This book has provided me with the information to jump right into creating web applications with Visual Basic. It is an excellent training guide and at the same time, it provides real-world examples that can be reused in multiple projects and applications. (A developer's comment on the previous edition of Murach's ASP.NET, posted online)

Already know how to code in Visual Basic 2010? Then, master web programming with this .NET 4 edition of the ASP.NET book that's a favorite of developers. It teaches beginners how to develop web applications from scratch, while more seasoned professionals use it as a time-saving guide whenever they need the "how-to" details that take forever to find online.

Here's a quick rundown on what developers have always liked best about this book:

#1: Complete applications show you how all the pieces interact
The key to mastering ASP.NET 4 is to have plenty of real-world applications that guide you in using the skills you're learning...and that help you avoid the problems that you can run into as you build complex web sites. That's why this book gives you complete applications, including the web forms, the aspx code, and the VB code. Download the applications for free from the Murach website, and experiment with them on your own to see how valuable they are.

#2: It gives you a 6-chapter section on database programming that's geared to business applications
Database handling is crucial in business programming, yet it's glossed over in just a chapter or two in many books. In contrast, this 6-chapter section teaches you how to use SQL data sources and ASP.NET data controls to develop database applications with little or no VB code. Then, it teaches how to use object data sources to create 3-layer applications that let you separate the presentation code from the data access code. And each topic is illustrated using examples like maintenance and shopping cart applications...the kind of database applications you'll deal with every day.

#3: It teaches you ASP.NET development the way it should be done, using Visual Studio 2010
The 1.x edition of this book was one of the first to teach web development using Visual Studio instead of tools like Notepad. Today, no developer should miss out on the productivity features of Visual Studio 2010. So they're integrated throughout this book, rather than being relegated to just a chapter or two at the beginning.

#4: It teaches you ASP.NET 4 features when they're appropriate, not just convenient
In contrast to some books, the ASP.NET 4 features haven't just been tacked onto the chapters from the previous .NET 3.5 edition. Instead, author Anne Boehm has carefully analyzed how the changes affect the way you develop web applications and what you need to learn when. That means this book integrates the new material with the classic ASP.NET features that haven't changed, giving you a cohesive, fluid approach to learning web programming the way it's done today.

#5: The distinctive paired-pages format* makes learning...and reference...a breeze
A few years ago, a customer used the term "paired pages" to describe our presentation style, and the name has stuck. It means that this book presents each topic in a two-page spread. The right page gives screen shots, code, syntax, bulleted details whatever is needed to illustrate and summarize the topic; the left page provides extra explanation and perspective as needed. That makes it easy for developers at any level to skim through material they already know and focus on what's new to them. It means less reading for everyone. And it makes the book a quick and easy-to-use reference guide once you're done training.
(*To see how the paired pages work, you can download free chapters from the Murach web site.)