Beginning Dynamic Websites: with ASP.NET Web Matrix

What is this book about?

With this book and Web Matrix, you''ll be developing your own powerful ASP.NET websites in no time.

You''ll start at the beginning, learning how to create graphical web pages in Web Matrix. Then you''ll use Visual Basic .NET and databases to add the dynamic features usually seen in expensive commercial websites. You''ll finish by looking at some of the expert ASP.NET features - writing our own controls and web services.

Even if you''ve never programmed before, this book will take you right into the world of professional web development. You''ll be amazed at how easy it is and how much you can do.

What does this book cover?

With this book, you will learn how to

• Go further than just static HTML websites, by using a programming language. We will get you building real dynamic websites right from the beginning
• Change the content of your pages quickly and easily by using databases. With this book, you''ll learn how databases work, and how to make the most of them.
• Add interactivity to your website by creating your very own guest book, and allow people to leave message with emoticons.
• Create content you can distribute to other websites, and learn how to automatically update it all over the Web in one go!

Who is this book for?

Users of any edition of Microsoft Windows XP, or 2000 - ideal for beginners - no HTML knowledge is required.

Warning!

Microsoft has informed us that the version of MSDE distributed with this book is susceptible to the slammer worm. Microsoft is providing a patch for this version of MSDE at the following URL: http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/downloads/updates/sdkfix/default.asp.

If you have installed MSDE using the CD in the book, and wish to protect yourself from this virus, you should consider applying this patch. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused.

"With this book and the Web Matrix Starter Kit on the CD, you’ll be developing your own powerful dynamic websites in no time. Even if you’ve never programmed before, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is, and how much you can do."

With this book and Web Matrix, you’ll be developing your own powerful ASP.NET websites in no time.

We’ll start at the beginning, learning how to create graphical web pages in Web Matrix. Then we’ll use Visual Basic® .NET and databases to add the dynamic features usually seen in expensive commercial websites. We’ll finish by looking at some of the expert ASP.NET features – writing our own controls and web services.

Even if you’ve never programmed before, this book will take you right into the world of professional web development. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is, and how much you can do.

With this book you will be able to

• Go beyond static HTML websites by using a programming language. We will get you building real dynamic websites right from the beginning.
• Change the content of your pages quickly and easily by using databases. With this book, you’ll learn how databases work, and how to make the most of them.
• Add interactivity to your website by creating your very own Guest Book, and allow people to leave messages with emoticons.
• Create content you can distribute to other websites, and learn how to automatically update it all over the Web in one go!

Who is this book for?

Users of any edition of Microsoft® Windows XP® or 2000. Ideal for beginners – no HTML knowledge is required.

David Sussman has spent the majority of his professional life as a developer, using both Unix-based and Microsoft-based products. After writing his first two books while in full time employment, he realized that being an author sounded more glamorous than being a programmer. The reality is somewhat different. He now spends most of his time writing books for Wrox Press, speaking at conferences, and playing with most beta products that Microsoft ships.

James Greenwood is a technical architect and author based in West Yorkshire, England. He spends his days (and most of his nights) designing and implementing .NET solutions from Government knowledge-management systems to mobile integration platforms, all the while waxing lyrical on the latest Microsoft technologies. His professional interests include research into distributed interfaces, the automation of application development, and human-machine convergence.
When he can be prised away from the keyboard, James can be found out and about, indulging in his other great loves - British sports cars
and Egyptology.
You can reach James at jsg@altervisitor.com.

Alex Homer is a software developer and technical author living and working in the idyllic rural surroundings of the Derbyshire Dales in England. He came to computing late in life - in fact, while he was at school people still thought that the LED wristwatch was a really cool idea. Since then, he has obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics, and so, looked destined for a career painting computers. Instead, while not busy developing ASP components for Stonebroom Software (http://www.stonebroom.com), he prefers to install and play with the latest and flakiest beta code he can find - and then write about it. You can contact him at alex@stonebroom.com or alex@stonebroom.co.uk.

Colt Kwong is a Microsoft .NET MVP, software developer, technical writer, and addict of all things about .NET. He''s one of the top posters and a moderator on the Microsoft official ASP.NET forums at http://www.asp.net/Forums/. He also contributes on other popular websites and newsgroups as well. He spends a great deal of his free time providing help to budding ASP.NET developers. He is a guest speaker for Microsoft Hong Kong TechEd and a freelancer for Microsoft Hong Kong. He''s in the Winner''s Circle for Microsoft''s Asia Student .NET Online Challenge, earning perfect scores in advanced, intermediate, and basic levels of .NET, ASP.NET, XML web services, XML, Visual Basic .NET, Visual Studio .NET, and HailStorm. Moreover, he was also recognized as one of the Level 2 AspElite members and is a Moderator of AspFriends.com .

John West is a Principal Consultant at Intellinet (www.intellinet.com), based out of Atlanta, Georgia. He specializes in leading Microsoft .NET application development efforts. Intellinet provides infrastructure and business intelligence solutions. Intellinet''s Intelligent Enterprise integration solution helps clients to benefit from systems that meet current needs and can scale to future demands. Often, .NET applications become the glue to integrate the Intelligent Enterprise, which consists of networking, security, messaging, collaboration, custom applications, data, and mobility solutions.
When not working, he usually spends his time reading, hanging out with friends from church, and boating. John can be reached at wrox@johnwest.com.