As a quick reference and tutorial in one, ASP.NET in a Nutshell goes beyond the published documentation to highlight little-known details, stress practical uses for particular features, and provide real-world examples that show how features can be used in a working application. This book covers application and web service development, custom controls, data access, security, deployment, and error handling. There's also an overview of web-related class libraries. Examples use Visual Basic .NET.

ASP.NET is the web development technology of Microsoft's .NET development platform. While it has a lot in common with its predecessor, Active Server Pages, ASP.NET is a quantum leap over classic ASP; it adds such new features as rich server controls, a much more powerful programming model, and built-in support for XML web services.

ASP.NET also allows you to access the full richness of the .NET Framework Class Library, which provides classes for everything from sending mail via SMTP to performing multithreaded operations. ASP.NET also brings object-oriented programming to the Web. Object orientation is at the very heart of the .NET Framework, and ASP.NET takes full advantage of it -- particularly in the area of its robust server control model.

ASP.NET has many new features and aspects, but with the help of this reference, you'll be up and running before you know it.