views:

79

answers:

3

I am looking to get started with developing web applications/services in C# and ASP.NET. I currently have Visual Studio 2008 Pro (I do a lot of C++ development) but want to know what else I need to get started developing. Should I use some of the other products like Visual Web Developer?

Thanks!

+1  A: 

I think Visual Studio 2008 Pro is enough. There is no need for Visual Web Developer, I believe all the features are in the pro edition. Plus VS 2008 should have installed Sql Express.

Of course if you prefer a different database you will have to provide that and what ever tools you need to develop against it.

Ryan Cook
+2  A: 

As @Ryan Cook said, your IDE is fine.

If you've done web development ignore the rest of this, but just in case you haven't...

If you want to get into ASP.Net or web services, and you've never done web development, be sure that you understand the basics of web development. To be truly grounded, I'd look for an HTML for Dummies from about 10 years ago (when they still explained the limitations of HTML and the difference between server-side code and client side javascript, gets, posts, form handling and CGI, etc).

From there, you can start learning Asp.Net and have the grounding you need.

I love Asp.Net, but I see a lot of developers come from a non-web background who start trying to learn web development by jumping into Asp.net, and don't even get the whole stateless nature of the web, and get lost asking questions that are based on the lack of basic web development knowledge. Asp.Net is great in that it abstracts a lot of those details away from you, but it's still important to understand what's going on under the covers and behind the scenes.


Anyway, when you're ready to jump into Asp.net, this is a very good place to start: http://www.asp.net/guidedtour2/

You can go through all of the samples in VS Pro, so there is no need to get the Web Developer Express. (Web Developer Express is just a scaled down version of Visual Studio. The features that are in it are already in Visual Studio Pro, and they all work the same. It's just that the VS Pro version had a LOT more.

David Stratton
+1 I second this great resource regarding C# and ASP.Net http://www.asp.net
Ricardo
I am familiar with web development from the Java side of things. I've done a lot of client side development (JavaScript, XHTML etc..) and have done many WebServices and backend stuff in Java. I'm looking at expanding into the MS side of things here. Very helpful answer though! Thanks!
Casey
+1  A: 

I'd avoid looking at vanilla Asp.Net personally - Asp.Net MVC is a much improved version.

http://www.asp.net/mVC/

Christopher Stott
The statement that it's "much improved" is a bit subjective, but MVC does have the advantage in that it is a paradigm that's familiar outside of the .Net world.
David Stratton
I believe I am going to be stuck working with just ASP.NET for a bit. Thanks though!
Casey