Developers moving to ASP.NET 2.0, the breakthrough Web development environment from Microsoft, will want to learn how to take full advantage of the new features that make this the most productive and powerful Web development environment ever. ASP.NET 2.0 Illustrated teaches developers exactly what they need to know to create exciting Web sites and applications quickly and easily using ASP.NET 2.0.

Renowned authors, developers, and conference speakers Alex Homer and Dave Sussman have written a concise, detailed exploration of the "must learn" features of ASP.NET 2.0. The book's many original examples, fully updated for the release version of ASP.NET 2.0, are all downloadable from the authors' Web site, and many can be run live online.

The authors provide detailed coverage of

• Connecting to databases, using data source and data display controls with SQL statements and stored procedures; creating business layers and data layers with custom classes and Typed DataSets; and providing declarative access to business and data layers
• Techniques for improving the scalability and responsiveness of data-driven sites, including caching techniques for data and ASP.NET pages
• Binding to XML, transforming XML, updating XML data, and managing XML data stored in SQL Server 2005
• Building interactive Web forms with a wide variety of ASP.NET controls
• Understanding and using the core functionality of the Page class and key .NET Framework classes
• Providing a consistent sitewide look and feel using Master Pages
• Six ways to provide site navigation, including the new navigation controls
• Securing sites and implementing membership and roles
• Using profiles, personalization, and themes in your applications
• Building user-customizable Web portals with Web Parts
• Supporting multiple browsers, disabled users, mobile devices, and international users
• Creating and consuming Web services

Developers will come away from this book knowing exactly how to build secure, efficient, visually consistent, easy-to-navigate, data-driven Web sites with ASP.NET 2.0.