ASP.NET Unleashed Book

ASP.NET Unleashed is a chunky, detailed guide to Microsoft's Web development platform. Despite its similar name, ASP.Net is fundamentally different from older versions of Active Server Pages, which makes this in-depth handbook particularly welcome. A key feature of the book is that it does not use Visual Studio.Net, Microsoft's ASP.Net development tool. Instead, the author uses pure code for all examples, which means you can follow along with nothing more than the freely downloadable ASP.Net SDK (Software Development Kit). This approach is excellent for communicating how the technology really works, which can be obscured by slick visual editors. On the other hand, developers who need a guide to ASP.Net development with Visual Studio should look elsewhere. The language used is Visual Basic, although those who prefer C# should not have much trouble adapting the code. The first part of the book is focused on controls, with a tour of built-in Web server controls, an introduction to creating custom controls and a quick look at third party products. Next comes ADO.Net, the database aspect of this technology, including an explanation of data binding. XML gets brief coverage. With the foundations in place, the second half of the book gets into more advanced topics, such as how to build a search page using SQL Server's full text indexing, form-based and Windows-based authentication, data encryption, session management and Web services. There is also an introduction to the .Net Framework and a helpful chapter on creating graphics on the fly with GDI+. It is not fully comprehensive, which given the scope of ASP.Net is not surprising, but there is a ton of excellent material here. --Tim AndersonRead More