A Guided Tour of What to Look for in ASP.NET 4.0 Make no mistake, ASP.NET 4.0 is a major release with a long-awaited list of new features and technologies for Web developers to take advantage of. We’ve divided the new features we’ll cover in this article into four primary areas: Web Forms, ASP.NET AJAX 4, Dynamic Data, and Core Services. Some of the things you will want to learn about are improvements over existing capabilities like how client-side ID generation has been improved while other improvements offer new technologies like Dynamic Data. We’ll show you where you want to take advantage of these new features and capabilities to expand your skill set and ultimately improve your productivity. We have teamed up to bring you the latest and greatest that Microsoft has added to their flagship Web development platform, ASP.NET 4.0. We’ll cover all of the areas mentioned in the previous paragraph with the exception of ASP.NET MVC since you can find coverage on that topic elsewhere in this issue of CODE Magazine. | " |
If there is one underlying theme with the Web Forms enhancements, it’s that Microsoft has focused on rendering HTML that is standard compliant.
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Web Forms Let’s start off making something perfectly clear. No, the Grim Reaper isn’t wandering around Microsoft Building 42, waiting to snatch up the freshly discarded, lifeless body of ASP.NET Web Forms. Many developers have incorrectly assumed that the release ASP.NET MVC started a countdown timer ticking off the days until Microsoft leaves Web Forms for dead. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. As proof, you can see all the new features and enhancements Microsoft has made in Web Forms in ASP.NET 4.0. The time and effort Microsoft has invested in Web Forms clearly indicates that they have no plans to let Web Forms wither on the vine, so go ahead and put the defibrillator away. No one’s going to die here, move it along people, nothing to see here. We see a long list of new features added in the Web Forms space. If Microsoft has one underlying theme with the Web Forms enhancements, it’s that Microsoft has focused on rendering HTML that is standard compliant. You can see this evident in the changes Microsoft made to how controls use CSS styles. Project Template Changes Microsoft made significant changes to the project templates. For example, selecting the new Empty ASP.NET Application template creates a project consisting of references and a near-empty web.config file. <?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<system.web>
<compilation debug="true"
targetFramework="4.0" />
</system.web>
</configuration>
The most noticeable change though occurs when you select the ASP.NET Web Application template or build a new ASP.NET Web Site (File | New | Web Site…). Both of these templates now generate a functional Web site with a default page (based on a master page), a CSS file, and membership functionality already in place (Figure 1). The resulting application includes a Home page, About page, and complete set of membership pages including Login, Register, and Change Password pages (Figure 2). 
Figure 1: New project structure including master page and membership files.
Figure 2: Default application running within the browser. | & | | 
By: Jim Duffy Jim Duffy is founder and president of TakeNote Technologies, an award-winning training, consulting, and software development company specializing in .NET software developer training and helping clients create business solutions with Microsoft enterprise technologies like Virtual Earth. Jim's expertise is with Visual Studio, Visual Basic, ASP.NET, SQL Server and Visual FoxPro-to-.NET conversions. He has a BS degree in Computer and Information Systems and over 25 years of programming and training experience. He is an energetic trainer, skilled developer, and has been published in leading developer-oriented publications.
Jim is a Microsoft Regional Director, a Microsoft MVP award recipient since 2003, an INETA speaker, and is an entertaining and popular speaker at regional user groups and international developer conferences. He is also a co-host of Computers 2K9, a call-in radio show on WRBZ (AM 850), 850 The Buzz, in Raleigh, NC.
You can find additional information about Jim, TakeNote Technologies, links to his blog, as well as a public training class schedule, on-site training information, consulting information, and software development services at www.takenote.com.
jduffy@takenote.com 
By: Rachel Appel
Rachel Appel has been working as a mentor, instructor, software developer, architect and DBA for nearly 20 years. During her career, Rachel has worked with a variety of languages, technologies and systems and has contributed to projects of all sizes including large-scale enterprise applications at some of the world’s leading companies.
Rachel is the Vice President of the .Net Valley user group, as well as a leader and regular speaker in the Philly.NET and Central Penn.NET user groups of Pennsylvania. You can find her speaking at code camps, user groups, community events and conferences.
Rachel’s expertise lies within developing solutions that align business and technology using the Microsoft .NET family of products, particularly ASP.NET and SQL Server.
She is an ASP.NET MVP, ASPInsider and holds the Microsoft Certified Trainer, MCAD and MCSD certifications. She is also a member of the INETA speaker’s bureau.
rachel@rachelappel.com
rachel@rachelappel.com |