For the current edition of this book, please see Murach’s ASP.NET 3.5 Web Programming with C# 2008 (ISBN 9781890774486).

Are you trying to decide which ASP.NET 2.0 book to buy?As its title implies, this book teaches you how to develop web applications using ASP.NET 2.0. That means it teaches all the features that are new in ASP.NET 2.0, including master pages, database access using both SQL and object data sources, the new code-behind model, site navigation features, authentication using the Web Site Administration tool and login controls, profiles, themes, and web parts.

But thatÂ’s just the beginning! Here are just a few of the features that set this book apart from other ASP.NET 2.0 books:


#1: It gives you a 5-chapter section on database programming
This is an area thatÂ’s changed dramatically from ASP.NET 1.x. So this section teaches you how to use SQL data sources and the GridView, DetailsView, and FormView controlsÂ… all new in ASP.NET 2.0 Â…to develop database applications with little or no C# code. Then, it teaches how to use object data sources, also new in ASP.NET 2.0, to create 3-layer applications that let you separate the presentation code from the data access code in an application.

#2: It teaches you ASP.NET 2.0 development the way it should be done, using Visual Studio 2005
Today, no developer should miss out on the productivity features of Visual Studio 2005 by using limited tools like Notepad. So section 1 in this book teaches you how to use Visual Studio 2005 to design, code, and test multi-page web applications that get database data and manage session state. Then, later chapters cover time-saving VS tools like the Query Builder and the Web Site Administration Tool.

#3: Complete applications show you how all the pieces interact
The key to mastering ASP.NET 2.0 is to have plenty of real-world applications that guide you in using the new features youÂ’re learningÂ…and that help you avoid the problems that you can run into as you build complex web sites. ThatÂ’s why this book gives you complete applications, including the web forms, the aspx code, and the C# code.

So if you need to learn ASP.NET 2.0, we hope you’ll try this book first. We’re convinced that it will deliver the training you need in record time.

During the last 30 years, many customers have asked me how it is that a small publisher in Fresno can make the best programming books. The short answer is that no other publisher works the way we do.Instead of using freelance writers who get no training, we use a small staff of programmers who are trained in our proven writing and teaching methods. Instead of publishing 40+ books each year, we focus on just a few. Instead of showing pieces of code, we provide complete applications that have been checked and re-checked for accuracy. And instead of rushing books to market, we refuse to let schedule or budget interfere with quality. As I see it, that’s the only way to make sure that every book we publish is the best one on its subject.

That’s why I say that no other ASP.NET 2.0 book will teach you so much, so fast, or so thoroughly as ours will. Try it and see for yourself!

Joel Murach has been writing and editing for more than 10 years. During that time, he sharpened his programming skills as a contract programmer in San Francisco and his instructional skills as a trainer for HarperCollins Publishing. He always brings a vision to his projects that leads to improved effectiveness for his readers. That’s especially evident in the books that he’s co-authored in the last two years on Java , C# , and now ASP.NET .Anne Boehm has over 20 years of experience as an enterprise programmer. For the past 7 years, sheÂ’s specialized in Visual Basic and .NET programming, and sheÂ’s authored or co-authored books on VB.NET, ADO.NET, and ASP.NET.