As a tutorial, Beginning ASP Databases offers an entry point to one of the most crucial aspects of Microsoft-oriented Web development--database integration with Active Server Pages. In Beginning ASP Databases, a trio of authors covers the basics of working with databases from ASP--especially using ActiveX Database Objects (ADO).
The book is quite substantive in content but is written in a somewhat light-hearted style that makes readers new to the technology comfortable. The authors begin with a discussion of the benefits of ASP and ADO, and then explain how to configure the technology on the various flavors of Windows. From there, they show how to access databases using ADO, demystify how it all works, and focus on several key areas, including debugging, SQL, and stored procedures.
Plenty of code examples are included, and each is captioned with step-by-step explanations. Exercises and quizzes also complement the material. Throughout the book the authors identify some quite useful techniques to employ and traps to watch for--nuggets of knowledge that will set new ASP programmers on the right track. A lengthy case study ties it all together with a real-world example.
If you're planning on building Web sites on the Microsoft platform, ASP/ADO database access knowledge is essential. This fine guide offers an excellent way to get up to speed seamlessly. --Stephen W. Plain
Topics covered: ADO/OLE DB architecture, SQL, recordsets, databases and cookies, error handling, command object, stored procedures, irregular data handling, performance testing and tuning.
Microsoft created Active Server Pages (ASP) to sew together a group of technologies for creating modern web sites, which can intelligently interact with the user at the front end and with servers and datastores at the back end. Among these technologies is ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), which allows easy, powerful and robust control of technologies that access datastores. This book explains the theory and practice of using ADO with ASP by presenting numerous examples, exercises, lists of common errors and quizzes. The emphasis is on the authors' proven teaching techniques and the presentation of the most commonly used features of ADO in ASP. If you read each chapter and do the exercises you will have a portfolio of several dozen data-intensive web pages of increasing complexity a fine return on your investment.
