Sebastopol, CA--Developers who want to create dynamic, data-driven web sites running on Microsoft web servers have long relied on Active Server Pages (ASP). ASP.NET is Microsoft's latest evolution of ASP. While ASP.NET has a lot in common with its predecessor, this new technology takes advantage of object-oriented programming to dramatically improve developer productivity and convenience. Using the .NET Framework and Microsoft's new object-oriented languages, ASP.NET brings the same rapid drag-and-drop productivity to web applications that the Visual Basic programming language brought to Windows applications.
ASP.NET also introduces web services, which allow developers to expose the functionality of an application via HTTP and XML, so that clients on any platform can access it via the Internet. ASP.NET is not merely an upgrade of ASP; it's a quantum leap ahead. There are many benefits to using ASP.NET, and one major drawback: the time developers must devote to mastering this new web application technology. Developers find a remedy for this in the new ASP.NET Cookbook (O'Reilly, US $39.95) by Michael A. Kittel and Geoffrey T. LeBlond.
This collection of code recipes provides a wealth of plug-and-play solutions to problems commonly encountered when developing ASP.NET web applications. The coding solutions appeal to a wide range of developers, from inexperienced to expert. For every problem addressed in the book, there's a worked-out solution or recipe--a short, focused piece of code that web developers can insert directly into their applications.
"The cookbook format is ideal for the topic of ASP.NET, particularly for an audience of professional/corporate developers," note Kittel and LeBlond. "It allowed us to focus exclusively on topics that are pertinent to this audience. Readers can get their answers quickly and get back to work. Most surprisingly of all, though, is that if a reader wants to take the time to read through the book, he or she will get more out of the ASP.NET Cookbook than any traditional tutorial--it's that comprehensive. And there are a lot of good coding techniques and practices that are shown in the book that we couldn't easily show in a tutorial or reference without straying off point."
In fact, the ASP.NET Cookbook provides far more than just a wide range of cut-and-paste code solutions. Each recipe is followed by a discussion--including tips, tricks, and possible pitfalls--so developers can learn to adapt the problem-solving techniques to similar situations.
"Our motivation for this book was simple," explain Kittel and LeBlond. "It grew out of our frustration to find one like it. There are many good general survey books on ASP.NET programming, but all too often they are long on the new whiz-bang features of ASP.NET and short on the pitfalls that can lurk behind them. Secondarily, they lack sufficient examples to illustrate the inevitable trade-offs, examples that would allow you to make an informed decision about whether to use one approach over another. The ASP.NET Cookbook addresses these shortcomings by focusing directly on problems readers are facing or are likely to face in the future. Using a question-and-answer format, we make it easy for readers to skim for a near match to their problem."
The recipes in the book run the gamut from simple coding techniques to more comprehensive development strategies that even the most experienced ASP.NET programmers will savor. This ultimate ASP.NET code sourcebook will quickly earn the dog-eared corners and coffee rings that mark a web developer's most valued resource.
Additional Resources:
- Chapter 12, "Dynamic Images"
- More information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and samples
- A cover graphic in JPEG format
ASP.NET Cookbook
Michael A. Kittel and Geoffrey T. LeBlond
ISBN 0-596-00378-1, 824 pages, $39.95 US, $57.95 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.