The Microsoft Platform Ahead

Gain an expert, high-level understanding of Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0—including prerelease insights on the next version of Microsoft Visual Studio. What problems can .NET solve? What architectural approaches does it take to solve them? How do the major technologies—including Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0, Web Services Enhancements (WSE), and the .NET Compact Framework—fit the bigger picture? Author David Platt tackles these questions and more in his customary style—concise, witty, and ultimately pragmatic. He presents topics and examples from the top down, illuminating simpler concepts first then progressing to greater technical detail—meeting the needs of managers, architects, and code-hungry programmers all in a single, eminently readable guide.

Get the insights and examples you need to work with:

Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0



Parameterize classes with the new "generics" mechanism


Recover unmanaged resources with enhanced garbage collector methods
Use ClickOnce deployment for easy software installation and updates

Web Services Enhancements/WSE 2.0



Facilitate user authentication and packet signing—without writing code
Control WSE administratively

ASP.NET 2.0



Use new Web Forms controls for a consistent, personalized user experience
Take advantage of built-in authentication and authorization capabilities
Run and debug projects on the desktop—without Internet Information Services (IIS)

.NET Compact Framework



Exploit streamlined classes for fast, lightweight development and fewer bugs
Write resource-efficient code for the Pocket PC and other smart devices
Deliver maps and directions from a Smartphone

Visual Studio 2005



Download code samples in Microsoft Visual Basic and C#

Includes two bonus chapters.

See additional technology previews in the Appendix, covering:



The next generation of the Microsoft Windows operating system, code name “Longhorn”, featuring the new WinFS storage system
The next version of Microsoft SQL Server, code name “Yukon”