Rating:  - Programming ASP.NET (3rd edition)
I was reading this book as a sequel to "Programming C#" by Jesse
Liberty. . I come from a Java/ColdFusion (mainly web applications)
background and wanted to venture out onto the .Net platform for web
application development.
The book is divided into 19 chapters (over 900 pages) of detailed
and valuable information on the ASP.Net 2.0, as described below;
01. ASP.NET 2.0 Overview
02. Visual Studio 2005 examination
03. Controls in ASP.NET
04. Basic Controls
05. Advanced Controls
06. Web Site Basics
07. Tracing, Debugging, Error Handling
08. Validation in ASP.NET
09. Data Access
10. ADO.NET
11. Forms-Based Security
12. Master Pages
13. Personalizing in ASP.NET
14. Custom & User Controls
15. Creating Web Services
16. Using Web Services
17. Caching & Performance
18. Application Configuration
19. Deploying your site
The chapters and content is laid out logically with plenty of
textual and graphical information (charts, screenshots, e.t.c.)
which makes it very easy to follow for a novice to intermediate
user. For a user who is already experienced in other languages or
even the C# language, I felt it a bit of an overkill to explain each
component in 2.0 frameworks in detail. Each control that a .Net
programmer has heard of (or not) is explained with relevant control
properties in a tabular format and a small example to back it up.
The authors also point out several differences between 1.1 and 2.0
versions of this framework along the way. As with most O'Reilly
books, this one is extremely informative and comprehensive. At
times, however, it does feel overly informative.
Once you get past chapter 05, the conceptual information about
state, error handling, directives is presented. The chapters on data
access present exhaustive information on grids, data lists, repeater
controls, etc while the one on ADO.Net provides information on
establishing database connections, creating data relations (foreign
and primary keys). The chapters 12 and 13 cover the new feature in
2.0 like the Master Pages, Personalization, Themes, Web-Parts, etc.
Though the domain of this book is extraordinarily large, I did not
find anything on email objects (System.mail). I have known some
people who complained about not being able to see any Visual Basic
code. For me, however, I have been working with coldfusion,
javascripts, java and action scripts 2.0, so the C# syntax looks
familiar and more understandable.
In conclusion, this book is an excellent reference to anyone
experienced with ASP.Net 1.1 and a great learning guide to someone
new to ASP.net 2.0. If the [experienced] reader gets past the first
five chapters, then he/she should have no problem in mastering the
latest and greatest of the Microsoft framework in a short time. I
have definitely learned an incredible amount from this book, and I
can say with confidence that I have added ASP.Net to my repertoire.
Rating:  - Great book to get you rolling
I haven't written many asp.net apps in the last 1.5 years having been pulled into other programming projects. I was recently assigned to a new project that is strictly asp.net.
I found this book to provide both the breadth of topic that I was interested in and just the right amount of depth in each of these topics so that I could approach my new project with confidence.
I have been able to download coding examples from the author's website and was pleased to find that the ones I executed actually ran w/o modification.
The book now sits proudly on my desk, well worn and often referenced.
Rating: - VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Are you a programmer or web developer who wants to build web applications using Microsoft's powerful new ASP.NET 2.0 platform? Well, you're in luck! Authors Jesse Liberty and Dan Hurwitz, have done an outstanding job of writing a 3rd edition of a book that will teach you all you need to know to build professional quality, interactive, robust data-driven web applications.
Liberty and Dan Hurwitz, begin with an introduction to ASP.NET and the .NET platform. Then, they explore the Visual Studio 2005 Integrated Development Environment and show you how you can use it most efficiently to create ASP.NET applications. The authors continue by providing complete coverage of ASP.NET Server Controls. In addition, the authors next go beyond the controls to show you how to use code-behind effectively, and how to manage state in the otherwise stateless Web and describe the lifecycle of a Web page in detail and, finally show you how to take advantage of advanced directives. They also examine Tracing, Debugging, and Error Handling in ASP.NET. Then, the authors look at validation. They continue by looking at Web Data Access, and explore the new controls in ASP.NET 2.0 that make interacting with data sources such as databases and XML files far easier than ever before. In addition, the authors next cover ADO.NET. They also describe in detail how to implement forms-based security to constrain user access to your web site over the Internet. Then, the authors describe features that help you build professional-quality Web applications. They continue by showing you how to allow your users to tailor the look and feel of your site to their own requirements and how to store that information so when the user returns, the site remembers the user's preferences and state. In addition, the authors cover the powerful, yet easy to use, technology that allows you to extend ASP.NET to create controls customized for your specific problem domain. They also show you how to create web services that allow other applications to interact with your application programatically. Then, the authors show you how to create client applications that present data retrieved from Web services. They continue by focusing on issues related to building fast, scalable applications. In addition, the authors next cover application logic and configuration. Finally, they focus on deployment.
The good thing about this excellent book is that it helps you get the job done. Needless to say, this book simplifies the configuration and deployment of applications.
Rating:  - Major Disappointment
What happened to the VB.Net to accompany the C#? MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT that all the VB.Net is gone!
I don't care what you C# snobs think about VB.Net. Fact is, the junior programmers in our shop probably will never learn C/C++ or C# because VB.Net is definitely good enough. I find myself using it more and more, especially when I want to code something quickly with a minimum of hassle.
Rating: - Must Read For All ASP.NET Developers
Jesse Liberty continues to shine as one of the best .NET authors in the industry today. With the 3rd Edition of 'Programming ASP.NET', Liberty hits another home run out of the park, providing a resource that experienced and new ASP.NET users can use every day.
Cramming over 900 pages of information into this book, this book is a fantastic bargain at its retail price point. 19 Chapters are covered in this guide, the likes of which I will outline here:
01. ASP.NET 2.0 Overview
02. Visual Studio 2005 examination
03. Controls in ASP.NET
04. Basic Controls
05. Advanced Controls
06. Web Site Basics
07. Tracing, Debugging, Error Handling
08. Validation in ASP.NET
09. Data Access
10. ADO.NET
11. Forms-Based Security
12. Master Pages
13. Personalizing in ASP.NET
14. Custom & User Controls
15. Creating Web Services
16. Using Web Services
17. Caching & Performance
18. Application Configuration
19. Deploying your site
This book is laid out in logical structure and is very easy to follow. The author covers each section in furious detail, providing plenty of examples and screenshots to make things fun for all level users. Intelligent uses of design charts, bolding, and lists only add to the user experience.
ASP.NET 2.0 is different from 1.1, and the author goes over the differences and why it's not a simple upgrade like adding a couple of new windows like in previous iterations of Microsoft Word. My favorite addition in 2.0 and the most handy new feature is the addition of the new Master Pages which enable a common look to progress throughout an entire web site. Before this feature was included, it would have required a lot more work and time to accomplish this task. With 2.0, Microsoft's .NET team has simplified the entire process.
To put it simply, this is an outstanding guide, but it's not perfect. The book is so large that it might be overwhelming for some users who would prefer a more streamlined guide to learning ASP.NET 2.0. Probably the best way to dive into this technology would be to pick up a copy of ASP.NET 2.0 A Developer's Notebook to get a quicker overview, and then read this guide to get into the finer details.
If you program with ASP.NET 2.0 or one of the earlier versions, you would be remiss to not pick up this book. It's a great deal and the writing is top notch. You won't be disappointed!!
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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