ASP.NET 3.5 For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am an experienced developer so I only expected to skim over the book to get familiar with any of the new asp.net 3.5 features. I found myself reading every word of every page because the book was actually "entertaining". The writing is very smooth and easy to understand. You feel as if a really good teacher who knows how to relate to people is talking to you.
I was also surprised how deep the book was able to go into each subject. For example Linq is a very complicated subject yet the book does contain enough examples for you to use it in the real world.

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Did you volunteer to create a Web site for the softball team? Is it time to take your small business to the next level and let your customers shop online? Well, you can relax! ASP.NET 3.5 makes creating a dynamic site faster and cleaner than ever before, and ASP.NET 3.5 For Dummies makes it easier.
First, you'll get an introduction to all the tools and terminology you need to understand ASP.NET. If you've used earlier versions of ASP.NET and Visual Web Developer, you can probably skip that part and jump right into what's new in 3.5. You'll make friends with LINQ and SQL, create sites in Visual Web Developer 2008 Express, and much more. Before you know it, you'll discover how to:
Integrate data, track shopping cart contents, and whisk away bugs
Create user interfaces with easy navigation
Use the ListView control for sophisticated formatting
Write LINQ queries
Add a table to a database
Create an event handler
Take advantage of the drag 'n' drop feature that lets you write less code
Put all the features to work to develop dynamic Web applications

The softball team is going to love that Web site, and your customers might enjoy shopping on your site so much that you'll have to expand your business to fill all the orders! We can't promise that, of course, but we're pretty sure that ASP.NET 3.5 For Dummies will make creating Web sites easier and a lot more fun.

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Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: Includes Silverlight 2 (Expert's Voice in .NET) Review

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(More customer reviews)Very thorough book, and at 1600+ pages, it ought to be. That being said, there are some weaknesses. I have read parts of the book, and then later when trying to retrieve same information, could not find it in the index. This was frustrating having to re-read entire chapters until I found what I was looking for.
Also, there is no background information on OO techniques. While technically not the purpose of the book, it would be nice to know how pages can be inherited from one another and how that technique differs from, say, using Master Pages.
Another thing the book did NOT have that I was hoping it would is detailed information on how to programmatically add controls to an ASP.Net web page. Nothing in the book at all.
Last but not least, the book claims to explain ASP.Net in VB 2008 yet some of the examples are clearly C# syntax. This is a typo for sure, but frankly an unacceptable one in my opinion. If I wanted a C# book, I would have purchased one.

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ASP.NET 3.5 is the latest version of Microsoft's revolutionary ASP.NET technology. It is the principal standard for creating dynamic web pages on the Windows platform. Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008 raises the bar for high-quality, practical advice on learning and deploying Microsoft's dynamic web solution. Written especially for the VB.NET developer using VB 2008, seasoned .NET professionals Matthew MacDonald, Mario Szpuszta and Vidya Agarwal explain how you can get the most from this groundbreaking new technology. They cover ASP.NET 3.5 as a whole, illustrating both the brand-new features and the functionality carried over from previous versions of ASP. This book will give you the knowledge you need to code real ASP.NET 3.5 applications in the best possible style.The book will teach you ASP.NET 3.5 starting with core concepts to more advanced topics. You will learn:Core concepts of ASP.NET 3.5. Why it's special. What its fundamental principals are. The basics of Visual Studio. How ASP.NET 3.5 controls are created, and how they fit into ASP.NET 3.5 pages, ultimately creating full applications.Data access details. The intricacies of ADO.NET and how to perform data binding to many sources from databases to file streams to XML. We include LINQ coverage so you're on the bleeding edge, and the ADO.NET Entity Framework.Silverlight 2.0 ASP.NET controls - to take your presentation to new levels with the incredibly powerful new version of Silverlight 2.0.Security. Once considered the Achilles heel of all Windows web applications, security has vastly improved and is a cornerstone of ASP.NET 3.5. This section explains the various forms of available security, and how to best apply them.Taking things further using advanced user interface techniques. This includes user controls, customer server controls, client-side JavaScript, GDI+ and the impact of Silverlight 2.0.Web services. In an increasingly connected world, working with web services grows in importance. This book will show you how to work with them.ASP.NET AJAX, with an emphasis on contemporary web development techniques.ASP.NET MVC, ASP.NET Extension package, and much more...

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ASP.NET 3.5 Unleashed Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a VERY good book for learning ASP.NET 3.5 from A to Z. It covers just about every ASP.NET topic you will touch in your career. This book is a LIBRARY of information on a wide variety of topics. The chapters on custom controls were much easier to read and more in depth than any book on the market. The chapters on ASP.NET AJAX were also very well written and were presented in a very systematic fashion.
Having been working as a senior-level developer and architect for ASP.NET system for many years now, I can tell you that this book will take you very far. If you're a seasoned ASP.NET developer, but aren't familiar with some of ASP.NET's lesser-known features (custom controls, custom configuration sections) or need to learn the various new features of .NET 3.5 like LINQ and the now native ASP.NET AJAX, this book is one you should definitely look at.
Also note that the author is not only an MVP, but he is a Microsoft Software Legend, the highest possible rank of a soldier in Microsoft's public army. He is a General; you can trust his work.

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ASP.NET 3.5 Unleashed is the most comprehensive book available on the Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5 Framework, covering all aspects of the ASP.NET 3.5 Framework--no matter how advanced.This edition covers all the new features of ASP.NET 3.5. It explains Microsoft LINQ to SQL in detail. It includes a chapter on the two new data access controls introduced with the ASP.NET 3.5 Framework: ListView and DataPager. With its coverage of ASP.NET AJAX, this book shows you how to take advantage of Microsoft's server-side AJAX framework to retrofit existing ASP.NET applications with AJAX functionality. It also demonstrates how to use Microsoft's client-side AJAX framework to build the web applications of the future: pure client-side AJAX applications. All code samples are written in the C# programming language. (Visual Basic versions of all code samples are included on the CD-ROM that accompanies this book.)Take advantage of Microsoft's new database query language, LINQ to SQL, to easily build database-driven web applicationsLearn how to use the new ListView and DataPager data access controls to build flexible user interfacesTake advantage of ASP.NET AJAX when building both server-side and client-side web applicationsUse the AJAX Control Toolkit to create auto-complete text fields, draggable panels, masked edit fields, and complex animationsDesign ASP.NET websitesSecure your ASP.NET applicationsCreate custom componentsBuild highly interactive websites that can scale to handle thousands of simultaneous usersLearn to build a complete ASP.NET 3.5 website from start to finish–the last chapter of the book includes a sample ASP.NET 3.5 web application written with LINQ to SQL and ASP.NET AJAXCD-ROM includes all examples and source code presented in this book in both C# and Visual Basic.

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Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008 (Windows.Net) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pro ASP.net 3.5: This book is a must to have book for anyone who is starting/ switching their careers to developing web applications using asp.net technologies. The authors Matthew MacDonald and Mario Szpuszta, has done a very good job of covering all sections that are useful for beginners as well as middle level developers.
For example, if you are seeing Visual Studio for the first time in your life, they dedicated a whole chapter on how to use visual studio. The reason I brought up this point is they kept the beginners in mind and they didn't leave any assumptions that the reader already know how to use Visual Studio.
At the same time for those middle level developers who wants to dive into newly released hot technologies like Ajax, LINQ and Silverlight you won't be disappointed. They have dedicated individual chapters for each of those topics. As I have been developing asp.net application from last several years, I opened this book to see what I can read about Linq and Silverlight. I enjoyed those chapters as they give you an introduction and a good kick start. I am surprised that the authors also dedicated a whole chapter for website deployment (Chapter 18) where the architectures of IIS 5.0, 6.0 and then 7.0 is explained. That is awesome that they have discussed installation of IIS 7.0 and explained the architecture as well as the new Configuration model of IIS 7.0. Everything is explained with the help of screen shots.
Of course I took for granted for all those core concepts of asp.net like developing Http Handlers, Http Modules, Customer Server controls, Custom Membership and profile providers, Security. They are all covered and are very well explained in individual chapters.
Given the broadness of the subject, the authors done a great job of covering all areas in depth methodically that way you won't be lost.
I enjoyed this book so much that I would definitely recommend this book to any .Net Web Developer and this book is going to take some space on my desk.


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ASP.NET 3.5 isMicrosoft's revolutionary ASP.NET technology. It is the principal standard for creating dynamic web pages on the Windows platform. Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008 raises the bar for high–quality, practical advice on learning and deploying Microsoft's dynamic web solution.

Seasoned .NET professionals Matthew MacDonald and Mario Szpuszta explain how you can get the most from this groundbreaking technology. They cover ASP.NET 3.5 as a whole, illustrating both the brand–new features and the functionality carried over from previous versions of ASP. This book will give you the knowledge you need to code real ASP.NET 3.5 applications in the best possible style.

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Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)THIS BOOK IS A COMPLETE SCAM! It should have been called Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 with VB 2005 (NOT ASP.NET 3.5 with VB 2008). Why? because there is no 3.5/2008 specific content in this book what-so-ever! I could not believe this while i was reading.
He spends a chapter discussing the VB language and syntax, non of which contain the new language features or changes in the VB language, all examples will work in VB 2005 without issue. In fact, there is not even a mention of LINQ, which is the most important part of the new VB 2008 (VB9) language. In fact, he goes further by giving us chapters and chapters on accessing data using outdated data access methods and SQL statements, non of which is necesssary anymore thanks to LINQ (WHICH HE MENTIONS NOTHING ABOUT).
It talks about the old, outdated controls of ASP.NET 2.0 which are no longer used or necessary due to the newer and much better controls available in asp.net 3.5 (in which he mentions NOTHING about).
I still can't believe apress would allow something like this to go through. This really is a book about ASP.NET 2.0 and VB 2005 ONLY. There really is nothing (NOTHING, not even one bit) of anything related to exclusive ASP.NET 3.5 or VB 2008 features and content!!!!
What a damn disappointment, when you are reading a book and realize you've practically read the exact same book 3 years ago and there is nothing new in it!
Thankfully I didn't buy it and downloaded a copy off the internet to review it before buying it.
THIS IS A COMPLETE SCAM, DO NOT BUY IT.


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The most up-to-date and comprehensive introductory ASP.NET book you'll find on any shelf, Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008 guides you through Microsoft's latest technology for building dynamic web sites. This book will enable you to build dynamic web pages on the fly, and it assumes only the most basic knowledge of VB 2008. The book provides exhaustive coverage of ASP.NET, guiding you from your first steps right up to the most advanced techniques, such as querying databases from within a web page and tuning your site for optimal performance. Within these pages, you'll find tips for "best practices" and comprehensive discussions of key database and XML principles you need to know in order to be effective with ASP.NET. The book also emphasizes the invaluable coding techniques of object orientation and code behind, which will start you off on the track to building real-world web sites right from the beginningrather than just faking it with simplified coding practices. By the time you've finished the book, you will have mastered the core techniques and have all the knowledge you need to begin work as a professional ASP.NET developer.

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Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008: Includes Silverlight 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)This third edition is yet another outstanding textbook in the first author's collection and his writing skills seem to improve with every book. As the contents can be seen at a glance, it remains to say that each topic is, in fact, dealt with in a most comprehensive manner. In order to remove any ambiguity that might remain from any descriptive passage, there are rich examples that accompany each chapter. In fact, it was the superb set of examples for every chapter that were included with Matthew MacDonald's Pro WPF in C# 2008, second edition, that prompted me to buy this book, for which I have no regrets However, it is perhaps advisable to work through Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008, second edition, especially for the database work, before moving on to this book.
If Matthew MacDonald keeps up this standard of writing and presentation, not only for as ASP.NET, but also for WPF and Silverlight, it is going to be very difficult for any other author to do better. Despite the fact that other viewpoints are, and should be, always welcome, I find myself returning to MacDonald's books for helping me reach a more solid understanding.
I would like to conclude with a message to the publishers: the layout and print for the Beginning... book is excellent, if the heavy content is borne in mind. Unfortunately, there seems to have been some downsizing on the font size in the Pro... book that seems to make it disproportionally harder (for me, at least) to read. Perhaps, when better economic times come, the publishers would consider going to two volumes for Pro... books for what, each time, is a huge amount of reading material.


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ASP.NET 3.5 was released in November 2007 and has proven itself a great success within the Microsoft web-development community, as sales of the Second Edition of this book have shown. During the course of 2008 Microsoft is launching a number of upgrades and additions that enhance ASP.NETs functionality.This Third Edition is a revision of the popular Second Edition text that includes coverage of the Silverlight web-presentation technology, Silverlight ASP.NET controls, ASP.NET MVC, the ASP.NET Extension package and the ADO.NET Entity Framework. These technologies have all been released since ASPs official publication and exte nd its capacities considerably. They will be covered within the third edition without increasing the book's page-count.

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Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice in .NET) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have purchased (what feels like) hundreds of computer related books from Amazon.com (including other ASP.NET books), and this is the first one that I have ever felt the need to comment on.
This is just a great book, in my opinion! I found the book to be very easy to read, and logical to follow - Matthew MacDonald's writing style is very effective in communicating technical information in a way that made it easy for me to understand.
I've been developing Windows client applications (VB/C#) for close to 10 years, and have "played around" with ASP.NET 2.0. I knew how to make some basic web apps work, but didn't really understand what was going on underneath the covers. I had a lot of questions that were answered and now have a lot more confidence going forward with creating ASP.NET apps.
As I mentioned, I had purchased ASP.NET books by different authors (for 1.1 and 2.0). Maybe I never gave those books a chance, but this is by far the best that I have come across.


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The most up–to–date and comprehensive introductory ASP.NET book you'll find on any shelf, Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008 guides you through Microsoft's technology for building dynamic web sites. This book will enable you to build dynamic web pages on the fly, and it assumes only the most basic knowledge of C#.

The book provides exhaustive coverage of ASP.NET, guiding you from your first steps right up to the most advanced techniques, such as querying databases from within a web page and tuning your site for optimal performance. Within these pages, you'll find tips for "best practices” and comprehensive discussions of key database and XML principles you need to know in order to be effective with ASP.NET. The book also emphasizes the invaluable coding techniques of object orientation and code behind, which will start you off on the track to building real–world web sites right from the beginning-rather than just faking it with simplified coding practices.

By the time you've finished the book, you will have mastered the core techniques and have all the knowledge you need to begin work as a professional ASP.NET developer.

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