Installing the Sample Files

The sample code used in this book is available on the book’s Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6725.asp. To download the sample files, click the “Companion Content” link in the More Information menu on the right side of the Web page. This will load the Companion Content page, which includes the link for downloading the sample files. To install the sample files, run the executable file downloaded from the link and accept the license agreement that is presented.

By default, the files will be copied to the folder C:\MicrosoftPress\ASPNETSBS. The destination folder will also contain a readme.htm file that you’ll need to refer to for instructions in setting up and using the sample files.

System Requirements

To use the sample code provided at the Web site, you’ll need a computer with the following configuration:

• Microsoft Windows 2000 (SP3 or later recommended), XP Professional, or Windows Server 2003, Web edition.

• Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (Personal, Standard, or Enterprise Edition, SP3 recommended) or the Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE), which is included with Visual Studio .NET 2003.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later.

• Internet Information Services (IIS). (To access the ASP.NET features, you must install IIS prior to installing the Microsoft .NET Framework.)

• The .NET Framework SDK, which you can download from the MSDN Web site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/downloads/default.asp. (Because Microsoft Visual Studio .NET includes the SDK, you don’t need to install the .NET Framework SDK separately if you install Visual Studio .NET.) Note that Windows Server 2003 comes with the .NET Framework version 1.1 preinstalled, so you do not need to install this separately.

• Visual Studio .NET 2003 or Visual Basic .NET 2003, Professional Edition or higher. You can use the Standard edition, but some chapters (including Chapter 10) use project types only available in the Professional and higher editions.

Note

To more easily run some of the command-line tools in the .NET Framework (such as wsdl.exe and the command-line compilers), you might also need to add the paths to these utilities to the PATH environment variable, as described in Appendix C. If you have problems running any of the command-line tools, you can use the Windows Search facility (located on the Start menu) to search for the location of these tools. Then add the path to their location to the PATH environment variable.

Conventions Used in This Book

You can save time when using this book if you take the time to understand how instructions, keys, notes, and so on are used before you start the first chapter. Please take a moment to read the following list, which explains the conventions for these and other elements.

• Hands-on exercises for you to follow are given in numbered lists of steps (1, 2, and so on).

• Text that you are to type appears in boldface type.

• As you work through steps, you will occasionally see tables with lists of properties that you will type into Visual Basic .NET.

• A plus sign between two key names means that you must press those keys at the same time. For example, Press Alt+Tab means that you hold down the Alt key while pressing the Tab key.

• Notes labeled NOTE provide additional information or tips about a topic.

• Notes labeled IMPORTANT alert you to essential information that you should check before continuing the chapter. This can include information to help you avoid problems such as application crashes or security issues.

• Notes labeled TIP can help save you time and trouble as you use the technologies being described.