Designing Microsoft(r) ASP.NET Applications

by Douglas J. Reilly

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Microsoft Press
ISBN: 0735613486; Bk&Cd-Rom edition (November 12, 2001)

This core reference demonstrates the latest techniques for building dynamic, ultra-scalable business solutions with Active Server Pages.NET-formerly ASP+. After surveying the history of ASP programming, the book shows how ASP.NET integrates with the COM+ 2.0 runtime environment and uses Extensible Markup Language (XML), ActiveX(r) Data Objects .NET (formerly ADO+), Web Services, and Web Forms to create powerful Web solutions. It comes with code samples on CD-ROM in Microsoft Visual Basic and Microsoft Visual C# development system.

Customer Reviews
4 1/2 stars, March 5, 2002
Reviewer: Mike Tanona from Plum Island, MA
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.

Not great book., March 3, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Greer, sc United States
According to MS-Press this should be for advanced programmers. Truth is first 100 (4 chapters) pages are just waste of money. Chap-5 (Web forms) Chap - 9 (ADO .net) are the only useful chapters. If you know ASP. NET and want to learn more this is not the perfect book.

Disappointing, February 27, 2002
Reviewer: Steve Shirkey from Chicago, IL United States
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.

Good ASP.NET book, January 22, 2002
Reviewer: Gregory A. Beamer
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.

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