Thousands of new developers are learning ASP.NET 2.0 daily with the help of one or more books available on the market. Most of these books explore either ASP.NET 2.0 from the fundamentals and hence are very bulky, while some others examine only specific feature such as WebParts and Databases. However, Build your own ASP.NET 2.0 website using C# and VB by Christian Darie and Zak Ruvalcaba analyzes all aspects of ASP.NET 2.0 in a concise format and with the help of a sample project.

The book contains 14 chapters of high quality content. As you finish each chapter the project will be expanded with additional modules and at the end of the final chapter you will be able to see a real ASP.NET 2.0 application in action. You can then implement the solution on your website as such or by tweaking the code as per your requirements. I must say that the book is project centric and this is the kind of book most of the developers will be looking for not only to learn the technology faster but also to create and develop a real application in a short span of time.

The book starts with a basic introduction to ASP.NET with special reference to the installation of SQL Server 2005 Express and Visual Web Developer 2005. The author also explains how to write a first ASP.NET page with the help of source code in both C# and Visual Basic. I feel that this is an interesting aspect as many books tend to provide the code in only one language. The chapter also provides several tips as well. The second and third chapters examine the page structure of ASP.NET with comprehensive coverage of Directives, Code Declaration, View State, Programming basics such as functions, loops, arrays and the usage of code behind files. Moreover, the author also examines the various concepts of Object Oriented Programming (OOP).

You will learn how to make use of server controls, master pages and  Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) with the help of chapter 4. The remaining chapters explain the features and concepts of ASP.NET 2.0 with the help of a sample project titled DorkNozzle. The authors delve deep into various key concepts such as usage of validation controls, setting up of databases, enhancing the application with DataLists, GridView and DetailsView controls and some of the advanced issues associated with the Database, Security and User Authentication.

The final chapter provides a comprehensive coverage of File handling and uploading, Sending Email with ASP.NET 2.0 including a short note about the creation and implementation of company newsletter page into the project. The book includes a separate chapter about SQL basics. I feel that it should be included as an appendix rather than accommodating it between key chapters.

The book also includes an appendix which provides references to events, properties and methods of various web controls included with ASP.NET 2.0. I am sure that it is a handy cheat sheet for developers.

The authors should also provide a list of naming conventions which should be followed while working with the web controls including a brief comparison of the changes in ASP.NET 2.0 with respect to ASP.NET 1.1 at appropriate places. The publisher should also provide a CD with complete source code for the sample project including additional tools such as Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition so that developers can get started using the book immediately after its purchase. I hope the authors and the publisher will consider these aspects during the release of next edition of the book.

No doubt, the book is a must read for avid beginners who wish to master all the salient features included with ASP.NET 2.0 in a user-friendly manner.