NET tutorial books, startingwith an introduction to and configuration of the ASP.NET developmentenvironment. Programming basics for C# and VB.NET are rapidly covered, followedby examples using Web forms and validation controls and database access usingADO.NET and SQL, then applying the DataSet skills with the DataGrid andDataList controls. These examples culminate in the construction of a practicalASP.NET shopping cart (complete with PayPal integration) using the principlesand technologies described in previous chapters. The book s final chapterscover Error Handling, Security and User Authentication, manipulating files,processing e-mail, using rich controls, and using user-created controls. Thebook concludes with a 37-page chapter on XML and Web services. Appendixes forHTML and Web and Validation controls will keep the book within arms reach formany beginning and intermediate ASP.NET developers. In addition to the cleardescriptions and code walkthroughs, the author also delivers code fragmentsthat can be immediately put to use in many basic ASP.NET projects, such asusing dynamic menus in a Web site, delivering e-mail newsletters via ASP.NET,and even performing Web searches via a Google Web service.

Somewhatunique to the Sitepoint product line is the addition of author blogs to its Website (available at http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs.php).At the time of this review, Mr. Ruvalcaba had made seven entries (available at http://www.sitepoint.com/articlelist/293),some of which were reprints from the book. Combined with code downloads, freechapter reviews, errata, and updates, the book s companion site rounds out theoverall package with topical supplemental material and a commitment to itsreaders. Overall, the book not only satisfies the delivery expectations, itexcites.

Mike Riley

Rating:

Title: Build Your Own ASP.NET WebsiteUsing C# & VB.NET

Author: Zak Ruvalcaba

Publisher: Sitepoint Pty. Ltd.

ISBN: 0-9579218-6-1

BookWeb Site: http://www.sitepoint.com/books/aspnet1/

Price: US$44.95

PageCount: 746 pages