>I am trying my best to learn ASP.Net by myself. That itself is very difficult for me. It just creates a lot of problem for me especially with the books I used. Some of them are beta .Net or version 1.1 and using the examples is not a trivial task at all. Now, here comes another version and I don't even have a solid understanding on how it works on this current version. No guarantee there that the same examples will even work.
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>Did I mention that MS Press or most .Net books are pretty expensive?
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Ramil;
My experience with Dot NET is exactly as you described. I began with Beta 1, only to find Beta 2 had major changes. Then on to versions 1 and 2 (2003). As my time and money are limited it is no small matter to define changes and modify your code accordingly while learning what has changed and how something works or does not work! :)
One book I bought stated that all material was taken from Visual Studio .NET version 1. I found this was not true. Beta 1 yes, version 1 of the released product – no! To top it off I bought the book in mid 2002 and it had a published date of 2003! This allows you to think that you have up to date information. Or does it? It made me suspect that something was wrong and the deeper I got into the book the more I realized I was spending too much time correcting errors and not progressing at the rate I wanted.
What version of Visual Studio .NET do you have? My advice is to learn with what you have. Define what you want to do and create small projects for each example. There is a lot to learn and so many directions to take.
I have been to several Dot NET training classes and this is a benefit. One series of books that I think is very helpful is from Microsoft Press.
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/6716.aspTerms I would use to describe this series:
1. Nuts and bolts.
2. Meat and potatoes.
3. A-Z.
4. Neat!
It is a good series and one of my favorite sources of information.
Style and content of technology books are important to me. I look at books as an investment in my knowledge and marketability. It is impossible for me to purchase all books published on the topic of Dot NET. If I had the money I would not have the time to read and learn from all of them.
Just one link to add to the confusion:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/using/Changes in technology require response by developers if you want to use what is being offered. There is a huge investment of time and money required when a tool like Visual Studio NET is introduced. Add to that almost annual versions and you wonder just what this is all about. Is the product ready for prime time? That is still a question I have. Perhaps version 3 (2004) will have the answer or the next service pack or the service pack after that.
I think we have all become used to creating bandages and jumping through hoops to get something to do what is required. Some Microsoft products (development tools) will never deliver what you need. That is due to several factors such as time, money, and the limits of the path or technology that are in use.
By the time the verdict is in about Dot NET it will be time to introduce yet another development tool and technology with the promise that it will be all things to all people while offering us Nirvana (not to be confused with Viagra).
Steve Baumer at Microsoft stated Visual Studio Dot NET would not be released until it was ready! What does that mean? Ready for what I do not know. Ready for annual releases I guess.
At about the same time Microsoft released ASP version 3.0 it announced Dot NET was coming. It is all such fun! Well, sometimes it is in spite of everything! :)
Tom
