ASP.NET for Dummies

Ah, the wide world of the Web. You just can’t do business without a Web site, and the more compelling and interactive it is, the better. In a competitive environment, keeping your Web site fresh and exciting can have a real effect on your bottom line.

If you’re a corporate Web site developer or a small business owner responsible for maintaining your own site, ASP.NET is the technology that can give you that competitive edge. It’s easy to use and works with other familiar languages, like Visual Basic and HTML, to help you set up cool interactive Web pages. With ASP.NET, you can

• Add a survey or calculator to your Web site
• Enable data retrieval
• Create a monthly calendar
• Send e-mail from your site
• Set up a real-time chat room, and more

If you’re familiar with earlier incarnations, ASP.NET For Dummies is a great way to get up to speed on the changes and enhancements in the .NET version.

ASP.NET For Dummies gets you going in a hurry. Instead of having to wade through pages of theory before you can actually play with the technology, you get to jump in and create your first ASP.NET page in the very first chapter! Find out how to

• Understand ASP.NET and Visual Basic .NET terms and languages
• Create cool elements with ASP.NET’s built-in objects
• Discover ways to let Web site users enter information and get responses
• Validate user input
• Use the .NET Framework Class Library to teach your applications new tricks
• Enable users to access information from a database and keep the information up to date
• Combine ASP.NET with other technologies to create more exciting Web applications

There’s even a bonus CD-ROM packed with information for Classic ASP veterans, two great bonus applications, and a sample database. If you’re a newcomer, you’ll find plenty of background to get you up to speed. If you’re an experienced programmer, go right to the new stuff and sample applications. Either way, ASP.NET For Dummies will help you make your Web site a sight to behold.

About the Author Bill Hatfield is the best-selling author of several computer books, including two editions of Active Server Pages For Dummies (on Classic ASP) as well as Visual InterDev For Dummies and Creating Cool VBScript Web Pages (all from Hungry Minds, Inc.). He is also the editor of .NET Developer and ActiveWeb Developer, two technical journals from Pinnacle Publishing for professional developers using Microsoft technologies. He's an independent corporate trainer and maintains a Web site (www.edgequest.com) dedicated to helping developers solve problems. He works from his home in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he now has a real baby (and therefore he can stop dressing up the cat in little outfits).