This book was written to introduce you to the features and capabilities that ASP.NET 3.5 offers, as well as to give you an explanation of the foundation that ASP.NET provides. We assume you have a general understanding of Web technologies, such as previous versions of ASP.NET, Active Server Pages 2.0/3.0, or JavaServer Pages. We also assume you understand basic programming constructs, such as variables, For Each loops, and object-oriented programming.

When the code differs substantially, this book provides examples in both VB and C#. Coverage includes:

• ASP.NET folders and files, compiling code, and cross-page posting
• Using the available server controls
• Master pages, themes, and skins
• how to present data with ASP.NET controls
• Working with LINQ, ADO.NET, and XML
• hosting and working with your ASP.NET applications in IIS 7
• Using and extending the extensible provider model
• the site navigation system
• storing user information with the personalization system
• membership and role management system for adding authentication and authorization to  applications using web.config
• encapsulating pages into smaller and more manageable objects with Web Parts
• working with HTML and CSS design
• Using the theXMLHttpRequest object to build AJAX-enabled applications
• the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit simplify AJAX web development
• authentication, authorization, and HTTP access types and impersonations
• state management and performance of requests and responses
• advanced caching capabilities including SQL cache invalidation
• error handling and debugging techniques
• working with file types and streams
• building and using server controls
• manipulating HTTP requests with HttpModule and HttpHandler.
• Building and consuming XML Web services and SOAP
• Internationalization, configuration, instrumentation, performance, application tracing, health monitoring, administration, Management, packaging, deploying