Murach's ASP.NET 3.5 Web Programming with C# 2008

"In the last 3 years, I have tried to learn C# for web programming using books from a number of different publishers, but have always lost my motivation. The books were just not geared toward someone trying to learn on their own. Then, I checked out your ASP.NET/C# book from our corporate library. What a fantastic book! It's in such high demand at work that I bought my own copy." (A developer's comment on the 2.0 edition of Murach s ASP.NET)

Already know how to code C# 2008 desktop applications? Then, you're ready to master web programming with the 3.5 edition of this best-selling ASP.NET book from Murach Books.

It covers the 3.5 features that provide new functionality...like the ListView and DataPager data controls, LINQ data sources, new CSS-related tools, and ASP.NET AJAX...while it teaches you how to develop web applications from scratch. And it does that using all the same features that made the 2.0 edition such a favorite among professional developers:

#1. It's concise, practical, and crystal-clear in telling you what you need to know

#2. It shows you how to get the most from Visual Studio 2008 as you code, test, debug, and deploy ASP.NET web applications

#3. It gives you a 7-chapter section on database programming...2 more chapters than in the previous edition because .NET continues to deliver new, powerful tools for this critical component of business applications

#4. It gives you solid training in the essential skills that you'll use every day, including data validation...state management...improving the user experience with easy site navigation and a standard look and feel...boosting user response time with ASP.NET AJAX...handling security...developing reusable controls...working with database data using SQL, object, and LINQ data sources...and more

#5. It gives you real-world application examples that guide you in applying what you're learning as you develop your own websites (you can download the applications for free from the Murach website)

#6. Its paired pages presentation makes for fast reading, instant reinforcement, and time-saving reference (to see how the paired pages work, you can download free chapters from the Murach website)

So if you need to learn ASP.NET 3.5 web programming, we hope you'll try this book first. We're convinced that it will deliver the training you need better and faster than any other book.

Customer Reviews:

Good summary and reference

By Randy Lent - November 27, 2008

In the past year and a half I have purchased several Murach books on various programming subjects, and I find them to be quite helpful and I refer to them often. The format makes it easy to look up concise information and code snippets on specific topics. This book is no exception.

To remain a concise reference, there are bound to be omissions. For example, the text gives good information on the HTML structure of tables, but does not mention that a table may be added to a web form by using the drop-down menu in the Visual Studio IDE. On a positve note, the one page summary of regular expressions is the most helpful and useful summary of regular expressions that I have seen.

For professional programmers, this will not be the only book on ASP.NET that you will want in your library, but it is a very good concise reference.

For someone totally new to ASP.NET I would recommend reading... read more

Don't purchase if you're new to .net and C#

By Chris Doyle - December 29, 2009

I'm new to .net and also C# and I bought this book in hopes to learn the basics as well as more complicated applications as I get further into the book.

But it appears this book assumes you already have experience with both so you feel lost at times. For example, one of the very first exercises says to create a checkout page. It has 7 or so items they want you to do, but don't really give you any tips on how to accomplish them? If you get stuck you have no where to go, to look for help on the exercise. It wants you to add code to your pages, but I have no idea what the code will be!

As I've been reading this book, I feel like I jumped into an already started project and being asked to complete someone else work, and not sure how to do it.

outstanding book

By Chuck Easttom - February 3, 2009

I recently completed this book and I was quite impressed. I have been using asp.net for sometime and wanted to see the new features of VS 2008. What I consider the strongest points of this book are:
1. The book explains the basics so that a beginner can follow along and learn.
2. At the same time the book gives in depth 'why's' for various things (not just how's) so that the reader will finish the book with a reasonably deep understanding.
3. The book is replete with solid code samples, that all work as written (not always the case with all computer books)

I highly recomend this book.