[Striker9099]

Hey guys,

Lately I've focused on learning about ASP.NET and I really liked it. Well, I felt there are a lot of features I will never actually use but I have to admit that I was very impressed with what it can do and the extent of how much it could cut down on the tedious basic work you have to go through everytime you start a new project.

Now with all the features, technologies and tools available in .NET I feel I'm kinda overwhelmed. There are a lot of stuff I could learn about, but I do not know what is required from an ASP.NET developer. Here's a list:

1. C# and VB.NET, do I really need to know both of them or would C# alone do the job?
2. Do I really need to learn about the ins and outs of SQL Server?
3. What about Windows Communication Foundation and Web Services?
4. Is it part of an ASP.NET developer job description to know how to use Analysis Services (OLAP, SSAS, Data Mining, Business Intelligence) and Reporting Services?
5. What about SharePoint and Silverlight, are they required too?
6. What features of ASP.NET would you recommend concentrating on?

Share your thoughts guys. Thanks in advance

This post has been edited by Striker9099: 18 May 2010 - 07:04 AM

[eclipsed4utoo]

1. Knowing one language is fine. As long as you understand and know the .Net framework, then switching between languages isn't that hard.

2. I'd say that many sites are database-driven, and since ASP.Net(and most of .Net) integrate well with SQL Server, I would say yes. You really just need to know T-SQL. There are only a few things that are specific for SQL Server. Most of T-SQL is common between all of the DBMSes.

3. Some of the AJAX functionality has to use web services(like AutoComplete), so I would say yes. I'd say learn WCF since that's the way Microsoft is moving. It wouldn't hurt to learn the old SOAP web services.

4. Sharepoint...no that's not required. You could look at Silverlight as being almost a replacement for ASP.Net. Silverlight is business ready now, so when deciding on a web platform, you would most likely choose either ASP.Net or Silverlight.

5. AJAX and/or JQuery are probably the two I would suggest.

This post has been edited by eclipsed4utoo: 17 May 2010 - 11:40 AM

[Core]

Also, you might want to look at ASP.NET MVC.

[Striker9099]

Quote

1. Knowing one language is fine. As long as you understand and know the .Net framework, then switching between languages isn't that hard.

2. I'd say that many sites are database-driven, and since ASP.Net(and most of .Net) integrate well with SQL Server, I would say yes. You really just need to know T-SQL. There are only a few things that are specific for SQL Server. Most of T-SQL is common between all of the DBMSes.

3. Some of the AJAX functionality has to use web services(like AutoComplete), so I would say yes. I'd say learn WCF since that's the way Microsoft is moving. It wouldn't hurt to learn the old SOAP web services.

4. Sharepoint...no that's not required. You could look at Silverlight as being almost a replacement for ASP.Net. Silverlight is business ready now, so when deciding on a web platform, you would most likely choose either ASP.Net or Silverlight.

5. AJAX and/or JQuery are probably the two I would suggest.

1. Yeah I guess you are right. I'd better know VB.NET too, it's just that its syntax is a bit weird for me. I come from a PHP-Actionscript 3.0 background.

2. Yes actually I do know T-SQL and I'm relatively good when it comes to developing database-driven applications/websites. So I would assume that knowing how to create/manipulate databases in SQL Sever would be enough? This can be done in Visual Studio as well, right?

3. I do have a basic understanding of SOAP web services. I'll get into WCF once I'm comfortable with what I've recently learned. Step by step is the right way to go in this HUGE framework I guess.

4. Silverlight is a replacement for ASP.NET? Isn't Silverlight the MS version of Adobe Flash? Could SL connect to a database and do server-side tasks? I guess I need to look further into this subject. One question though, is Silverlight cross-platform or is it only run on Windows based computers?

5. AJAX and jQuery are not features of ASP.NET specifically. But I do like the way ASP.NET makes it easy to use AJAX code in web pages! What about LINQ, Web Parts... etc? Specifically, do you recommend using LINQ or just plain old SQL queries?

Quote

Also, you might want to look at ASP.NET MVC.

You mean using the MVC design pattern to build ASP.NET applications?

[Core]

Read more about it here.

[eclipsed4utoo]

Striker9099, on 17 May 2010 - 02:31 PM, said:

1. Yeah I guess you are right. I'd better know VB.NET too, it's just that its syntax is a bit weird for me. I come from a PHP-Actionscript 3.0 background.

2. Yes actually I do know T-SQL and I'm relatively good when it comes to developing database-driven applications/websites. So I would assume that knowing how to create/manipulate databases in SQL Sever would be enough? This can be done in Visual Studio as well, right?

3. I do have a basic understanding of SOAP web services. I'll get into WCF once I'm comfortable with what I've recently learned. Step by step is the right way to go in this HUGE framework I guess.

4. Silverlight is a replacement for ASP.NET? Isn't Silverlight the MS version of Adobe Flash? Could SL connect to a database and do server-side tasks? I guess I need to look further into this subject. One question though, is Silverlight cross-platform or is it only run on Windows based computers?

5. AJAX and jQuery are not features of ASP.NET specifically. But I do like the way ASP.NET makes it easy to use AJAX code in web pages! What about LINQ, Web Parts... etc? Specifically, do you recommend using LINQ or just plain old SQL queries?

1. yeah, the syntax is weird in the beginning, but it's not too bad once you start using it.

2. if you know T-SQL, then all you would need to learn is how to get around SQL Server Management Studio(ie. how to create a database, how to create a table). You could do this stuff by a query, but SSMS makes it easier.

4. Silverlight is client-side(just as Flash is). It is somewhat cross-platform. It's available for Windows, Mac, and is being ported to Linux with the "Moonlight" project. It uses web services to communicate back to the server. Yes, it's basically Microsoft's version of Flash, but Silverlight and Flash can be used for more than just showing videos. Silverlight has plenty of controls...enough to create an entire web application. It's also the primary platform for Windows Phone 7. In my opinion, I prefer Silverlight over ASP.Net. If I have the choice, I will use Silverlight for a web-based project over ASP.Net.

5. I love LINQ-To-SQL and use it every chance I get. You have to jump a few hurdles when using LINQ-To-SQL in ASP.Net because of ASP.Net's disconnected nature.

[Striker9099]

Quote

4. Silverlight is client-side(just as Flash is). It is somewhat cross-platform. It's available for Windows, Mac, and is being ported to Linux with the "Moonlight" project. It uses web services to communicate back to the server. Yes, it's basically Microsoft's version of Flash, but Silverlight and Flash can be used for more than just showing videos. Silverlight has plenty of controls...enough to create an entire web application. It's also the primary platform for Windows Phone 7. In my opinion, I prefer Silverlight over ASP.Net. If I have the choice, I will use Silverlight for a web-based project over ASP.Net.

Actually I started as a Flash developer. I always get into endless discussions with HTML/CSS lovers who claim that HTML5 will put an end to Flash (of course, I disagree). I do like Flash and its amazing abilities to produce eye-candy UI's, animations, transitions as well as display multimedia.

From what you've said, I assume that Silverlight could do the same. I also read that it could produce RIA's which is basically what the Flex framework does in Flash. So yeah, Silverlight looks very interesting, I'll definitely give it a shot.

Thanks for the replies buddy, your posts were very helpful. Appreciated!

[PsychoCoder]

• I would recommend learning both. First learn one real well, I would start with C#, then move on to VB.NET. I know VB.NET gets a bad wrap due to the old VB6 days but it is really a better language, and fully OOP. There's very little, if anything at all, that I can do with C# that cannot b done with VB.NET. And knowing both will make you a more rounded developer (In my opinion anyways)
  
• I would say this is a resounding yes. Given that there are very few (if any) non database driven ASP.NET sites out there, and if you're not using some soft of database work then why not just go with pure HTML? SQL integrates really well with ASP.NET, which is by design, so I really think this is something you want to learn.
  
• Learn it, web services are become more prevalent and definitely something worth learning and knowing. You really cannot know too much when it comes to programming
  
• I would touch on this, though in a large environment there's generally a DBA for tasks such as this, but at with point #1 it will make you a more valuable developer.
  
• Sharepoint maybe no, though it has gotten much better over the past few years. Silverlight I would say learn it. It's a good platform and can be used out of the browser environment. It's growing in popularity so it would be worth learning.
  
• • Silverlight
    
  • SQL
    
  • Web Services
    
  • MVC
    
  • AJAX and jQuery (though jQuery really has nothing to do with ASP.NET it can make your life much easier)

[Striker9099]

Thanks for the reply PsychoCoder.

On a side note, we had a job fair at my university today. ASP.NET was the most demanded over there. Obviously, ASP.NET is the choice for serious businesses so I'm glad I chose to get into it. I applied for internships/part time jobs as am ASP.NET developer. Hopefully I'll get an opportunity with .NET.