Chapter 1: Intro.

To Internet Programming
- Differences between Static & Dynamic Web Page
Static Web Page Dynamic Web Page
Content Fixed Dynamic
* Changes according user’s
preferences
Appearance Always same to Generated dynamically at run
every users time
Coding Language Plain HTML PHP / Javascript / ASP
File Size Small Large
* Contains server-side code
Functionalities Limited More functions such as
database access

- Differences between Client-side & Server-side Dynamic Pages

Client-side Server-side
Effects created Browser Server
by
Languages(s) Javascript .NET (C#, VB.NET), PHP
used
Response speed Fast Slow

Server memory Low High

consumption
Limitations Limited functionalities More complex features
- Ex. Database access
SEO Search engine might not be Easier for search engine to
able to properly index web index web page
page
Site interaction High Relatively static
- .NET 2-step Compilation
 CIL & CLR together provides the structural optimization of pre-
compiled code along with the portability of interpreted code
♪ Pre-compiled code
 Code is compiled when done writing
♪ Interpreted code
 Code is compiled at time of execution
♪ Hence, we can use all languages interchangeably within applications

 Common Language Runtime (CLR)

♪ Responsible for execute application code
♪ Converts code to CIL

 Common Intermediate Language (CIL)

♪ Low-level & platform-independent language
♪ When application executes, CIL code is compiled into machine code
by JITTER (Just-In-Time compiler)
♪ Only methods are compiled from CIL into machine code

Chapter 2: Server Controls & Site Design

- 3 Types of ASP.NET Development Models
 Web Pages
♪ Simplest ASP.NET models
♪ Built around single web pages
♪ Provided with built-in templates

 MVC (Model View Controller)

♪ A framework for building web applications

 Web Forms
♪ Traditional ASP.NET
♪ Oldest event-driven development model
♪ Web pages with added:
 Server controls
  Server events
 Server code
♪ Contain 2 blocks code:
 HTML template
 ASP.NET code

- Benefits of ASP.NET Server Controls (ISBE)

 1. Intuitive object model
♪ Expose HTML elements of a page in an intuitive object model
 2. Separate design from logic
♪ Separate design content of a page from application logic
 3. Browser compatibility
♪ Maintain browser compatibility
 While supporting advanced browser features
 4. Enable view state
♪ Automatically retain value of properties by participating in view state

- Differences of HTML Control & Server Control

HTML Control Server Control
Processed By Web browser Server
Advantages ~ Provide basic control ~ Enables view state
rendering * Allows value to be
~ Provide client-side retain even after page is
scripting refreshed

Limitations Need to consider browser Must be processed by a

compatibility server

- Master Pages
 Defines layout to be used by all pages
 Essential elements
♪ Ex. Header & Menu
♪ Present on every pages
 Advantages:
♪ Easy to create
 Simply apply to new content page
 ♪ Easy to maintain
 Can modify just a single Master Page to change appearance of all
pages

- Site Map
 Overview of pages within a website
 Allows visitors to quickly jump to any section of a website listed in the
site map

Chapter 3: Event-Driven Programming & Postback

- Event
 An action taken on application by some force outside of code
♪ External force usually is user
 Can use to hold code that will run when an action occurs
 4 Sections of Event-driven Environment:
Section Examples
An event occurs User clicks a button (Force from outside)
System detects the event ASP.NET registers that an event has
occurred
System reacts to the event Some code is executed
(Ex. Calculation & display result)
System returns to original state Waits for next event

 3 Major Groups of Events:

♪ HTML events
 Occur on web page
 Handled by browser (client)

♪ ASP.NET page-level events

 Automatically run by ASP.NET when a page loads
 No user involvement
 Ex. Page load

♪ ASP.NET server control events

 Definition:
 Largest events group
 Handled by server
  Occur due to user interaction with the page
 Ex. Click button
 Advantages:
 More available resources like custom-built objects
 Not rely on browser’s capability to recognize & handle
HTML events
 Can use any language to write code for event handler

 Differences between HTML Event & Server Control Event

HTML Event Handler Server Control Event Handler
Runs on client side Runs on server side
Rely on browser support Works across all browser
* Because event is handled by server
Event handling code can only be Event handling code can be written in
written in Javascript any languages supported by .NET
Resources restricted to client side More available resources

- Stateful Postback
 Retain state across postback
 Postback
♪ A process which browser send info. to server
♪ Then, handle the event, sending html back to client

 When Postback is used, info. about state of ASP.NET form is sent back
in an associated hidden control “_VIEWSTATE”
 Value in _VIEWSTATE
♪ Generated by ASP.NET by encrypting the values of old state of form
♪ Value is used to:
 Persist the state between page submissions
 To store programmatic changes
Chapter 4: Database Programming
- Data-Driven Web Page
 Data are stored in a database on the server-side
 As data changes, they are reflected on the web site without human
intervention
 Advantages:
♪ Maintainability
 Easier to maintain data
 Keep data up-to-date
♪ Reusability
 Databases can easily backup & reuse
♪ Data context
 Allows to define relationship & rules for data in database

 Disadvantages:
♪ Development time
 Time consuming to write code to access database
♪ Dependency on database
 Website fail if database fail
♪ Cost
 Full enterprise-level database solution are quite expensive

- 3 Ways to Bind Data

 SQL Data Source Method
♪ Enable rich capabilities for retrieve & modify data such as:
 Querying
 Sorting
 Paging
 Filtering
 Updating
 Deleting
 Inserting

 Model Binding Method

♪ Model Binding Steps:
 1. Create model
  By coding / generate from existing database
 2. Create a database context
 Database tables are create as classes (the models)
 3. Use desired data bound control on form
 Models are then bound to server data controls such as
GridView
 4. Write backing codes to perform transaction

 Coding by Hand
♪ Programmatically create connection & SQL queries

- Data Binding
 A process of dynamically assigning a value to a property of a control at a
run time
 Can use to bind properties of a data-bound controls to a data source
 Syntax for display data: <%# Eval(“field”) %>
 Syntax for display & update data: <% #Bind(“field”) %>
- Data Bound Control
Controls Capabilities Description & Uses
GridView - Read - Display multiple records on a table
- Edit - Inflexible layout
- Delete
- Sorting
- Paging

DetailsView - Read - Displays a single record at a time

- Edit as a table
- Delete - Default structure provided
- Update - Often used in master-detail
- Paging scenarios
* Where selected record in a
master record such as GridView
control determines the record
displayed by DetailsView control

FormView - Read - Similar to DetailsView

- Edit * Displays single record
- Update - No default structure
* Must use templates
- Often used with GridView

ListView - Read - Display multiple records in a grid

- Edit - All field in 1 cell
- Delete * 1 cell = 1 record
- Update - Flexible layout with templates
- Sorting
- Paging

Repeater Read only - Similar to ListView

* 1 cell = 1 record
- No default structure
* Can create own custom layout
- Display multiple records using
template
- Loops through data with exact
supplied template
- No built in functionality
Chapter 5: Membership & Role Management
- Basic Principles
 Authentication
♪ Process of verifying identity of user / computer
 Authorization
♪ Process of determining what a user (or a group of users) is permitted
to do on a computer or a network, or to use a resource

- ASP.NET Security
 Provides membership management service
♪ To authenticate users to access a page / entire site
♪ Provides Login control

- Types of Authentication
 Forms authentication
♪ Uses traditional login/logout pages
♪ Codes associated with a Web form handles users authenticated by
username / password
♪ Users are usually stored in a database
♪ Advantage
 Easy to implement
♪ Disadvantage
 Need to maintain own database

 Windows authentication
♪ Advantage:
 Suitable for developing intranet application
♪ Disadvantage:
 Not suitable for web application resides outside of organization
Internet
  Microsoft Account (formerly Passport authentication)
♪ Centralized authentication service provided by Microsoft
♪ Offers a single logon & core profile services for member sites
♪ Advantages:
 Single sign-on
 Integrated with other services such as Windows Azure
 No need to maintain database to store user info.
♪ Disadvantages:
 Fees involved

 Social Login
♪ A form of single sign-on using existing login info from social
networking service such as:
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Google+

Chapter 6: State Management

- HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
 Communication protocol of TCP/IP Suit with Web server

- State
 A program stores data in variables (memory locations)
♪ Contents of memory locations at the given point in the program
execution is called state
 Refers to current status of properties, variables, & other data maintained
by an application for a single user

- Client-side State Management Options

 Cookies
♪ Files create by websites
♪ 2 Types of Cookies
 Session Cookie
 Kept in browser’s memory
 Exist only for duration of browser session
  Persistent Cookie
 Kept on user’s disk as a text file
 Retained until cookie’s expiration date

♪ Cookies Usage
 Store user’s browsing information such as:
 Client preferences
 Last visited data & time
 User details
 Example: username & password
 Previous search details
 Can be used by a web server to store info. on a client computer
 Can be retrieved by same web server only

♪ HttpCookie Property
 Name
 The cookie’s name
 Value
 String value assigned to cookie
 Expires
 DateTime value that indicates when cookie expire

♪ Advantages:
 Persist on client’s computer space
 No need allocate on web server to store user-specific info.
 Save small amounts of info. for long periods of time
 Can be used to customize a user’s visit to your web site

♪ Disadvantages:
 Users can choose not to accept cookies on their Web browser
 Users can block the cookies
 Users can manually delete cookies
 Unable to save large objects, arrays, or other complex data types

♪ Use Cookies When:

 Store small piece of data
 Can be configured to expire after any length of time
  Query String
♪ Used in Anchor tags & hyperlinks (URLs)
♪ To pass info. from 1 page to another

 View State
♪ Generated by ASP.NET by encrypting the values of old state of form
♪ Value is used to:
 Persist the state between page submissions
 To store programmatic changes

 Control
 Hidden Fields

- Server-side State Management Options

 Application State
♪ Application Object
 To maintain state globally
 Visible throughout the whole application lifetime
 Can be assessed by all pages & by all users of application
 Can used to store any variable type
♪ Use Application When:
 To maintain info. that is global to entire Web site
 Can drain server’s resources

 Session State
♪ Each visitor is assigned as individual session
 Data stored in session variable are not shared among different
users
♪ Visible from page to page during a session
♪ Session variables can be used in all pages in an application for a
particular session
♪ Use Session When:
 To maintain user-specific info.
 To maintain state only for the user’s visit to your site
 Can used to store any variable type
 Cache
♪ Can use on client-side too
♪ Process of storing frequently used data on server to fulfil subsequent
requests
♪ 3 Types of Caching
 Output Caching (Page Output Caching)
 Allows entire contents of a page to be persisted to memory &
used to fulfil client requests
 Save post-rendered content
 Hence, no need to be regenerated again next time it’s
requested

 Syntax:
 <%@ OutputCache Duration = “60”
VaryByParam = “None”>
 Duration attribute is used to define no. of seconds a page
is stored in the cache
 Must include VaryByParam attribute / VaryByControl
attribute
 VaryByParam attribute allows to vary cached output
depending on query string
 VaryByControl attribute allows to vary cached output
depending on a control value

 Use Output Caching When:

 Generated page changes every few hours as info. is
loaded into database

 Fragment Caching (Partial Page Caching)

 Allows parts of a page to be cached & other parts to be
dynamic
 By enabling the Shared = “true” attribute, UserControl’s
output can be shared among multiple pages & on sites
 Use Fragment Caching When:
 Generated page generally stays same
 Only several tables shown within output change regularly

 Data Caching [Not cover in syllabus]

  Profile Properties
 Database Support

Chapter 7: Validation Controls

- Definition of Validation Control
 To validate data of input control
 Display error message to user if data input is invalid

- 6 Types of Validation Controls

 RequiredFieldValidator
♪ Ensures field is not left empty

 CompareValidator
♪ Compares entered text with a value / with another control
♪ Check data type

 RangeValidator
♪ Ensures entered text is within a specified range

 RegularExpressionValidator
♪ Matches entered text against specified pattern

 CustomValidator
♪ Runs custom code to validate entered text

 ValidationSummary
♪ Provides place to summarize error messages
Chapter 8: Reusable Code for ASP.NET User Control
- User Control
 An ASP.NET page that has been converted into a control
♪ File extension = .ascx
 Can contain both HTML & Web Controls
 Can contain same event-handling subroutines as a normal ASP.NET
page
 Advantages:
♪ Reusability
 Enable to reuse same content & programming logic on multiple
ASP.NET pages
 Used for repetitive elements
♪ Code Reduction & Encapsulation
 Reducing amount of code per page by encapsulation repetitive
elements
♪ Improve Performance
 Enable fragment caching

 Limitations:
♪ Not Ideal For:
 Separation of presentation HTML from code blocks (server
control)
 Encapsulation of data access methods in a reusable package
(Data access class / component)
 Creating a control that can be reused more widely than in just the
application (which can be achieved by custom control)

 Properties:
♪ Content can be static / dynamic
♪ Can expose properties in a user control
- Custom Control
 3 Ways to Create Custom Control
♪ Derived Custom Control
 Derived from existing Control
♪ Composite Control
 Grouping existing controls together into a new compiled control
♪ Full Control
 Similar to user controls

- User Control VS Custom Control

User Control Custom Control
- .aspx pages - .DLL files
- Extension is .ascx - Precompiled components
- Supports Caching - X Support Caching
- Easy to create - Hard to create
- Good for static layout - Good for dynamic layout
- Limited visual design tool support - Full visual design tool support for
for consumers consumers
- A separate copy of control is - Only a single copy of the control is
required in each application required in global assembly cache
- X added to Toolbox in Visual - Can be added to Toolbox in Visual
Studio Studio

Chapter 9: Debugging & Error Handling

- Error
 To minimize mistakes
♪ Perform testing & exception handling on portions of code that are
prone to errors
 Definition of Exceptions:
♪ Exception = Error
♪ Any error condition / unexpected behaviour occurs during execution
of a program, & consequently disrupts the normal flow of execution
- 4 Types of Errors
 Parser Errors
 Compilation Errors
 Configuration Errors
♪ Caused by problem in either Web.Config or Machine.Config file
♪ Example:
 Missing of </appSettings> in Web.config
 Runtime / Logical Errors

- Parser VS Compilation Errors

Parser Error Compilation Error
Both involves Syntax Errors
Syntax error in HTML code Syntax error in C# code or VB.NET
Can be recognized by compiler X recognized by compiler
Example: Example:
<asp:TextBo ID = “txtID” runat = If(x < 0 {lblMsg = “invalid value” ;}
“server” />

- Spelling of TextBox is wrong - Should be write in:

If (x < 0) {
lblMsg = “invalid value”;
}

Raised when page is in process of Raised when page is in process of

being parsed being compiled

- Runtime VS Logical Errors

Runtime Error Logical Error
Both cannot detected by compiler
Occurs during runtime, after a page is Occurs due to logical error of code
successfully being compiled
Example: Example:
- Invalid query string - Divide a number by zero
- Exception Handling
 Page-Level Error Handling
♪ Used to catch & handle any error occurs in a page
♪ Methods:
 Try…catch…finally
 To identify portions of code that prone to errors

 Page_Error() method
 Handle any errors within a page, regardless where they occur
within an application
 Syntax:
void Page_Error() {

 Application-Level Error Handling

♪ Application_Error() method
 Handles errors in any page within an application
 Write in Global.asax file
 Syntax:
void Application_Error (object sender, EventArgs e) {