Beginning ASP.NET 3.5

spine=1.536"

Wrox Programmer to Programmer TM

Beginning

Wrox Programmer to Programmer TM
Spaanjaars

ASP.NET 3.5 In C# and VB
To build effective and eye-catching database-driven web sites, you must
first have a solid framework on which to run your web pages as well as
a rich environment in order to create and program these web pages.
Microsoft’s ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual Web Developer™ 2008 combine forces
to provide you with the ultimate platform on which you can create dynamic
and interactive web applications.

Beginning

What you will learn from this book
● Ways that ASP.NET Server controls allow you to create complex web
sites with very little code
● How to use the extensive set of CSS tools that help you design your
web pages
● How to program responsive and interactive web pages with either C#
or Visual Basic®
● How to work with databases to create rich, data-driven web pages
● How you can easily create a centralized and maintainable site design
● How to secure your web site, providing login functionality and role-based
access to content

Who this book is for
This book is for anyone who wants to build rich and interactive web sites
that run on the Microsoft platform. No prior experience in web development
is assumed.

Enhance Your Knowledge
Advance Your Career

Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think,
providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

ASP.NET 3.5

Popular Wrox author Imar Spaanjaars begins by demonstrating how to
obtain and install Visual Web Developer. With each successive chapter,
he introduces you to new technologies that build on knowledge gained
from previous chapters. You’ll learn that both ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual
Web Developer now come with an extensive set of tools that will help you
smoothly program your web applications. With the knowledge you gain from
this book, you will be able to create feature-rich, database-driven, interactive
web sites.

Beginning

ASP.NET 3.5
In C# and VB

www.wrox.com
Recommended
Computer Book

Categories

$44.99 USA
$48.99 CAN

Web Development
ASP.NET

ISBN: 978-0-470-18759-3

In C# and VB

Imar Spaanjaars

Updates, source code, and Wrox technical support at www.wrox.com


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page ii


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page i

Beginning

ASP.NET 3.5
Chapter 1: Getting Started with ASP.NET 3.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 2: Building an ASP.NET Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 3: Designing Your Web Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Chapter 4: Working with ASP.NET Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Chapter 5: Programming Your ASP.NET Web Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Chapter 6: Creating Consistent Looking Web Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Chapter 7: Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Chapter 8: User Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Chapter 9: Validating User Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Chapter 10: ASP.NET AJAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Chapter 11: Introduction to Databases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Chapter 12: Displaying and Updating Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Chapter 13: LINQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Chapter 14: Presenting Data — Advanced Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Chapter 15: Security in Your ASP.NET 3.5 Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
Chapter 16: Personalizing Web Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Chapter 17: Exception Handling, Debugging, and Tracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
Chapter 18: Deploying Your Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631
Appendix A: Exercise Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665
Appendix B: Configuring SQL Server 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707

87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page ii


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page iii

Beginning

ASP.NET 3.5
In C# and VB

Imar Spaanjaars


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page iv

Beginning ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-0-470-18759-3
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Spaanjaars, Imar.
Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 / Imar Spaanjaars.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-470-18759-3 (pbk. : web)
1. Active server pages. 2. Web sites—Design. 3. Microsoft .NET. I. Title.
TK5105.8885.A26S6815 2006
005.2'76—dc22
2007052406
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108
of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization
through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers,
MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal
Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or

online at />Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including
without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or
promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is
sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the
publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred
to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further,
readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when
this work was written and when it is read.
For general information on our other products and services please contact our Customer Care Department within the
United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.
Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, Wrox, the Wrox logo, Wrox Programmer to Programmer, and related trade dress are
trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page v

To my dad — I know you’d be proud


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page vi


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page vii

About the Author
Imar Spaanjaars graduated in Leisure Management at the Leisure Management School in the Netherlands,
but he quickly changed his career path into the Internet world.
After working for a large corporation and doing some freelance work, he now works for Design IT
(www.designit.nl), an IT company in the Netherlands specializing in Internet and intranet applications built with Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET 3.5. As a technical director and software designer,
he’s responsible for designing and building medium- to large-scaled e-commerce web sites and portals.
He’s also the tech lead for Dynamicweb Nederland, the Dutch branch of the popular Danish Content
Management System Dynamicweb (www.dynamicweb.nl).
Imar has written books on ASP.NET 2.0 and Macromedia Dreamweaver, all published under the Wrox
brand. He is also one of the top contributors to the Wrox Community Forum at p2p.wrox.com, where
he shares his knowledge with fellow programmers.
Imar lives in Utrecht, the Netherlands, with his girlfriend, Fleur. You can contact him through his personal
web site at .

87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page viii


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page ix

Credits
Acquisitions Director

Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Jim Minatel

Richard Swadley

Development Editor

Vice President and Executive Publisher

Brian Herrmann

Joseph B. Wikert

Lead Technical Editor

Project Coordinator, Cover

Peter Lanoie

Lynsey Stanford

Technical Editors

Compositor

Alexei Gorkov
John Dunagan
Robert Searing

Laurie Stewart, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

Editorial Manager
Mary Beth Wakefield

Production Manager
Tim Tate

Proofreaders
Kathryn Duggan

David Parise
Rachel Gunn

Indexer
Melanie Belkin


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page x


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page xi

Acknowledgments
Writing a book is probably one of the most exhausting but fun and rewarding things I have ever done.
During writing you have to invest a lot of time and effort to put your ideas down into something that
is worth reading by others. After the hard work is done and the book is written, the reward comes from
readers like you who send me e-mails, contact me through my web site, or participate in the online discussion forums at p2p.wrox.com to discuss the book.
As Norman Mailer put it, writing a book is the closest that men ever get to childbearing. Although I think

there is probably some truth in that statement, I also realize there is one big difference: writing a book is
not something you have to do on your own. Although only my name is on the cover, I owe a lot to many
people who helped me write this book.
First of all I’d like to thank Jim Minatel from Wiley for asking me to pick up this project and having faith
in my ability to bring it to a good end. I would also like to thank Brian Herrmann for his editorial work. I
know it wasn’t always easy with the number of reviewers we had, but I think it turned out pretty well.
I am very thankful for the work done by the technical editors on this book: Alexei, John, and Rob —
thanks, guys, for all your hard work! I particularly want to thank the lead technical editor, Peter Lanoie,
who has made a major contribution, both in shaping the direction of the book and in assuring its technical
accuracy. Thank you, Peter!
I am also very glad for the support I got from the people at Design IT. Thanks to all who have reviewed
my work and participated in my discussions on the book’s direction.
Another person I owe a lot to is Anne Ward from Blue Violet, a UK-based web and graphic design company. Anne has done most of the designs used in this book, which I highly appreciate. Thanks, Anne!
The concert pictures you see in this book come from her good friend Nigel D. Nudds, who kindly let me
use pictures from his collection.
Finally, I would like to thank my lovely girlfriend, Fleur. You may get tired of hearing it, but I really
appreciate the support you have given me throughout this project. I couldn’t — and wouldn’t — have
done it without you!


87593ffirs.qxd:WroxPro

1/29/08

12:47 AM

Page xii


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xiii

Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Chapter 1: Getting Started with ASP.NET 3.5
Microsoft Visual Web Developer
Getting Visual Web Developer
Installing Visual Web Developer Express Edition

Creating Your First ASP.NET 3.5 Web Site
An Introduction to ASP.NET 3.5
Understanding HTML
A First Look at ASP.NET Markup

A Tour of the IDE
The Main Development Area
Informational Windows

Customizing the IDE
Rearranging Windows
Modifying the Toolbox
Customizing the Document Window
Customizing Toolbars

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
Resetting Your Changes

xi
xxiii

1
2
3
3

5
9
10
14

15
15
21

22
22
23
25
25
26
27

The Sample Application
Practical Tips on Visual Web Developer

Summary
Exercises

28
30
30
31

Chapter 2: Building an ASP.NET Web Site

33

Creating Web Sites with VWD 2008

34

Different Project Types
Choosing the Right Web Site Template
Creating and Opening a New Web Site

34
35
36

Working with Files in Your Web Site

39

The Many File Types of an ASP.NET 3.5 Web Site
Adding Existing Files

39
43


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xiv

Contents
Organizing Your Site
Special File Types

Working with Web Forms
The Different Views on Web Forms
Choosing between Code Behind and Pages with Inline Code
Adding Markup to Your Page
Connecting Pages

Practical Tips on Working with Web Forms
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 3: Designing Your Web Pages
Why Do You Need CSS?
Problems of HTML Formatting

How CSS Fixes Formatting Problems

An Introduction to CSS
CSS — The Language
The Style Sheet
Adding CSS to Your Pages

Working with CSS in Visual Web Developer
Creating New Styles in External Style Sheets
Creating Embedded and Inline Style Sheets
Applying Styles
Managing Styles

Practical Tips on Working with CSS
Summary
Exercises

44
46

47
47
48
53
59

61
61
62

63
63
64
65

65
69
69
80

82
83
88
94
96

99
100
100

Chapter 4: Working with ASP.NET Controls

103

Introduction to Server Controls
A Closer Look at ASP.NET Server Controls

103
107

Defining Controls in Your Pages
Common Properties for All Controls

Types of Controls
Standard Controls
HTML Controls
Data Controls
Validation Controls
Navigation Controls
Login Controls

xiv

108
108

110
111
124
124
125
125
125


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xv

Contents
Ajax Extensions
WebParts

The ASP.NET State Engine
What Is State and Why Is It Important?
How the State Engine Works
Not All Controls Rely on ViewState
A Note About ViewState and Performance

Practical Tips on Working with Controls
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 5: Programming Your ASP.NET Web Pages
Introduction to Programming
Data Types and Variables
Converting Data Types
Using Arrays and Collections

Statements
Operators
Making Decisions
Loops

Organizing Code
Methods: Functions and Subroutines

The App_Code Folder
Organizing Code with Namespaces
Writing Comments

125
125

126
126
127
131
131

132
132
133

135
136
136
140
142

146
147
154
161

164
165

167
171
173

Object Orientation Basics

176

Important OO Terminology
Events

176
188

Practical Tips on Programming
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 6: Creating Consistent Looking Web Sites
Consistent Page Layout with Master Pages
Creating Master Pages
Creating Content Pages

Using a Centralized Base Page
An Introduction to the ASP.NET Page Life Cycle
Implementing the Base Page
Creating Reusable Page Templates

189
190

191

193
194
196
198

203
204
206
210

xv


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xvi

Contents
Themes
Different Types of Themes
Choosing Between Theme and StyleSheetTheme
Applying Themes
Extending Themes
Dynamically Switching Themes

Skins
Creating a Skin File
Named Skins
A Final Note on Skins

Practical Tips on Creating Consistent Pages
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 7: Navigation

214
215
215
215
219
222

228
229
231
232

232
233
234

235

Different Ways to Move around Your Site

236

Understanding Absolute and Relative URLs
Understanding Default Documents

236
240

Using the Navigation Controls
Architecture of the Navigation Controls
Examining the Web.sitemap File
Using the Menu Control
Using the TreeView Control
Using the SiteMapPath Control

Programmatic Redirection
Programmatically Redirecting the Client to a Different Page
Server-Side Redirects

Practical Tips on Navigation
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 8: User Controls
Introduction to User Controls
Creating User Controls
Adding User Controls to a Content Page or Master Page
Site-Wide Registration of User Controls

User Control Caveats

Adding Logic to Your User Controls
Creating Your Own Data Types for Properties

xvi

241
242
242
244
253
257

259
259
261

264
264
265

267
267
268
271
274
275

277

277


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xvii

Contents
Implementing ViewState Properties
ViewState Considerations

283
288

Practical Tips on User Controls
Summary
Exercises

289
289
290

Chapter 9: Validating User Input

291

Gathering Data from the User

292

Validating User Input in Web Forms

Processing Data at the Server

293

307

Sending E-mail from Your Web Site
Reading from Text Files

307
313

Practical Tips on Validating Data
Summary
Exercises

318
318
319

Chapter 10: ASP.NET AJAX
Introducing Ajax
Using ASP.NET AJAX in Your Projects
Creating Flicker-Free Pages

Providing Feedback to Users
Using the Timer Control

Using Web Services in Ajax Web Sites
What Are Web Services?
Creating Web Services
Using Web Services in Your Ajax Web Site
This Is Just the Beginning

Practical Ajax Tips
Summary
Exercises

321
322
323
323
328
332

337
337
338
342
349

349
350
351

Chapter 11: Introduction to Databases

353

What Is a Database?
Different Kinds of Relational Databases
Using SQL to Work with Database Data

354
355
355

Retrieving and Manipulating Data

Creating Your Own Tables
Data Types in SQL Server

358

371
371

xvii


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xviii

Contents
Understanding Primary Keys and Identities
Creating Relationships Between Tables

Practical Database Tips
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 12: Displaying and Updating Data
Data Controls
Data-Bound Controls
Data Source Controls

Data Source and Data-Bound Controls Working Together
Displaying and Editing Data with GridView
Inserting Data with DetailsView
Storing Your Connection Strings in web.config
Filtering Data

Customizing the Appearance of the Data Controls
Configuring Columns or Fields of Data-Bound Controls

Updating and Inserting Data
Using DetailsView to Insert and Update Data

Practical Tips for Displaying and Updating Data
Summary

Exercises

373
377

380
381
381

383
383
384
386

386
386
392
395
397

403
403

409
409

422
423
423

Chapter 13: LINQ

425

Introducing LINQ

426

Different Types of LINQ

427

Introducing LINQ to SQL

427

Mapping Your Data Model to an Object Model

Introducing Query Syntax
Standard Query Operators
Shaping Data with Anonymous Types

428

433
433
437

Using Server Controls with LINQ Queries

443

New Controls Introduced in ASP.NET 3.5
A Few Notes about Performance

443
471

Practical LINQ Tips
Summary
Exercises

xviii

472
472
473


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xix

Contents
Chapter 14: Presenting Data — Advanced Topics

475

Formatting Your Controls Using Styles

476

An Introduction to Styles
Combining Styles, Themes, and Skins

477
481

Handling Events
The ASP.NET Page and Controls Life Cycles Revisited
Handling Errors that Occur in the Data Source Controls

Caching
Common Pitfalls with Caching Data
Different Ways to Cache Data in ASP.NET Web Applications

Practical Data Tips
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 15: Security in Your ASP.NET 3.5 Web Site
Introducing Security
Identity: Who Are You?
Authentication: How Can You Prove Who You Are?
Authorization: What Are You Allowed to Do?
An Introduction to the ASP.NET Application Services

Introducing the Login Controls
The Login Controls
Configuring Your Web Application

The Role Manager
Configuring the Role Manager
Managing Users with the WSAT
Configuring the Web Application to Work with Roles
Programmatically Checking Roles

Practical Security Tips
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 16: Personalizing Web Sites

485
485
498

502
503
505

513
514
515

517

518
518
518
518
519

520
525
537

541
541
542
546
551

554
555
555

557

Understanding Profile

558

Configuring the Profile
Using the Profile

558

565

xix


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xx

Contents
Other Ways of Dealing with Profile

583

Anonymous Identification
Cleaning Up Old Anonymous Profiles
Looking at Other Users’ Profiles

583
584
585

Practical Personalization Tips
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 17: Exception Handling, Debugging, and Tracing
Exception Handling
Different Types of Errors
Catching and Handling Exceptions
Global Error Handling and Custom Error Pages

The Basics of Debugging
Tools Support for Debugging
Moving around in Debugged Code
Debugging Windows

Debugging Client-Side Script
Tracing Your ASP.NET Web Pages
Using the Standard Tracing Capabilities
Adding Your Own Information to the Trace
Tracing and Performance
A Security Warning

Practical Debugging Tips
Summary
Exercises

Chapter 18: Deploying Your Web Site
Preparing Your Web Site for Deployment
Avoiding Hardcoded Settings

Copying Your Web Site
Creating a Simple Copy of Your Web Site
Publishing Your Web Site

Running Your Site under IIS
Installing and Configuring the Web Server
Understanding Security in IIS
NTFS Settings for Planet Wrox
Troubleshooting Web Server Errors

xx

589
589
590

591
592
592
594
601

607
611
611
612

618
621
622
626
628
628

628
629
630

631
632
632

639
639
642

643
643
651
652
656


87593ftoc.qxd:WroxPro

1/25/08

11:31 AM

Page xxi

Contents
Moving Data to a Remote Server
Using the Database Publishing Wizard

Recreating the Database

The Deployment Checklist
What’s Next
Summary
Exercises

657
658
660

661
662
663
664

Appendix A: Exercise Answers

665

Appendix B: Configuring SQL Server 2005

687

Configuring SQL Server 2005
Terminology and Concepts
Using SQL Server Management Studio
Enabling Remote Connections in SQL Server
Connecting Your Application to SQL Server 2005

Configuring Application Services
Configuring Your Database for the Application Services
Overriding the LocalSqlServer Connection String
Overriding the Settings of the Application Services

Index

687
688
689
690
693

701
702
703
704

707

xxi


87593flast.qxd:WroxPro

1/28/08

8:56 AM

Page xxii

87593flast.qxd:WroxPro

1/28/08

8:56 AM

Page xxiii

Introduction
To build effective and attractive database-driven web sites, you need two things: a solid and fast framework to run your web pages on and a rich and extensive environment to create and program these web
pages. With ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual Web Developer 2008 you get both. Together they form the platform
to create dynamic and interactive web applications.
ASP.NET 3.5 builds on top of its popular predecessor ASP.NET 2.0. While maintaining backward compatibility with sites built using this older version, the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 in general and ASP.NET
3.5 in particular add a lot of new, compelling features to the mix.
Continuing the path of “less code” that was entered with the 2.0 version of the .NET Framework,
ASP.NET 3.5 lets you accomplish more with even less code. New features like LINQ that are added to
the .NET Framework allow you to access a database with little to no handwritten code. The integration
of Microsoft ASP.NET Ajax into the ASP.NET Framework and Visual Web Developer means you can now
create fast-responding and spiffy web interfaces simply by dragging a few controls onto your page and
setting a few properties. This book gives you an in-depth look at both of these technologies.
The support for Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), the language to lay out and format web pages, has undergone a major overhaul in Visual Web Developer. The design-time support, that shows you how a page
will eventually look in the browser, has been vastly improved. Additionally, Visual Web Developer now
ships with a lot of tools that make writing CSS a breeze.
However, drag-and-drop support and visual tools are not the only things you’ll learn from this book.
ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual Web Developer 2008 come with a great and extensive set of tools to help you
program your web applications. These tools range from the new LINQ syntax that allows you to query
data and databases in your web applications, to the vastly improved debugging capabilities that allow
you to debug your application from client-side JavaScript all the way up into your server-side code, all

with the same familiar user interface, commands, and actions.
Under the hood, ASP.NET 3.5 makes use of the same run time as version 2.0. This ensures a great backward compatibility with that version, which means that ASP.NET 2.0 applications continue to run under
the new framework. But don’t be fooled by the fact that the run time hasn’t changed. Although the technical underpinnings needed to execute your web application haven’t changed, the .NET 3.5 Framework
and ASP.NET add a lot of new features, as you’ll discover in this book.
Probably the best thing about Visual Web Developer 2008 is its price: it’s available for free. Although
the commercial versions of Visual Studio 2008 ship with Visual Web Developer, you can also download
and install the free Express Edition. This makes Visual Web Developer 2008 and ASP.NET 3.5 probably
the most attractive and compelling web development technologies available today.