I need book recommendations...

[slugg]

What I know:
- I know how to program. I don't need a "how to program" book.
- C/C++ are my strongest and most preferred languages.
- Experience in Java many years ago, but I'm rusty.
- Lots of experience with image processing algorithms and data structures.
- Some experience with machine learning algorithms.
- Little experience with parallel computing.

What I don't know:
- No experience with databases.
- I suck at HTML and web design in general. A WYSIWYG editor is a plus.
- Don't know CSS.
- Don't know JavaScript.
- Don't know C# (not a problem).

What I want to accomplish:
- I want to put more emphasis on the "web app" knowledge as opposed to SQL knowledge.
- I want to abstract the database knowledge as much as possible. I don't really care about HOW a database works, I just need to know how to use it.
- Work in Visual Studio 2008 with .NET 3.5 in C#
- Most importantly: I want to make simple web apps that are SQL database driven.

What would be really nice:
- If the book is targeted toward programmers with no web or database experience
- If I could just get ONE book that would satisfy my needs!

Thanks in advance!

 

[joutlaw]

I'd highly recommend going to microsofts site and look for virtual labs. Most of these will have virtual pc environments that you can play around on.

VS2008 is much improved in the web design front, but it still sucks. If you can do C++ you should be able to do HTML and Javascript with ease.

C# and Javascript are pretty close syntax wise. I'd recommend looking into extJS b/c it makes things a lot easier to design and write.

 

[slugg]

I really want to keep the focus on C# and ASP.NET. The extJS looks cool and all, but it's kind of useless for my goal. Also, I don't need a virtual lab - I have VS2008 pro.

Instead of buying a book based on Amazon reviews, I'd rather hear opinions from fellow ATers

 

[JACKDRUID]

Originally posted by: slugg
I want to make simple web apps that are SQL database driven.

rather than database driven, it is better to create an object based on the database. the object will then drives the application.

as with anything new, I always start with dummy books...

 

[JasonCoder]

I have no personal experience with them but Wrox has a series of books for beginners in .Net land. They'll say "Beginning" instead of their "Professional" series.

 

[slugg]

I went ahead and bought this book. I'll report back with a review after I get it and work through it a bit.

 

[joutlaw]

We use ASP.net at my work, but I really only find it useful for the initial page load. Database access is more elegant with ajax or something similar. I don't want post backs each time I make a sql call.

A page I just wrote is called from another asp.net page. I look at the session variables and populate a combobox on the page load. That combobox triggers several other text boxes and labels that are called from ajax.

Basically I have a Default.aspx page.
Then a GetData.aspx page that ajax calls to do selects, inserts, and updates. I do response.writes with xml from those pages.
Ultimately the form submit from my default.aspx page calls GetPDF.aspx which captures a signature image stored in a hidden field on default.aspx. I do some image manipulation and build a pdf with crystal reports and response write the pdf .

In order to do this with strictly asp.net resulted in way too many postbacks on all the sql data inserts/updates and new selects.

 

[slugg]

Originally posted by: joutlaw
We use ASP.net at my work, but I really only find it useful for the initial page load. Database access is more elegant with ajax or something similar. I don't want post backs each time I make a sql call.

A page I just wrote is called from another asp.net page. I look at the session variables and populate a combobox on the page load. That combobox triggers several other text boxes and labels that are called from ajax.

Basically I have a Default.aspx page.
Then a GetData.aspx page that ajax calls to do selects, inserts, and updates. I do response.writes with xml from those pages.
Ultimately the form submit from my default.aspx page calls GetPDF.aspx which captures a signature image stored in a hidden field on default.aspx. I do some image manipulation and build a pdf with crystal reports and response write the pdf .

In order to do this with strictly asp.net resulted in way too many postbacks on all the sql data inserts/updates and new selects.

Thanks for the book recommendation...

 

[Bulldog13]

ASP.NET 2.0 Website Programming: Problem - Design - Solution (Programmer to Programmer) is the ticket. It's a .Net 2.0 book, but with the limited experience you have, it doesn't matter. It would be much better for you to grasp 2.0 and then move on to 3.5. Not sure how in depth it goes database wise...

No need to buy a book on html/css, there is more info than you could possibly need on the internet. I recommend starting with W3 Schools and once you got it figured out, ripping off designs from Open Source Web Design and modifying to suit your needs.

If you absolutely must get a database book, get Database Design for Mere Mortals(R): A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design (2nd Edition) , though in all honesty if you have "Lots of experience with image processing algorithms and data structures" then you should be able to bang through a few sql tutorial online and have it covered. 90% of it is CRUD operations and primary-foreign keys.

Post if you need anything else.

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: joutlaw
We use ASP.net at my work, but I really only find it useful for the initial page load. Database access is more elegant with ajax or something similar. I don't want post backs each time I make a sql call.

A page I just wrote is called from another asp.net page. I look at the session variables and populate a combobox on the page load. That combobox triggers several other text boxes and labels that are called from ajax.

Basically I have a Default.aspx page.
Then a GetData.aspx page that ajax calls to do selects, inserts, and updates. I do response.writes with xml from those pages.
Ultimately the form submit from my default.aspx page calls GetPDF.aspx which captures a signature image stored in a hidden field on default.aspx. I do some image manipulation and build a pdf with crystal reports and response write the pdf .

In order to do this with strictly asp.net resulted in way too many postbacks on all the sql data inserts/updates and new selects.

Cache and postback checks?