ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook
The .NET Framework can be a pleasure to use, but there's so much to master that all too often we set out to do something basic only to realize we've forgotten exactly how it's done. For this very reason the concept of cookbooks exists ­ references whose purpose is to refresh the memory and suggest best practices.

Cookbooks often suffer from being too subjective. You tend to get a set of tips specific to the author's line of work ­ very useful in places and sorely lacking in others. What makes this book different is that the ASP Alliance has sourced the material and filtered it through Smith and Howard, the result being a comprehensive and well-considered collection of some 250 basic techniques. If there is a bias toward any given topic, it's because an ASP.NET developer has more problems and solutions to remember in that area and not because it's the authors' speciality. Perhaps there's a slight bias toward the classic ASP origins of the alliance with all the examples in VB.NET, but C# equivalents can be downloaded from the book's support Web site.

The first half of this book looks at the core topics in ASP.NET and ADO.NET: controls, state management, XML, and data handling, while the second covers more generic .NET tasks that are just as applicable to ASP.NET applications as others: text and image manipulation, collections, Web services, and so on. Each topic is given its own chapter and each technique is handled in the same format for easy access. A problem is stated, followed by a brief description of the technique used as a solution and some sample code to demonstrate it. A concise but complete discussion follows, along with links and references for further information. These links are one of the standout features of this book, making it more useful than most similar books. We are presented with an easy-to-follow, basic working solution for each problem, and can use the links for help with a more complex version of the solution should the need arise.

If there is a flaw in this book, it's in the decision to make the solutions code-only and not cover the use of IDEs. Surely a chapter each on tips and tricks for use with, say, Visual Studio .NET, Dreamweaver MX, and Web Matrix wouldn't be out of scope? I know I'd much rather use an IDE to generate a basic paging solution for a DataGrid than type it out by hand. You could also argue that there isn't enough ³sticky² contextual material in the book itself to inspire readers to give new areas a go if they don't already think they need to, but the simple counter is that ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook is a pure reference book and a damned fine one at that. Beginners won't learn ASP.NET development by reading this book, but established developers will likely remember a whole lot that they've forgotten.

The authors and the ASP Alliance have been around the block a good number of times, and their experience shines through. They've asked themselves what they would most like in a technique reference ­ and delivered it with panache. If you're an ASP.NET developer, buy two copies; the first will be falling apart from overuse in weeks.

Learning C#
Microsoft .NET is poised to become the next big thing to hit software development. C# (pronounced c sharp) ­ a hybrid of C++ and Java, with the simplicity of Visual Basic ­ is the new language for coding.

The O'Reilly book Learning C# addresses in true O'Reilly fashion the basics a developer needs to know for programming in the language. This book offers the most complete tutorial on using this new and powerful language.

Many of the primers I have seen on other languages like Java or C++ spend little to no time detailing when and why one would want to use the different aspects of the language. What I wanted was a primer that focuses on how to use something ­ when and why.

The first couple of chapters in the book offer an overview aimed at the programmer new to C# and .NET development. This section provides a clear and concise explanation of how it all ties together. The second chapter is devoted to writing and compiling your first C# application.

The third chapter (it's less than 10 pages) talks about object-oriented programming concepts. This, to my mind, is unnecessary because there are so many books in this area already. I would have liked it more if the author had spent more time talking about his personal experiences with C#.

From there the fourth chapter helps you ensure that your environment is set up properly and dives into writing applications using the .NET development environment. The next few chapters help you learn all the fundamentals of C#, including its interaction with the .NET Common Type System, value types, reference types, and the concepts of boxing and unboxing. These chapters also show you how to define classes and Structs, and how to write applications using the basics of arrays, enums, properties, indexers, and exception handling.

The author finishes up this primer on C# by suggesting other advanced topics a C# programmer can learn.

Overall, I have to say that I am quite pleased.

Title: ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook
Authors: Steven A. Smith, Rob Howard
Publisher: Sams
ISBN: 0672325241
List Price: $39.99
Rating: *****
Reviewer: Dan Maharry

Reviewer Bio: Dan Maharry is a freelance technical writer and reviewer based in the UK.

Title: Learning C#
Author: Jesse Liberty
Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates
ISBN: 0596003765
List Price: $34.95
Rating: ****
Reviewer: Sundar Bandepalli

Reviewer Bio: Sundar Bandepalli is director of product development for Expand Beyond Corporation, a leader in the wireless enterprise software industry. Before joining Expand Beyond, Sundar worked at 3Com, both as a systems analyst and as a project manager responsible for implementing CRM solutions.