Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 databases : beta preview

With help from Microsoft ASP.NET insider Bradley Millington, John Kaufman covers both VB.NET and C# coding for ASP.NET databases so you don't have to decide up front which language you want more and retailers no longer have to manage inventory on separate language versions.

What does this book cover?

This edition is completely written from scratch on the ASP.NET "Whidbey" Beta to ensure the coverage is most appropriate for this greatly changed version.

The book focuses on solving business problems in a logical progression, from connecting to displaying to changing the data. Additional chapters cover enhancements to the presentation and alternate types of data. The book follows the practice of going beyond the basic techniques to discuss the permutations, pitfalls, and best practices that occur in real business scenarios.

Author Notes

John Kauffman has written numerous books about ASP and the incorporation of data into ASP pages. Born in Philadelphia and educated at Penn State, he has lived, taught, and programmed on three continents as he follows his wife's diplomatic assignments.
When not writing, he spends his time sailing, teaching electronics to high school groups, and chauffeuring his kids to hockey and music practices.

Foreword	p. xvii
Introduction	p. xxi
Chapter 1 Introduction to ASP.NET 2.0 and ADO.NET	p. 1
Overview of the Technologies	p. 2
Introduction to the .NET Framework	p. 2
Introduction to ASP.NET	p. 4
Introduction to ASP.NET 2.0	p. 5
Introduction to ADO.NET	p. 7
ASP.NET 2.0 and Data Access	p. 8
Review of Terminology	p. 9
Setup Requirements for This Book	p. 11
Install a Web Server	p. 12
Install the .NET Framework Version 2.0	p. 12
Install an Editor to Create Web Pages	p. 13
Visual Studio	p. 13
Visual Web Developer Express	p. 13
Notepad and Other Editors	p. 14
Install a Database Management System	p. 14
Microsoft Access	p. 15
Microsoft SQL Server	p. 15
Other Relational Databases	p. 15
SQL Server Express	p. 15
Setup	p. 16
Install the Sample Databases	p. 17
Demonstrations	p. 18
Summary	p. 27
Exercises	p. 28
Chapter 2 Connecting to an Access Database	p. 29
Microsoft Access and the JET Database Engine	p. 30
Connecting to a Microsoft Access Database in Visual Web Developer	p. 30
The AccessDataSource Control	p. 33
Variations in Select Statements	p. 36
Variations in MDB File Location	p. 40
Handling File Permissions	p. 41
Handling Access Connection Failures	p. 42
A Few Notes on Using Access in Web Applications	p. 45
Common Mistakes with AccessDataSource Controls	p. 46
Summary	p. 47
Exercises	p. 48
Chapter 3 Connecting to SQL Server and SQL Server Express	p. 49
Introduction to SQL Server and Connection Strings	p. 50
Preparing to Use a SQL Server Database	p. 51
Connection Strings	p. 51
Using the SqlDataSource Control	p. 53
Understanding Security in SQL Server	p. 57
Storing the Connection String in the Web.Config File	p. 59
Discovering the Structure of an Unfamiliar Database	p. 64
Handling Connection Failures with the SqlDataSource	p. 66
Common Mistakes	p. 69
Summary	p. 69
Exercises	p. 71
Chapter 4 Connecting to Other Relational Databases	p. 73
Introduction to Connections with Providers	p. 73
Relationship between Layers of Connectivity Software	p. 74
Supported ADO.NET Providers	p. 75
Using Providers in ASP.NET 2.0	p. 76
Connecting to Access When a Password Is Used	p. 78
Connecting to an MDB with a Security Scheme	p. 79
Connecting to Oracle	p. 83
Theory and Syntax	p. 83
Connecting to MySQL	p. 84
Theory of a Connection to MySQL	p. 84
Syntax for an ODBC Connection to MySQL	p. 84
Connecting to Other Databases	p. 86
Common Mistakes	p. 87
Summary	p. 87
Exercises	p. 88
Chapter 5 Displaying Data in Tables	p. 89
Displaying Data in ASP.NET 2.0	p. 90
Review of Data-Bound and Data Source Controls	p. 90
Types of Data-Bound Controls	p. 90
Introduction to the GridView Control	p. 91
Capabilities of the GridView Control	p. 91
GridView Rendering Elements	p. 92
Connecting a GridView to Data	p. 92
Drag and Drop Fields from Data Explorer	p. 93
Drag and Drop Controls from Toolbox	p. 93
Customizing the GridView's Columns	p. 95
Selecting Columns in the Edit Columns Dialog	p. 95
Types of Column Fields	p. 96
Bound Field	p. 96
CheckBox Field	p. 97
HyperLink Field	p. 99
Image Field	p. 102
Command Field	p. 102
Button Field	p. 104
Template Field	p. 107
AutoGenerateColumns Property of the GridView	p. 110
Handling Null Field Values	p. 111
The DetailsView Control	p. 112
DetailsView Rendering Elements	p. 112
Connecting the DetailsView to Data	p. 113
Common Mistakes	p. 115
Summary	p. 115
Chapter 6 Customizing the Appearance of Tables	p. 117
Customizing Appearance	p. 118
BackColor and BackImageUrl	p. 118
Font and ForeColor	p. 119
Height and Width	p. 119
CellSpacing and CellPadding	p. 120
Borders and GridLines	p. 120
HorizontalAlign	p. 122
ShowHeader and ShowFooter	p. 122
ToolTip	p. 122
Customizing Individual Styles	p. 124
GridView and DetailsView Styles	p. 124
Empty Tables	p. 126
DetailsView-Specific Styles	p. 128
Column Styles and Field Styles	p. 129
Using Cascading Style Sheets	p. 131
Precedence of Styles	p. 135
Themes and Skins	p. 138
Using Auto Format in Visual Studio	p. 140
Common Mistakes	p. 140
Summary	p. 141
Exercises	p. 142
Chapter 7 Paging and Sorting Data	p. 143
Sorting	p. 144
Requirements to Enable Sorting	p. 145
Sort Expressions	p. 147
Paging	p. 151
Enabling Paging	p. 152
Customizing Paging and the Pager	p. 153
Paging Theory and Alternatives	p. 158
Relationship of Sorting, Paging, and Selecting	p. 158
Common Mistakes	p. 159
Summary	p. 160
Exercises	p. 160
Chapter 8 Displaying Data in Lists	p. 161
Introduction	p. 162
Transition from GridView to Other Formats	p. 162
Types of List Controls	p. 163
Concepts Common to List Controls	p. 163
Text versus Value in List Items	p. 164
Data-Binding List Controls	p. 165
DataTextField and DataValueField	p. 165
DropDownList Control	p. 169
Handling Selection in a List	p. 169
SelectedIndex and SelectedValue	p. 169
Automatic Postback	p. 171
Common Mistakes	p. 173
Summary	p. 174
Chapter 9 Filtering and Master-Child Data	p. 175
Filtering GridView Records Using a QueryString	p. 177
Filtering GridView Records Using a TextBox	p. 179
Using the SQL LIKE Operator	p. 181
The Theory of Selection and ControlParameters	p. 182
Filtering GridView Records Using a List Control	p. 184
Master Control by DropDownList with Hard-Coded Items	p. 184
Master Control by List Boxes with Data-Bound Items	p. 185
Master Control by List Boxes with a Default Setting That Initially Hides the GridView	p. 187
Displaying Details Using a GridView and DetailsView on the Same Page	p. 191
Displaying Details Using a GridView and DetailsView on Different Pages	p. 195
Cascading DropDownLists	p. 200
Common Mistakes	p. 201
Summary	p. 201
Exercises	p. 202
Chapter 10 Displaying Data in Templated Controls	p. 205
Using Templated Controls	p. 209
Data Binding in Templates	p. 209
Content Suitable for Addition to a Template	p. 210
GridView and DetailsView Template Fields	p. 211
DataList Control	p. 214
Repeater Control	p. 219
DetailsView Control	p. 220
Navigation in Templated Controls	p. 220
FormView Control	p. 221
Comparing and Selecting the Templated Controls	p. 223
Common Mistakes	p. 225
Summary	p. 226
Exercises	p. 227
Chapter 11 Updating and Deleting Data	p. 229
Overview of Modifying	p. 230
Command Fields	p. 231
Simple Update	p. 233
DataKeyNames and Updates	p. 236
Update in a DetailsView	p. 238
Parameters Collections	p. 239
Handling NULLs in Updates	p. 240
Delete to Remove Entire Records	p. 242
Common Mistakes	p. 244
Summary	p. 245
Exercises	p. 245
Chapter 12 Inserting New Records	p. 247
Support for Insert	p. 248
What Happens under the Hood?	p. 248
Setup for Insert	p. 249
Insertion Mode	p. 249
Action Performed by ASP.NET 2.0 on Insert	p. 249
Database Considerations When Inserting	p. 249
Basic Insert Using DetailsView	p. 250
Enabling Insert in a Data Source Control	p. 252
DetailsView INSERT Starting from GridView	p. 254
GridView and DetailsView for Insert on Same Page	p. 254
GridView on One Page with DetailsView on a Second Page	p. 254
Insert Using Template Fields	p. 255
Using the Bind Syntax in InsertltemTemplate	p. 256
Data Entry with RadioButtonLists and DropDownLists	p. 257
Data Entry with Check Boxes	p. 260
Inserting with FormView	p. 261
Common Mistakes	p. 265
Summary	p. 265
Chapter 13 Business Objects as a Source of Data	p. 267
Introduction	p. 267
Layers of an N-Tier Application	p. 268
Presentation Layer	p. 268
Business Logic Layer	p. 268
Data Access Layer	p. 268
Advantages of N-Tier Architectures	p. 269
Building a Data Access Logic Layer Using VS DataSets	p. 269
Creating a Data Access Logic Layer Using the VS DataSet Designer	p. 269
Data-Binding to a DataSet	p. 272
Implementing Master Details Capability	p. 273
Implementing and Data-Binding to Custom Objects	p. 277
Implementing Sorting in a Custom Object	p. 284
Common Mistakes	p. 288
Summary	p. 288
Chapter 14 XML and Other Hierarchical Data	p. 289
What Is Hierarchical Data?	p. 290
Types of Hierarchical Data?	p. 290
ASP.NET 2.0 Hierarchical Data Controls	p. 290
XmIDataSource Control	p. 291
TreeView Control to Display Hierarchical Data	p. 291
Display XML Data	p. 294
XPath with XmIDataSource	p. 294
Formatting the TreeView	p. 297
XSL Transformation with XML	p. 300
Handling Events in a TreeView Control	p. 303
Hierarchical Data with Controls Other Than TreeView	p. 305
XML and GridView	p. 306
Use XML Source with DataList	p. 308
Use XPath to Display Data in a DataList Control	p. 310
XML and DataList with Nesting	p. 312
Common Mistakes with XmIDataSource Controls	p. 315
Summary	p. 315
Chapter 15 Caching Data	p. 317
Caching and Its Benefits	p. 317
When to Use Caching	p. 318
Understanding State	p. 319
Understanding State Staleness	p. 319
Caching Options in ASP.NET 2.0	p. 319
Displaying Data in ASP.NET	p. 320
Time-Based Caching	p. 323
Caching with Parameters	p. 325
Implementing Filtering Capability	p. 327
SQL Cache Invalidation	p. 330
Caching Partial Pages	p. 334
Common Mistakes	p. 337
Summary	p. 337
Chapter 16 Handling Events for Data Controls	p. 339
Execution Control When an Event Is Triggered	p. 340
Types of Events	p. 340
General Techniques for Writing Event Handlers	p. 341
Transfer of Values When an Event Is Triggered	p. 344
Object Sender	p. 345
EventArgs	p. 345
Location of Event Handlers	p. 346
Command and Custom Button Events	p. 350
Using Events Raised by Command Buttons (Command Fields)	p. 351
Using Events Raised by Buttons with Custom Behavior	p. 351
List Selection and Page Events	p. 353
Data Control Binding Events	p. 356
General Error Events	p. 358
Common Mistakes	p. 361
Summary	p. 362
Exercises	p. 362
Appendix A A Short and Practical Introduction to SQL Statements	p. 363
Appendix B Exercise Answers	p. 375
Index	p. 391

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