What is it?
ASP.net (ASP stands for
Active Server Pages) is a set of web application development
technologies that can be used to build
dynamic websites,
web applications and XML web services.
Microsoft's flagship web application development technologies
were re-engineered when Active Server Pages was replaced by
ASP.net, part of the .net Framework.
Because ASP.net is built on the
Common Language
Runtime, applications can be built in most .net-compatible
languages, including
Visual Basic,
C#, and
J#.
The
.net Framework can be downloaded for free. The entire .net
Framework class library is available to any ASP.net application,
and ASP.net pages can be built out of re-usable components.
Where did it originate?
ASP.net 1.0 was released with
Visual Studio .net in 2002, but it did not comply with many
industry standards, such as
HTML and
Javascript,
and only performed reliably when the requesting browser was
Microsoft's IIS. These problems were put right when the radically
different ASP.net 2.0 came out with the "Whidby" release of Visual
Studio 2005, Visual Web Developer Express and SQL Server 2005 -
although ASP.net 2.0 does not ensure
XHTML compatibility.
What's it for?
ASP.net is used for web development. ASP.net sites and pages can
be developed using Notepad or any text editor, but it is better to
use an integrated development environment such as
Visual Studio 2005 or
Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition. Non-Microsoft
integrated development environments supporting ASP.net include
Dreamweaver and Borland C# Builder.
Each page can be written in a different programming language,
even within the same application. Once compiled, they perform
identically: Visual Basic runs as fast as C#, since they produce
the same object code.
ASP.net automatically detects the type of browser making
requests and renders the appropriate mark-up, so it is not
necessary to use a special set of pages or controls for mobile
devices, for example.
What makes it special?
Microsoft says ASP.net combines the ease of development of
scripting languages with the performance of a compiled binary.
It can be used to develop rich user interfaces of the kind
familiar from Windows desktop applications.
How difficult is it to master?
It should be relatively easy to move from Windows desktop
application development to web development, because the controls
function similarly in both. Developers can also stick with the
language they are familiar with.
Where is it used?
As well as most Microsoft user organisations, ASP.net is used by
independent software suppliers, large management consultancies and
services companies, such as
Accenture
and EDS.
What systems does it run on?
Windows Server 2000,
Windows Server 2003,
XP Professional
and Vista.
Windows XP Home is supported only when using Visual Web Developer
Express Edition or Visual Studio 2005.
What's coming up?
More functionality. Earlier this year
Microsoft released ASP.net Ajax, a set of extensions to ASP.net
for implementing
Ajax interactive web functionality.
Training
Links to tutorials and resources can be found on the
ASP.net 2.0 website.
Microsoft's Developer
Network offers
ASP.net Visual Web Developer Starter Kits, sample applications
with source code, and documentation. The site also offers a guided
tour of Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition, and an
ASP.net 2.0
Quickstart Tutorial. There is
a list
of books, but this is restricted to Microsoft's own.
There are plenty of
free independent tutorials available on the internet, both for
newcomers and those familiar with
classic ASP.
Rates of pay
ASP.net developers can earn between £25,000 and £35,000.
Computer Weekly/SSL
salary survey
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