Chapter 3. Creating a Useful ASP.NET Site

In This Chapter

  • Creating a Web project

  • Creating and using a SQL Server Express database

  • Generating a Web page based on a database

My niece Julie is always adding to her DVD collection. It's hard to keep track of what films she owns. A good solution — and a great project for this chapter — is a Web page where Julie can log and display her latest acquisitions.

Most ASP.NET Web applications revolve around data and this one's no exception. This chapter introduces you to Microsoft's SQL Server database where you store the DVD information. Data isn't much use if you can't display it, and that's where the ASP.NET data controls enter the picture.

The striking feature of this Web application is the way you create it without writing any code. Don't get me wrong, there's code in the app; it's just that you let Visual Web Developer (VWD) write it according to your instructions.

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