.NET Tools

Visual Studio .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework supply a complete solution for developers to build, deploy, and manage Web Services. The .NET Tools maximize the performance, reliability, and security of Web Services.

Visual Studio .NET is the next generation of Microsoft’s multi-language development environment. Visual Studio .NET will help developers quickly build Web Services and applications (including ASP.NET applications) using their language of choice. Visual Studio .NET advances the high-productivity programming languages Visual Basic, which includes new object-oriented programming features; Visual C++, which advances Windows development and enables you to build .NET applications; and C# (pronounced C sharp).

The .NET Framework is a high-productivity, standards-based, multi-language application execution environment that handles the essential “house keeping” chores and eases deployment and management. It provides an application execution environment that manages memory, addresses, versioning issues, and improves the reliability, scalability, and security of applications. The .NET Framework consists of several parts, including the Common Language Runtime and ASP.NET.

REVIEW

ASP is relatively new Web development technology. Although it is very powerful and simple to use, it does has some flaws. With ASP.NET, Microsoft has introduced a new Web development platform that addresses many, if not all, of ASP’s shortcomings. ASP.NET offers many programmatic improvements including a new data access technology called ADO.NET. ADO.NET is designed to work on the Web, which is inherently disconnected. ASP.NET and ADO.NET are part of larger framework, generically referred to as the .NET Framework. The

.NET Framework is a set of products and services designed to facilitate the development of interoperable Web applications based on open standards such as SOAP, XML, and HTTP.

QUIZ YOURSELF

1.What is the function of TCP/IP? (See “Internet Standards.”)

2.What are two problems when developing ASP applications? (See “The Evolution of ASP.”)

3.What are two improvements provided by ASP.NET over ASP? (See “The Benefits of ASP.NET.”)

For more information on Windows 2000, including demonstration versions and purchasing a license visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/.

Note

Furthermore, in order to run many of the examples in this book you will need to have access to one of the following versions of SQL Server 2000:

SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition

SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition

SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition

SQL Server Developer Edition is the only version of those listed above that you will be able to install with Windows 2000 Professional. If you are running Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server or Data Center, then you can choose the Standard or Enterprise versions of SQL Server. Please note that while we recommend that you utilize SQL Server 2000 as your choice for a database platform, you can also use SQL Server 7.0 for the vast majority of examples in the book.

The .NET Framework includes the option to install the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Edition (MSDE), however this version of SQL Server does not include its own user interface or tools, instead users interact with MSDE 2000 through the application in which it is embedded. MSDE 2000 is packaged with the .NET Framework, but will not be suitable for running all of the scenarios needed for this book.

Table 2-2 provides a consolidated list of locations for you to download core components of the .NET Framework, including operating systems, databases, and data access components.