Just published: Murach's ASP.NET 4 Web Programming with VB 2010

Media Release

Mike Murach and Associates has just published a .NET 4 edition of their best-selling ASP.NET book, now entitled Murach’s ASP.NET 4 Web Programming with VB 2010. It teaches beginners how to develop ASP.NET web applications from scratch, while more seasoned professionals can use it as a time-saving reference whenever they need the “how-to” details that take forever to find online.

Here are a few of the features that developers like best about this book:

#1: Complete applications show how all the pieces interact

The key to mastering ASP.NET is to have plenty of real-world applications that guide you in using the new skills that you’re learning…and that help you avoid the problems that you can run into as you build complex web sites. So this book shows complete applications, including the web forms, the aspx code, and the VB code. These can be downloaded for free from the Murach web site, so developers can experiment with them.

#2: The 6-chapter section on database programming is geared to business applications

Database handling is crucial in business programming, yet it’s glossed over in just a chapter or two in many books. In contrast, this book teaches how to use SQL data sources and ASP.NET data controls to develop database applications with little or no VB code. Then, it teaches how to use object data sources to create 3-layer applications that let you separate the presentation code from the data access code. And each topic is illustrated using everyday business examples like data maintenance and shopping cart applications.

#3: It teaches ASP.NET development the way it should be done, using Visual Studio 2010

The 1.x edition of this book was one of the first to teach web development using Visual Studio instead of tools like Notepad. Today, no developer should miss out on the productivity features of Visual Studio 2010. So those features are integrated throughout this book, rather than being relegated to just a chapter or two at the beginning.

#4: The distinctive paired-pages format makes learning…and reference…a breeze

Murach books have a distinctive format. Each two-page spread presents a single topic: the lefthand page explains the topic, while the righthand page shows the critical details, using syntax, code, screen shots, and how-to notes. Beginners find that this format breaks the material down into manageable bites. Experienced developers find that they can pick up information that’s new or interesting just by paging through. And developers at any level can easily pinpoint the details they need when they’re using the book as a reference.

Murach’s ASP.NET 4 Web Programming with VB 2010 is available directly from the publisher at www.murach.com and from all major retail outlets. A C# edition of this book will be off-press in April.

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April 2011 Update

It’s been an exciting first few months of 2011 and we’ve already seen several technology and tools releases from Microsoft.

Here is a collection of links related to these releases:

• ASP.NET MVC 3
• NuGet
• IIS Express 7.5
• SQL Server Compact Edition 4
• Web Deploy and Web Farm Framework 2.0
• Orchard 1.0
• WebMatrix 1.0
• Visual Studio 2010 SP1

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ASP.NET MVC 2 Released

ASP.NET MVC 2 is now available for VS 2008/Visual Web Developer 2008 Express with ASP.NET 3.5.

Check out the following document to discover what’s new in ASP.NET MVC 2.

http://www.asp.net/learn/whitepapers/what-is-new-in-aspnet-mvc/

You can download ASP.NET MVC 2 using Microsoft Web Platform Installer or from the Download Center.

• Download ASP.NET MVC 2 using the Microsoft Web Platform Installer
• Download ASP.NET MVC 2 from the Download Center

Note that the final release of VS 2010 and Visual Web Developer 2010 will have ASP.NET MVC 2 built-in; there’s no need for an additional install.

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VS 2010 / .NET 4 Release Candidate Released

VS 2010 and .NET 4 release candidate is now available. You can download the RC from here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/dd582936.aspx

Initial feedback from the Twitter community seems to suggest that the RC is substantially faster.

Give it a go now!

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Just published: Murach's JavaScript and DOM Scripting

Media Release

Mike Murach & Associates has just published a new book entitled Murach’s JavaScript and DOM Scripting.

This book is written for developers who want to know how to use JavaScript and DOM scripting to create websites that deliver the fast response times, dynamic user interfaces, and special effects that today’s users expect. Here are some highlights:

#1: Two books in one, it covers both JavaScript and DOM scripting
Most books cover either JavaScript or DOM scripting. But to create user-responsive sites, you need to know both.

So the first half of this book is a course in JavaScript essentials. Then, the second half is a course in applied JavaScript, showing how to use DOM scripting to build applications that run slide shows, use drop-down menus, rotate headlines, sort tables, and provide animation.

As a result, web developers can gain basic to expert skills using a single book.

#2: It provides a fast start
Section 1 is a crash course in JavaScript. In fact, by the end of chapter 3, developers will know how to code, test, and debug applications that include elementary DOM scripting. Then, the rest of the book builds on those skills to cover all the JavaScript and DOM scripting essentials.

#3: It shows how to create and use event-handling libraries for browser compatibility
One of the headaches of web programming is ensuring that the JavaScript code will work with all the popular browsers.

So this book shows web developers how to create their own event-handling libraries of browser-compatible code. That training also enables them to appreciate...and profit from...the extensive libraries of tested code that are included in the downloadable applications for the book.

#4: It shows 20 complete applications that can be used as models for new apps
The key to mastering client-side web development is to have plenty of applications that show how the features interact and what problems might occur in building a website. So this book shows complete code for 20 professional applications, ranging from forms validation to revolving slide shows.

These can be downloaded for free from the Murach website, so developers can experiment with them on their own.

#5: The paired-pages format lets developers set their own pace
Murach books have a distinctive format. Each two-page spread presents a single topic: the lefthand page explains the topic, while the righthand page shows the critical details, using syntax, code, screen shots, and how-to notes. Both beginning and experienced developers find that this format makes it easy to focus on the information they need, whether they’re using the book for training or reference.

Murach’s JavaScript and DOM Scripting is available directly from the publisher at www.murach.com and from all major retail outlets.

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Just published: Murach's ADO.NET 3.5, LINQ, and the Entity Framework with C# 2008

Media Release

Mike Murach & Associates has just published a new, C# edition of their popular ADO.NET book.

Entitled Murach’s ADO.NET 3.5, LINQ, and the Entity Framework with C# 2008, it covers what today’s C# developer needs to know to create database applications the way the best professionals do. Here are some highlights:

#1: For rapid application development and prototyping...
This book shows how to use the ADO.NET tools, like data sources and the DataGridView control, that enable developers to create working database applications in a minimum of time, with a minimum of coding.

#2: For serious production applications...
This book shows how to go beyond the RAD tools, using heavy-duty ADO.NET coding and object data sources to build 3-layer applications that consist of presentation, business, and database classes.

#3: For incorporating LINQ into Windows and web applications...
This book has a 6-chapter section that’s a short course in LINQ, the .NET 3.5 feature that provides a consistent way to query different types of data. This section covers LINQ to Objects, LINQ to DataSet, LINQ to SQL, LINQ data source controls for web applications, and LINQ to XML.

#4: For database programming with the Entity Framework...
This book gets developers going with the Entity Framework, the .NET 3.5 feature that may change the way you do database programming. EF provides a flexible model for mapping the business objects in an application to database objects, and it generates a lot of the code that has to be written from scratch otherwise. A 4-chapter section shows how to create an Entity Data Model and work with it using LINQ to Entities, Entity SQL, and Entity data source controls for web applications.

#5: For training and reference: The “paired-pages” format...
This book uses Murach's standard format to present the content in 2-page spreads, pairing a page of explanation with an illustrative page of syntax, screen shots, coding examples, and bulleted guidelines. Developers report that this lets them read less to get information faster, whether they use the book for training or reference.

Murach’s ADO.NET 3.5, LINQ, and the Entity Framework with C# 2008 is available directly from the publisher at www.murach.com and from all major retail outlets

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Just published: Murach's ADO.NET 3.5, LINQ, and the Entity Framework with VB 2008

Media Release

Mike Murach & Associates has just published a new edition of their popular ADO.NET book.

Now entitled Murach’s ADO.NET 3.5, LINQ, and the Entity Framework with VB 2008, it covers what today’s Visual Basic developer needs to know to create database applications the way the best professionals do. Here are some highlights:

#1: For rapid application development and prototyping...
This book shows how to use the ADO.NET tools, like data sources and the DataGridView control, that enable developers to create working database applications in a minimum of time, with a minimum of coding.

#2: For serious production applications...
This book shows how to go beyond the RAD tools, using heavy-duty ADO.NET coding and object data sources to build 3-layer applications that consist of presentation, business, and database classes.

#3: For incorporating LINQ into Windows and web applications...
This book has a 6-chapter section that’s a short course in LINQ, the .NET 3.5 feature that provides a consistent way to query different types of data. This section covers LINQ to Objects, LINQ to DataSet, LINQ to SQL, LINQ data source controls for web applications, and LINQ to XML.

#4: For database programming with the Entity Framework...
This book gets developers going with the Entity Framework, the .NET 3.5 feature that may change the way you do database programming. EF provides a flexible model for mapping the business objects in an application to database objects, and it generates a lot of the code that has to be written from scratch otherwise. A 4-chapter section shows how to create an Entity Data Model and work with it using LINQ to Entities, Entity SQL, and Entity data source controls for web applications.

#5: For training and reference: The “paired-pages” format...
This book uses Murach's standard format to present the content in 2-page spreads, pairing a page of explanation with an illustrative page of syntax, screen shots, coding examples, and bulleted guidelines. Developers report that this lets them read less to get information faster, whether they use the book for training or reference.

Murach’s ADO.NET 3.5, LINQ, and the Entity Framework with VB 2008 is available directly from the publisher at www.murach.com and from all major retail outlets.

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ASP.NET MVC 1.0 Released

ASP.NET MVC 1.0 has gone RTM!

The RTM release (which is not a great departure from the last RC release) now features the latest jQuery library (version 1.3.2).

Download ASP.NET MVC 1.0 RTM

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Free ASP.NET MVC eBook Download

As the beta days of ASP.NET MVC are coming to end, Scott Guthrie has announced a free end-to-end ASP.NET MVC tutorial in ebook form.  The ebook is the first chapter of a yet-to-be-released ASP.NET MVC book by Wrox.  Scott Guthrie wrote the first chapter of the book.  The other contributors of the book are Scott Hanselman, Rob Conery, and Phil Haack.

• Download the free e-book! (14 MB PDF – 185 pages.  It’s licensed as Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives i.e. you’re free to share, distribute, print, or hand it out to anyone.)
• Buy the full book

The ebook gives a nice end-to-end walkthrough in building a small, but complete ASP.NET MVC application from scratch.  In particular, the application the tutorial builds is called “NerdDinner”.  Download the source code and unit tests of the completed application at CodePlex.

Thanks Scott, for working so hard to make the chapter available for free to the community.  As the other Scott (Scott Hanselman) said:

…the real applause goes to ScottGu who closed down Starbucks a number of times, working late into the night….

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