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Summary: Great into to ASP.NET
Review: If you are an ASP veteran and want to get quickly up to speed with ASP.NET, this is your book. The differences between the two are highlighted often and you'll be up and running with ASP.NET in no time. If you're looking for an ASP.NET reference, you'll be disappointed. This book is not a reference work. For that see the VS.NET help or get another book to compliment this one.
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Summary: A More Declarative Approach
Review: In 2000, Microsoft released ASP.NET version 1. Now comes a major release, 2.0. The main use is for making dynamic web pages. Microsoft has put a lot of effort into smoothing over the rough edges of version 1 and making it more powerful, and yet easier to use.There has been a deliberate shift in emphasis from a procedural language to a more declarative one. If you are unsure what this means, consider the stylistic difference between C and HTML. C is procedural, while HTML is declarative. As we know, it is far easier for an average person to learn HTML than C. This is perhaps the main motivator for the change. Microsoft is trying to broaden the user base. Along the way, this can also benefit you, as an ASP programmer. Because in trying to emphasise scripting, Microsoft reduced the amount of "boilerplate" coding. So you can now concentrate on the more intricate stuff, adding more value. Version 1 users will also like not having to directly edit the XML parameter file in version 2. A simple GUI now mediates that file. Sounds mundane, but this reduces the chances of editing errors. One interesting change seems to be inspired by competition with Java. Version 2 will have only 1 set of server controls for all devices; even small mobile devices. The Java industry consortium that maintains J2EE took a different route. They made J2ME for mobile devices, that are often very limited in resources. I think the J2EE/J2ME division is necessary. But Microsoft claims that their Version 2 single set, with extensible ability, will work. The problem is that one might get a bloated resource usage. Still, Microsoft has very talented people, and they may indeed have found a practical solution. The book does not actually mention J2EE and J2ME. But reading between the lines, you can find this implicit comparision.
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Summary: Planning for the future of ASP.NET?
Review: Just get this book. While ASP.NET 2.0 release is some time in the future, there are things you can do today that will make the transition easier. For instance, if you are already creating pages using some sort of Master Page implementation, look at Chapter 5 on Master Pages to see if there is anything you can do now to make the transition to the version 2.0 Master Pages easier. Even if you can't move to ASP.NET 2.0 as soon as it comes out, some of the ideas that are baked into 2.0 (for instance, the Provider Design Pattern) can be used today to produce a more flexible ASP.NET 1.1 application (for instance, the Provider model is already in use today in a version of the .Text blogging engine, using .NET 1.1). So, if you are moving to 2.0 as soon as you can, get this book, and if you are not, it is also a good read for the ideas that you can implement today!
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Summary: Planning for the future of ASP.NET?
Review: Just get this book. While ASP.NET 2.0 release is some time in the future, there are things you can do today that will make the transition easier. For instance, if you are already creating pages using some sort of Master Page implementation, look at Chapter 5 on Master Pages to see if there is anything you can do now to make the transition to the version 2.0 Master Pages easier. Even if you can't move to ASP.NET 2.0 as soon as it comes out, some of the ideas that are baked into 2.0 (for instance, the Provider Design Pattern) can be used today to produce a more flexible ASP.NET 1.1 application (for instance, the Provider model is already in use today in a version of the .Text blogging engine, using .NET 1.1). So, if you are moving to 2.0 as soon as you can, get this book, and if you are not, it is also a good read for the ideas that you can implement today!
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Summary: With specific troubleshooting problems to watch out for
Review: The collaborative effort of software development experts Alex Homer, Dave Sussman, and Rob Howard, A First Look At ASP.NET v. 2.0 is a methodical handbook, reference, and self-teaching aid for the Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Web development platform. Demonstrating how to effectively use ASP.NET to reduce development time and associated costs; improve the performance of Web applications and services; extend applications to mobile clients, and so much more, A First Look At ASP.NET v. 2.0 is a superbly organized and presented introductory guide filled from cover to cover with examples, sample code, and broad overviews -- as well as specific troubleshooting problems to watch out for.
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Summary: Believe the hype...buy this book.
Review: The scientist Louis Pasteur is famous for, amongst other things, saying, "chance favors the prepared mind." With Whidbey on the horizon, Dave Sussman, Alex Homer and Rob Howard, are getting you prepared for battle, as you combat long, drawn-out development sessions and having to write thousands of lines of code. You'll definitely want to pick up a copy of this book to properly arm yourself. Whether you're an existing alpha tester or one of the many who is privy to a PDC copy of Whidbey, this is the definitive source you'll want in your arsenal for the next evolution of ASP.NET. There's code galore, and the concepts are explained easily and well, while still mixing in the specifics of how the next version of .NET will help you become a better web developer. The book's hearty 470+ pages display a tone that is friendly and comforting, which is a plus when taking into consideration the literal piano of information about new features and enhancements that will be dropping on you. It seems to be best read by an experienced ASP.NET developer, familiar with concepts and terms inherent to Microsoft web development. One will quickly welcome the perspectives given on a variety of topics from caching to the new server controls, to the enhancements Version 2.0 of the .NET Framework delivers. The book does not completely marry the reader to the Whidbey version of Visual Studio .NET, rather presenting the code examples in an IDE-agnostic manner, so as to still appeal to the NotePad enthusiast in all of us. Still, the vast and massive improvements to VS.NET itself are well documented. All the book's examples are presented in Visual Basic .NET, which isn't so bad, as one of the key points of the title is that Whidbey's new model minimizes the authoring of code itself, so you can concentrate more on working with encapsulated server controls and optimizing your web apps through intelligent configuration and management utilities. A very healthy chapter on Web Parts and Whidbey's model for the portal framework is most appreciated, and the ease by which you'll sift through the accompanying code just goes to prove how much better developing web-based applications will be once Whidbey arrives. Equally-thick chapters on new aspects of the feature set such as master pages, membership, and personalization, as well as great discussions of the improvements to the existing security, data controls, configuration and administration. The book also does a great job of keeping multi-platform application development in mind, constantly mentioning the capabilities of Whidbey to generate output for both the desktop-based and mobile browser. My personal favorite new feature of ASP.NET 2.0 is Web Parts and Personalization, and the book has a great deal of information on both. The book proves that not only has Microsoft listened to customers and thought way ahead in developing the next big thing, but the title's authors themselves answer many questions you'd likely ask. If you're wondering if this book (and Whidbey in general) is worth it - believe the hype. Get this book now. You'll be very happy you did, and will be anxiously anticipating the release of Beta 1.
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Summary: The Cutting Edge
Review: Unfortunately I don't have the ASP.NET 2.0 Alpha, but I do have this book, which is certainly the next best thing. I have to admit, I wasn't sure how much I would get out of a book like this without having access to the software being discussed, but the chapters actually manage to be interesting on their own merit. If you're an early adopter or subscribe to the "knowledge is power" model, then this book makes an excellent read. Going through this book should give you an edge over developers that wait for the final release of ASP.NET 2.0. The only downside to this book is the fact that I now can't wait for the next VS.NET to arrive. "Whidbey" looks to be a MAJOR upgrade for VB/C# web developers (unlike the 2003 upgrade).
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