Beginning ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB [Paperback]

I've picked up copies of Beginning ASP.NET 2.0; Build Your Own ASP.NET 2.0 Web Site Using C# & VB; Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 E-Commerce in C# 2005 From Novice to Professional; and Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5 Step by Step (the only one I can recommend). With all of these, I struggled to read them and didn't feel as though I learned much, or in the case of the last, failed to get much more than an overview of ASP.NET (albeit a good one).

However, with Imar Spaanjaars' book, I finally feel comfortable with ASP.NET 3.5.

In this book Imar works through the steps of creating of an actual, fully-functional, ASP.NET 3.5 Web site, that's actually not that bad (ignoring some questionable design).

Unlike other books, Imar covers both the Express and commercial versions of Visual Studio, in a very unobtrusive way. In addition, Imar doesn't rely solely on the ASP.NET components, but gives a good deal of actual programming, in both C# and VB (in a very clean, comfortable, way).

While it's true that he references a number of other Wrox books, such as Professional ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer), there is very little that needs to be examined to get a site up and running, that would suit the majority of business needs.

Overall, my faith in the ability of Web developers to write good books has been restored by this tome (and at over 700 pages, tome it is). A Web developer Imar is, and to us, as equals, is to whom he speaks. This is clearly seen in his summaries and tips, at the end of each chapter.

I give this book 5 stars of 5. If you've read the other books and been left sad, confused, and/or angry, this is the volume to pick up.

Note: I will be reading this book twice, once I've finished with Professional ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Programmer to Programmer). There is so much in this book that bears repeating, and many things that I'm sure I missed in my first read, since it's so full of (valuable) information.

I work as a C (C++) programmer. Much of what I do uses MFC code to talk to SQL Server and Access. The company decided to migrate my software to the Internet and since it wasn't time critical, gave me the option of learning the technology and doing it myself. And so I have messed around when I had spare time for several months not really getting it to work. The two skills I felt like I really needed to acquire into order to be up and running were (1) the ability to access databases securely and reliably from a Web site (logins, etc.), and (2) the ability to call dlls (Web Services) from a Web site. This book gets me through the first, but not the second.

Part of the reason that I'm further along now is that I was using ASP.NET 2.0. Version 3.5 has added so many widgets to resolve common problems that it really feels to me from the perspective of a rank beginner like an entirely different beast, though under the hood, the fundamentals are the same. For example, the beginning ASP.NET 2.0 book I read devoted a whole chapter to Request and Response. There are just a couple references to them in this book, and they're not even mentioned in the index. Version 3.5 has been so structured that you don't need to know even these very basic details.

This is not a reference book. I couldn't easily look up how to add a background image to my master page having forgotten it, and having read it once, I'm now reading it again cover to cover and taking notes to create the reference I need, because I don't even remotely remember it all. And I will need to read the advanced book to get where I want to be.

Instead of a reference, you build a fully functional Web site throughout the course of the book. An exercise in chapter 11 may refer to a page you built in Chapter 4, so you absolutely have to follow the entire book from start to finish or you'll be lost. I do think that this is the best approach to learning ASP.NET 3.5, because I really feel like if I pay attention, I can now write a full fledged Web site. I can't see any other way to cover (in 700 pages) server controls, user controls, themes, style sheets, skins, master pages, basic C#, debugging, code behind files, Web services, databases, LINQ, security, base pages, validation, AJAX, menus, deployment... to mention a few of the biggies. None of these were even mentioned in my ASP.NET 2.0 books, mostly because they didn't exist. You can get whole books on most of these technologies, but I really feel Spaanjaars gives you a serviceable introduction to each of them. I'm also impressed by the considerable planning that must have gone into deciding what order the various tools should be presented in, and consequently how the site should be built up. For example, Cascading Style Sheets are presented before Master Pages, because it's easier to cover the 8-9 ways of modifying them if you don't yet have a master page.

In summary, this is the first beginning text on dynamic database driven Web sites that got me past that psychological barrier and convinced me that I am going to be able to migrate my life to the Internet. The text is clear and very well organized. And there are precious few errors. (I submitted most of the typos a previous reviewer complained about, because I liked the book so much I wanted it to be perfect. Sorry for the unintended effect Imar.)

Over the years I have read over 50 programming books. This easily ranks as one of the best. I am now on page 193 - and have made underlinings or notes on almost every page. First of all, it might be relevant to know that my background is classic ASP - but it's been a few years since I worked with it. Overall, the book flows beautifully and logically. Not only does the overall structure make sense, but the actual detail explanations are crystal clear. This book takes the reader on a logical course to understand all the key aspects of creating ASP.NET web sites (including key details of the Visual Web Developer interface). I am continually amazed at the flow, and the clear explanations of all relevant details. Additionally, I have posted a number of questions on the wrox forum website (look for the one that deals specifically with this book) and Imar - the author - quickly and thoroughly answered all my questions. My thanks to Imar for this work of outstanding quality - a truly helpful addition to the ASP community.