- •Table of Contents
- •Preface
- •What is ASP.NET?
- •Installing the Required Software
- •Installing the Web Server
- •Installing Internet Information Services (IIS)
- •Installing Cassini
- •Installing the .NET Framework and the SDK
- •Installing the .NET Framework
- •Installing the SDK
- •Configuring the Web Server
- •Configuring IIS
- •Configuring Cassini
- •Where do I Put my Files?
- •Using localhost
- •Virtual Directories
- •Using Cassini
- •Installing SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
- •Installing SQL Server Management Studio Express
- •Installing Visual Web Developer 2005
- •Writing your First ASP.NET Page
- •Getting Help
- •Summary
- •ASP.NET Basics
- •ASP.NET Page Structure
- •Directives
- •Code Declaration Blocks
- •Comments in VB and C# Code
- •Code Render Blocks
- •ASP.NET Server Controls
- •Server-side Comments
- •Literal Text and HTML Tags
- •View State
- •Working with Directives
- •ASP.NET Languages
- •Visual Basic
- •Summary
- •VB and C# Programming Basics
- •Programming Basics
- •Control Events and Subroutines
- •Page Events
- •Variables and Variable Declaration
- •Arrays
- •Functions
- •Operators
- •Breaking Long Lines of Code
- •Conditional Logic
- •Loops
- •Object Oriented Programming Concepts
- •Objects and Classes
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •Classes
- •Constructors
- •Scope
- •Events
- •Understanding Inheritance
- •Objects In .NET
- •Namespaces
- •Using Code-behind Files
- •Summary
- •Constructing ASP.NET Web Pages
- •Web Forms
- •HTML Server Controls
- •Using the HTML Server Controls
- •Web Server Controls
- •Standard Web Server Controls
- •Label
- •Literal
- •TextBox
- •HiddenField
- •Button
- •ImageButton
- •LinkButton
- •HyperLink
- •CheckBox
- •RadioButton
- •Image
- •ImageMap
- •PlaceHolder
- •Panel
- •List Controls
- •DropDownList
- •ListBox
- •RadioButtonList
- •CheckBoxList
- •BulletedList
- •Advanced Controls
- •Calendar
- •AdRotator
- •TreeView
- •SiteMapPath
- •Menu
- •MultiView
- •Wizard
- •FileUpload
- •Web User Controls
- •Creating a Web User Control
- •Using the Web User Control
- •Master Pages
- •Using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- •Types of Styles and Style Sheets
- •Style Properties
- •The CssClass Property
- •Summary
- •Building Web Applications
- •Introducing the Dorknozzle Project
- •Using Visual Web Developer
- •Meeting the Features
- •The Solution Explorer
- •The Web Forms Designer
- •The Code Editor
- •IntelliSense
- •The Toolbox
- •The Properties Window
- •Executing your Project
- •Using Visual Web Developer’s Built-in Web Server
- •Using IIS
- •Using IIS with Visual Web Developer
- •Core Web Application Features
- •Web.config
- •Global.asax
- •Using Application State
- •Working with User Sessions
- •Using the Cache Object
- •Using Cookies
- •Starting the Dorknozzle Project
- •Preparing the Sitemap
- •Using Themes, Skins, and Styles
- •Creating a New Theme Folder
- •Creating a New Style Sheet
- •Styling Web Server Controls
- •Adding a Skin
- •Applying the Theme
- •Building the Master Page
- •Using the Master Page
- •Extending Dorknozzle
- •Debugging and Error Handling
- •Debugging with Visual Web Developer
- •Other Kinds of Errors
- •Custom Errors
- •Handling Exceptions Locally
- •Summary
- •Using the Validation Controls
- •Enforcing Validation on the Server
- •Using Validation Controls
- •RequiredFieldValidator
- •CompareValidator
- •RangeValidator
- •ValidationSummary
- •RegularExpressionValidator
- •Some Useful Regular Expressions
- •CustomValidator
- •Validation Groups
- •Updating Dorknozzle
- •Summary
- •What is a Database?
- •Creating your First Database
- •Creating a New Database Using Visual Web Developer
- •Creating Database Tables
- •Data Types
- •Column Properties
- •Primary Keys
- •Creating the Employees Table
- •Creating the Remaining Tables
- •Executing SQL Scripts
- •Populating the Data Tables
- •Relational Database Design Concepts
- •Foreign Keys
- •Using Database Diagrams
- •Diagrams and Table Relationships
- •One-to-one Relationships
- •One-to-many Relationships
- •Many-to-many Relationships
- •Summary
- •Speaking SQL
- •Reading Data from a Single Table
- •Using the SELECT Statement
- •Selecting Certain Fields
- •Selecting Unique Data with DISTINCT
- •Row Filtering with WHERE
- •Selecting Ranges of Values with BETWEEN
- •Matching Patterns with LIKE
- •Using the IN Operator
- •Sorting Results Using ORDER BY
- •Limiting the Number of Results with TOP
- •Reading Data from Multiple Tables
- •Subqueries
- •Table Joins
- •Expressions and Operators
- •Transact-SQL Functions
- •Arithmetic Functions
- •String Functions
- •Date and Time Functions
- •Working with Groups of Values
- •The COUNT Function
- •Grouping Records Using GROUP BY
- •Filtering Groups Using HAVING
- •The SUM, AVG, MIN, and MAX Functions
- •Updating Existing Data
- •The INSERT Statement
- •The UPDATE Statement
- •The DELETE Statement
- •Stored Procedures
- •Summary
- •Introducing ADO.NET
- •Importing the SqlClient Namespace
- •Defining the Database Connection
- •Preparing the Command
- •Executing the Command
- •Setting up Database Authentication
- •Reading the Data
- •Using Parameters with Queries
- •Bulletproofing Data Access Code
- •Using the Repeater Control
- •More Data Binding
- •Inserting Records
- •Updating Records
- •Deleting Records
- •Using Stored Procedures
- •Summary
- •DataList Basics
- •Handling DataList Events
- •Editing DataList Items and Using Templates
- •DataList and Visual Web Developer
- •Styling the DataList
- •Summary
- •Using the GridView Control
- •Customizing the GridView Columns
- •Styling the GridView with Templates, Skins, and CSS
- •Selecting Grid Records
- •Using the DetailsView Control
- •Styling the DetailsView
- •GridView and DetailsView Events
- •Entering Edit Mode
- •Using Templates
- •Updating DetailsView Records
- •Summary
- •Advanced Data Access
- •Using Data Source Controls
- •Binding the GridView to a SqlDataSource
- •Binding the DetailsView to a SqlDataSource
- •Displaying Lists in DetailsView
- •More on SqlDataSource
- •Working with Data Sets and Data Tables
- •What is a Data Set Made From?
- •Binding DataSets to Controls
- •Implementing Paging
- •Storing Data Sets in View State
- •Implementing Sorting
- •Filtering Data
- •Updating a Database from a Modified DataSet
- •Summary
- •Security and User Authentication
- •Basic Security Guidelines
- •Securing ASP.NET 2.0 Applications
- •Working with Forms Authentication
- •Authenticating Users
- •Working with Hard-coded User Accounts
- •Configuring Forms Authentication
- •Configuring Forms Authorization
- •Storing Users in Web.config
- •Hashing Passwords
- •Logging Users Out
- •ASP.NET 2.0 Memberships and Roles
- •Creating the Membership Data Structures
- •Using your Database to Store Membership Data
- •Using the ASP.NET Web Site Configuration Tool
- •Creating Users and Roles
- •Changing Password Strength Requirements
- •Securing your Web Application
- •Using the ASP.NET Login Controls
- •Authenticating Users
- •Customizing User Display
- •Summary
- •Working with Files and Email
- •Writing and Reading Text Files
- •Setting Up Security
- •Writing Content to a Text File
- •Reading Content from a Text File
- •Accessing Directories and Directory Information
- •Working with Directory and File Paths
- •Uploading Files
- •Sending Email with ASP.NET
- •Configuring the SMTP Server
- •Sending a Test Email
- •Creating the Company Newsletter Page
- •Summary
- •The WebControl Class
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •Standard Web Controls
- •AdRotator
- •Properties
- •Events
- •BulletedList
- •Properties
- •Events
- •Button
- •Properties
- •Events
- •Calendar
- •Properties
- •Events
- •CheckBox
- •Properties
- •Events
- •CheckBoxList
- •Properties
- •Events
- •DropDownList
- •Properties
- •Events
- •FileUpload
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •HiddenField
- •Properties
- •HyperLink
- •Properties
- •Image
- •Properties
- •ImageButton
- •Properties
- •Events
- •ImageMap
- •Properties
- •Events
- •Label
- •Properties
- •LinkButton
- •Properties
- •Events
- •ListBox
- •Properties
- •Events
- •Literal
- •Properties
- •MultiView
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •Events
- •Panel
- •Properties
- •PlaceHolder
- •Properties
- •RadioButton
- •Properties
- •Events
- •RadioButtonList
- •Properties
- •Events
- •TextBox
- •Properties
- •Events
- •Properties
- •Validation Controls
- •CompareValidator
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •CustomValidator
- •Methods
- •Events
- •RangeValidator
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •RegularExpressionValidator
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •RequiredFieldValidator
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •ValidationSummary
- •Properties
- •Navigation Web Controls
- •SiteMapPath
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •Events
- •Menu
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •Events
- •TreeView
- •Properties
- •Methods
- •Events
- •HTML Server Controls
- •HtmlAnchor Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlButton Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlForm Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlGeneric Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlImage Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlInputButton Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlInputCheckBox Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlInputFile Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlInputHidden Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlInputImage Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlInputRadioButton Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlInputText Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlSelect Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •HtmlTable Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlTableCell Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlTableRow Control
- •Properties
- •HtmlTextArea Control
- •Properties
- •Events
- •Index
Chapter 4: Constructing ASP.NET Web Pages
</body>
</html>
Loading this page will produce the output we saw in Figure 4.10.
Now, this is a very simple example indeed, but we can easily extend it for other purposes. You can see in the code snippet that we set the LabelText property directly in the control’s tag; we could have accessed the properties from our code instead. Here's an example:
Visual Basic |
File: ControlTest.aspx (excerpt) |
<script runat="server" language="VB"> Protected Sub Page_Load()
nameSb.LabelText = "Name:" addressSb.LabelText = "Address:" countrySb.LabelText = "Country:" phoneSb.LabelText = "Phone:"
End Sub </script>
C# |
File: ControlTest.aspx (excerpt) |
<script runat="server" language="C#"> protected void Page_Load()
{
nameSb.LabelText = "Name:"; addressSb.LabelText = "Address:"; countrySb.LabelText = "Country:"; phoneSb.LabelText = "Phone:";
}
</script>
Master Pages
Master pages are a new feature of ASP.NET 2.0 that can make an important difference in the way we compose web forms. Master pages are similar to web user controls in that they are also composed of HTML and other controls; they can be extended with the addition of events, methods, or properties; and they can’t be loaded directly by users—instead, they’re used as building blocks to design the structure of your web forms.
A master page is a page template that can be applied to give many web forms a consistent appearance. For example, a master page can set out a standard structure
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Master Pages
containing the header, footer, and other elements that you expect to display in multiple web forms within a web application.
Master page files have the .master extension, and, just like web forms and web user controls, they support code-behind files. All master pages inherit from the class System.Web.UI.MasterPage.
Designing a site structure using master pages and web user controls gives you the power to easily modify and extend the site. If your site uses these features in a well-planned way, it can be very easy to modify certain details in the layout or functionality of your site, because updating a master page or a web user control has immediate effects on all the web forms that use the file.
As we’ve already mentioned, a master page is built using HTML and controls, including the special ContentPlaceHolder control. As its name suggests, the ContentPlaceHolder is a placeholder that can be filled with content relevant to the needs of each web form that uses the master page. In creating a master page, we include all of the basic structure of future pages in the master page itself, including the <html>, <head>, and <body> tags, and let the web forms specify the content that appears in the placeholders.
Let’s see how this works with a simple example. Suppose we have a site which has many pages that contain a standard header, footer, and navigation menu, laid out as per the wireframe shown in Figure 4.11.
Figure 4.11. A simple web site layout
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Chapter 4: Constructing ASP.NET Web Pages
If all the pages in the site have the same header, footer, and navigation menu, it makes sense to include these components in a master page, and to build several web forms that customize only the content areas on each page. We’ll begin to create such a site in Chapter 5, but let’s work through a quick example here.
To keep this example simple, we won’t include a menu here: we'll include just the header, the footer, and the content placeholder. In your Learning folder, create a new file named FrontPages.master, and write the following code into it:
File: FrontPages.master (excerpt)
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<title>Front Page</title> </head>
<body>
<form id="myForm" runat="server"> <h1>Welcome to SuperSite Inc!</h1>
<asp:ContentPlaceHolder id="FrontPageContent" runat="server" />
<p>Copyright 2006</p> </form>
</body>
</html>
The master page looks almost like a web form, except for one important detail: it has an empty ContentPlaceHolder control. If you want to build a web form based on this master page, you just need to reference the master page using the Page directive in the web form, and add a Content control that includes the content you want to insert.
Let's try it. Create a web form called FrontPage.aspx, and add this code to it:
File: FrontPage.aspx (excerpt)
<%@ Page MasterPageFile="FrontPages.master" %> <asp:Content id="myContent" runat="server"
ContentPlaceHolderID="FrontPageContent">
<p>
Welcome to our web site! We hope you'll enjoy your visit. </p>
</asp:Content>
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