Visual Basic Developer's Guide to ASP and IIS

by A. Russell Jones

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sybex
ISBN: 0782125573; 1 edition (October 1999)

The Web is rapidly becoming the front end of choice for applications. Why create a custom front end that will run only on a single PC when you can deliver a Web-based interface to anywhere in the world? Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS) is part of the Windows NT operating system, and by using its Active Server Pages (ASP) technology you can create Web applications using server-side scripts and COM objects.

Visual Basic is an evolving development environment, and the Visual Basic Developer's Guide to ASP and IIS is designed for Visual Basic 6 developers who want to take advantage of its Web development features. You won't need to know HTML to use this book, since it contains a guide to ASP and HTML. The heart of the book is a look at VB 6's Web class features. Web classes are a way of building COM objects that are used to modify HTML templates. You'll learn how to use Web classes to query databases, handle security, and work with client-side scripts. If you're interested in using Microsoft Transaction Server to improve Web application reliability and link to external applications, there's plenty of information to get you started.

This is a book for both the beginner and the hardcore VB developer. It's a welcome guide to an often overlooked feature of Visual Basic, with plenty of source code and examples. There's enough information here to use the Visual Basic Developer's Guide to ASP and IIS as both a tutorial and a reference.

Book Info: Provides you exactly what you need: expert instruction in the specific techniques and technologies that make Visual Basic the ideal tool for Web application development.

Customer Reviews
good, but caveat emptor..., December 19, 2001
Reviewer: John Watson from USA
This book has been very useful to me so far--the author seems to have a good grasp of the subject. The issue I have is with the code downloads from the Sybex website--it seems to contain a lot of errors--the code for chapter 7 is especially bad. Also, I wish the auther had not included so much ADO in the book; while I understand that ADO was relatively new when the book was written, I do not feel that it was necessary to include so much of it, since the author says the book is for those who already know VB well. As a result I've had to waste a lot of time tweaking the database code to get it to work with my system, and I haven't learned anything new from doing that.

Part of my "Premier" collection, June 21, 2000
Reviewer: Thomas J. Raef from Chicago, IL
I work as an independent consultant. I need quick reference to materials that can get me out of a jam or provide necessary guidance, quickly. I carry a "Premier" collection of books with me at all times, from project to project. This one was added immediately upon purchase. I DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! His sample routine for maintaining state is fantastic! Get this book, read it, work the samples and go do a project! NOW!

Good introduction to the web via VB WebClasses, March 24, 2000
Reviewer: Ian Stirk from London
This book introduces the Visual Basic developer to the world of the Web primarily via the use of WebClasses. The book provides a concise introduction to WebClasses, IIS, MTS, ASP, ADO, Component-based development, state management, and browser independence. Plenty of relevant coding examples are provided. The chapter of State Management is probably the best chapter, it discusses the various options available for the very real problems of scalability and maintaining state.

If you're a VB developer that has little knowledge of the web, then this book is a good introduction, it is aimed at the intermediate-level VB developer. It might be questionable if there a need for a book on WebClasses. WebClasses are, in essence, complied ASP. A very good concept, but if job numbers are a reliable indicator then stick with ASP. A easy, enjoyable read.

Excellent book - well worth the price, January 20, 2000
Reviewer: theycallmetrinity from Des Moines, Iowa
I found the book to be full of real-world, useful examples. I enjoyed the author's writing style. Seemed to be VERY up to date, including work-arounds for several things I noticed in on-line newsgroups just recently. Helped me decide is was feasible to write many of my web-based apps using VB now. Could be a little bigger, but still a great buy. I would also recommend chapters 12-14 in book ISBN 1-861002-22-X - the only other book to cover webclasses well.

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