Murach's Asp.net 3.5 Web Programming With C# 2008

If you can create Windows applications using C#, you're ready for this book.

It will get you off to a fast start with web programming, no matter whether you're coming to ASP.NET 3.5 with a background in an earlier release of ASP.NET, classic ASP, or Java servlets/JSP...or with no web background at all.

In fact, by the end of chapter 4, you'll know how to use Visual Studio 2008 to develop and test multi-page database applications for the web. No other ASP.NET book gets you started that fast.

But this book is more than a beginning book. By the time you're done, you'll have the professional skills you need to develop bullet-proof web applications for business. You'll also find that this book does double duty as the best on-the-job reference book that money can buy. No other ASP.NET book teaches you so much of what you'll use every day...or so thoroughly.

Everything you need to know to get going on web development
Look at the table of contents, and you'll see why we say that this book covers what you need to know to develop web applications at the professional level. That includes new 3.5 features like:

• Tools that make it easier to format web pages based on cascading style sheets (CSS)
  
  
• LINQ data sources that allow you to access data from any type of data source, not just databases
  
  
• The ListView and DataPager controls that allow for complex data handling that you couldn't do before (one reviewer refers to them as "GridView and Repeater on steroids," if you're familiar with those 2.0 controls)
  
  
• ASP.NET AJAX basics that show you the benefits so you're ready for indepth AJAX training

Of course, it blends those new features with the classic features that still apply to any ASP.NET application:

State management...data validation…database handling with SQL and object data sources...using master pages, themes, and site navigation features to create user-friendly interfaces…security…login controls to authenticate users…email handling...back-button control...reusable user and custom server controls...web services...site customization using profiles and web parts...deployment...and more!

3 reasons why this is the ASP.NET 3.5 book to get first

• To make sure that you learn ASP.NET as quickly and easily as possible, all of its features are presented in the context of complete applications. That includes the web forms, the aspx code, and the C# code. We've found that applications like these are the key to mastery of web development…but you won't find them in most competing books.
  
  
• To save you time and effort on repetitive chores, this book shows you how to get the most from Visual Studio 2008 as you develop your applications. This IDE is one of the keys to development productivity, yet many books neglect it after the first couple of chapters or ignore it entirely.
  
  
• If you download a free chapter, you'll see that all of the information is presented in "paired pages," with the essential syntax, guidelines, and examples on the right page and the perspective and extra explanation on the left page. This not only helps you learn faster by reading less, but is also the best reference format that you'll find anywhere.

About the Author
Anne Boehm has over 20 years of experience as an enterprise programmer. For the past 7 years, she's specialized in Visual Basic and .NET programming, and she's authored or co-authored books on VB.NET, ADO.NET, and ASP.NET.