Review: ASP.NET 2.0 Unleashed: ASP Alliance

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Review: ASP.NET 2.0 Unleashed

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Published: 27 Jul 2006

Unedited - Community Contributed

Abstract
Since ASP.NET 1.0, one of the most popular books (if not the most popular book) has been Stephen Walther's ASP.NET Unleashed. Recently, Sams Publishing has released ASP.NET 2.0 Unleashed, again written by Stephen. This review will discuss the good and the bad of the book.

by Jason N. Gaylord
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Article Contents:

Table of Contents

I. Building ASP.NET Pages

1. Overview of the ASP.NET Framework

During this chapter the author covers ASP.NET and the .NET Framework, understanding ASP.NET controls, understanding ASP.NET pages and installing the ASP.NET framework.

2. Using the Standard Controls

During this chapter the author covers controls that display information, accept user input, submit form data, display images and the Panel and HyperLink controls.

3. Using the Validation Controls

In this chapter the author covers validation and discusses the validation controls.

4. Using the Rich Controls

This chapter explains how to accept file uploads, display a calendar, display advertisements, display different page views and display a wizard.

II. Designing ASP.NET Websites

5. Designing Websites with Master Pages

During this chapter the author explains how to create master pages, modify master page content and load master pages dynamically.

6. Designing Websites with Themes

In this chapter the author explains how to create themes, add skins and style sheets to themes, create global themes and apply themes dynamically.

7. Creating Custom Controls with User Controls

This chapter explains how to create user controls, dynamically load user controls and utilize AJAX with user controls.

III. Performing Data Access

8. Overview of Data Access

This chapter explains how to use databound and datasource controls, use templates and databinding expressions, and it provides an overview of SQL Server 2005 Express.

9. Using the SqlDataSource Control

During this chapter the author explains how to create a database connection, execute database commands, use ASP.NET parameters with the SqlDataSource control, programmatically execute SqlDataSource commands, and cache database data with the SqlDataSource control.

10. Using List Controls

In this chapter the author explains how to use list controls, provides details about the list controls and explains how to create a custom list control.

11. Using the GridView Control

During this chapter, the author provides GridView control fundamentals, explains how to use fields with the GridView control, explains how to work with the GridView events and explains how to extend the GridView control.

12. Using the DetailsView and FormView Controls

In this chapter the author explains how to use the DetailsView and FormView control.

13. Using the Repeater and DataList Controls

Throughout this chapter the author explains how to use the Repeater and DataList control.

IV. Building Components

14. Building Components

This chapter explains how to build basic components, build component libraries and the author lists some architectural considerations.

15. Using the ObjectDataSource Control

In this chapter the author explains how to represent objects with the ObjectDataSource control and use parameters with the ObjectDataSource control. It discusses enabling paging, sorting, and filtering data with the ObjectDataSource control, how to handle events from the ObjectDataSource control and explains how to extend the ObjectDataSource.

16. Building Data Access Components

During this chapter the author explains how to use connected and disconnected data access objects, execute asynchronous database commands and build database objects with the .NET framework.

V. Site Navigation

17. Using the Navigation Controls

Throughout this chapter the author explains how to use the SiteMapPath, Menu, and TreeView control. He also details how to build a SQL hierarchical data source control.

18. Using Site Maps

This chapter explains how to use the SiteMapDataSource control, use the SiteMap class, perform advanced site map configuration, create a custom site map provider and generate a Google SiteMap file.

19. Advanced Navigation

In this chapter the author explains how to create a custom UrlRemapper module and how to use the VirtualPathProvider class.

VI. Security

20. Using the Login Controls

During this chapter the author explains how to use the Login, CreateUserWizard, LoginStatus, LoginName, ChangePassword, PasswordRecovery and LoginView controls.

21. Using ASP.NET Membership

In this chapter the author explains how to configure authentication and authorization as well as how to use ASP.NET membership and the role manager.

VII. Building ASP.NET Applications

22. Maintaining Application State

During this chapter the author explains how to use browser cookies, session state and profiles.

23. Caching Application Pages and Data

During this chapter the author explains how to use page output caching, partial page caching, DataSource caching, data caching and SQL cache dependencies.

24. Localizing Applications for Multiple Languages

This chapter explains how to set the current culture, use the CultureInfo class and create local and global resources.

25. Working with the HTTP Runtime

Throughout this chapter the author explains how to create a custom BuildProvider and ExpressionBuilder, create an HttpHandler and HttpModule, and work with the Global.asax file.

26. Configuring Applications

During this chapter the author explains how to configure your website, use the Web Site Configuration tool, use the Configuration API, create a custom configuration section and create encrypted configuration sections.

VIII. Building Applications with Web Parts

27. Introduction to Web Parts

This chapter explains the web part framework and explains how to create a simple web part application. I also explains the Catalog, Editor, and Connections zones.

28. Building Web Parts

In this chapter the author explains how to create simple web parts, filter web parts, create custom web part verbs, display web part help and manage web parts using the WebPartManager control.

29. Personalizing Web Parts

Throughout this chapter the author explains how to configure Personalization, create personalize-able web parts and create custom Personalization providers.

30. Extending the Web Part Framework

This chapter explains how to create custom web part, catalog and editor zones. It also discusses how to create custom web part display modes.

IX. Custom Control Building

31. Building Custom Controls

During this chapter the author explains how to build custom controls, view state and control state, process postback data and events, work with control property collections and create a better designer experience.

32. Integrating JavaScript in Custom Controls

This chapter explains how to use the ClientScriptManager class, build JavaScript controls and build AJAX controls.

33. Building Templated Databound Custom Controls

Throughout this chapter the author explains how to create templated controls and templated databound controls.

X. Sample Application

34. Building an E-Commerce Application

This sample application covers the technologies that the reader has learned throughout the chapters. It includes, but is not limited to, master pages, themes, user controls, building a component library, creating a custom site map provider, creating a shopping cart, protecting credit card numbers, handling images, retrieving data using AJAX, improving performance through caching and conforming to standards.

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User Comments

Title: Horrible
Name: NazMan
Date: 2010-02-25 9:14:05 AM
Comment:
Hi,

This book is one of the worst I ever read.
A lot of code in the book but a lot of valuable information missing. You use the samples then you keep wondering for a long time about the missing parts that will make the samples work.

Alos, this book is toooo much tied to microsoft technology. Try using a database other than SQL Server... good freaking luck !

ciao

Title: Instant Host
Name: seowebmaster5@yahoo.in
Date: 2009-05-18 5:36:04 AM
Comment:
Very interesting article. You just earned a new fellow reader :)

I like a lot this article and others I just read on this blog.

Mind me a question, have you ever considered using the standard edition of LiteSpeed instead of lighttpd?

LiteSpeed has some good features like compatibility with .htaccess files (with caching) and mod_rewrite.

Best regards,

Title: What?
Name: Guru
Date: 2007-08-28 5:27:30 AM
Comment:
Dont do timepass here! ok

Title: Code Slut
Name: Mike
Date: 2007-08-09 4:00:32 PM
Comment:
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Title: well indeed
Name: Patrick
Date: 2007-07-02 10:02:52 AM
Comment:
I think the reviewer was pointing out that for those of us that know C# syntax, it would be nice to have the source in C#. I am unfamiliar with VB.NET and find the syntax for most code very strange. I am NOT saying that one is better than the other, just that I can understand C# syntax. Most modern text actual provide both -- I would not buy this book for that reason.

Title: well?
Name: mark
Date: 2006-10-17 9:38:58 PM
Comment:
c3? VB? this is not the place! is anyone gonna talk about the book??

Title: Re: Jon Nemesis
Name: Jason N. Gaylord
Date: 2006-09-11 11:33:09 AM
Comment:
Jon's Nemesis, I think you've been taking some C# pills lately. Don't start any language wars. There will always be a place for each language.

Title: To Jon
Name: Jon's Nemesis
Date: 2006-09-02 9:08:40 PM
Comment:
Lay off the space cake. C# owns VB and day of the week. C# is for real programmers, just wait until 3.0 gets lamdba expressions, something which very few imperative programming languages (save python and ruby) have. Or did you not notice that VB is always lagging behind C# in terms of feature development? Get real.

Title: C# code
Name: Jason N. Gaylord
Date: 2006-08-07 12:01:33 PM
Comment:
Mike is correct. The C# examples are on CD. However, CDs can be lost or destroyed so it would be nice if the examples could be downloaded (which Stephen has made available) or shown in the book. I was merely pointing out that if I had to force myself to find a flaw, that would be the only one. :)

Jon, I'd stay away from comments like that. C# does have a purpose and place. If it didn't, it wouldn't exist. Notice that many of the source downloads from Microsoft are still in C# only. The only thing I can add to your comment is the fact that Microsoft has mandated that their examples be written in VB. This is most likely due to their desire to have VB 6 developers switch to .NET (Just my opinion and speculation).

Title: C# code
Name: Jon
Date: 2006-08-03 12:46:43 PM
Comment:
All .net books should be only in VB.

Stick all that C# crap where it belongs, buried on some CD

Title: C# code
Name: Mike
Date: 2006-08-02 6:31:58 PM
Comment:
At the begining of the book Stephen mentions that every code sample is provided in c# on the accompanying CD.

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