Understanding .NET, 2nd Edition

Microsoft's .NET is revolutionizing Windows-based software development. Since its initial release in 2002, .NET has changed significantly, becoming the foundation for a new generation of Windows applications. The .NET Framework and Visual Studio, the two core aspects of this initiative, provide a multilanguage environment in which developers can create Web services, graphical user interfaces, and other kinds of applications. Taken as a whole, the .NET technologies have changed the way nearly every Windows application is built.

Now fully updated for version 2.0 of the .NET Framework and Visual Basic 2005, Understanding .NET, Second Edition, is a concise guide to the landscape of Windows development. Margin notes, detailed diagrams, and lucid writing make this book easy to read and navigate, while analysis sections explore controversial issues and address common concerns. David Chappell's independent perspective and straightforward descriptions clarify both how the .NET technologies work and how they can be used.

Coverage includes

• An overview of .NET and its goals
• The Common Language Runtime (CLR)
• The .NET languages, including C#, Visual Basic, and C++
• The .NET Framework class library
• Building Web Applications with ASP.NET
• Accessing Data with ADO.NET
• .NET framework integration with SQL Server 2005

The key to using a new technology is to understand the fundamentals. This book provides the robust foundation developers and technical managers need to make the right decisions and maximize the potential of this revolutionary framework.

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Online Sample Chapter

Introducing .NET

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Index

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Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Chapter 1: INTRODUCING .NET 1

The .NET Framework 3

The Common Language Runtime 7

The .NET Framework Class Library 12

Visual Studio 2005 21

General Purpose Languages 25

Domain Specific Languages 30

Working in Groups: Visual Studio Team System 33

Conclusion 35

Chapter 2: THE COMMON LANGUAGE RUNTIME 37

Building Managed Code: The Common Type System 38

Introducing the Common Type System 39

A Closer Look at CTS Types 42

Converting Value Types to Reference Types: Boxing 46

The Common Language Specification 47

Compiling Managed Code 48

Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) 49

Metadata 52

Organizing Managed Code: Assemblies 54

Metadata for Assemblies: Manifests 54

Categorizing Assemblies 57

Executing Managed Code 58

Loading Assemblies 58

Compiling MSIL 60

Creating a Native Image: NGEN 63

Securing Assemblies 64

Garbage Collection 70

Application Domains 73

Conclusion 75

Chapter 3: .NET LANGUAGES 77

C# 79

A C# Example 79

C# Types 82

C# Control Structures 97

Other C# Features 98

Visual Basic 107

A VB Example 108

VB Types 111

VB Control Structures 124

Other VB Features 125

C++ 130 C++/CLI 132

Managed C++ 136

Conclusion 140

Chapter 4: SURVEYING THE .NET FRAMEWORK CLASS LIBRARY 143

An Overview of the Library 143

The System Namespace 144

A Survey of System's Subordinate Namespaces 145

Fundamental Namespaces 156

Input and Output: System.IO 156

Serialization: System.Runtime.Serialization 159

Reflection: System.Reflection 163

XML: System.Xml 166

Transactions: System.Transactions 175

Interoperability: System.Runtime.InteropServices 179

Windows GUIs: System.Windows.Forms 184

Conclusion 195

Chapter 5: BUILDING WEB APPLICATIONS: ASP.NET 197

ASP.NET Applications: Basics 198

Creating .aspx Files 200

Using Web Controls 204

Separating User Interface from Code: Code-Behind 209

Defining Applications 211

Using Context Information 213

ASP.NET Applications: Beyond the Basics 215

Managing State 216

Caching Data 221

Authentication and Authorization 222

Managing Users: Membership 224

Working with Data: Data Binding 225

Customizing User Interfaces: Web Parts 228

Conclusion 230

Chapter 6: ACCESSING DATA: ADO.NET 231

Using .NET Framework Data Providers 232

Using Connection and Command Objects 237

Accessing Data with DataReaders 239

Accessing Data with DataSets 243

Creating and Using DataSets 245

Accessing and Modifying a DataSet's Contents 250

Using DataSets with XML-Defined Data 253

Conclusion 260

Chapter 7: BUILDING DISTRIBUTED APPLICATIONS 261

ASP.NET Web Services: System.Web.Services 261

Web Services Fundamentals 262

ASP.NET Web Services Applications: Basics 265

ASP.NET Web Services Applications: Beyond the Basics 269

.NET Remoting: System.Runtime.Remoting 273

An Overview of the Remoting Process 274

Passing Information to Remote Objects 276

Choosing a Channel 278

Creating and Destroying Remote Objects 281

Enterprise Services: System.EnterpriseServices 288

What Enterprise Services Provides 288

Enterprise Services and COM+ 291

Final Thoughts 295

About the Author 297

Index 299