1.8 Other .NET-related technologies
1.8 Other .NET- related technologiesIt is only fair to mention other important .NET technologies, such as ASP .NET, and web services. However, beyond the brief introduction here, these topics are out of the scope of this book. 1.8.1 ASP .NETYou must have heard of Active Server Pages. [34] ASP is a popular HTML template scripting technology for generating dynamic web pages. Java's equivalent of ASP is Sun's JSP technology.
ASP .NET [35] has been improved significantly over the previous version which supported only scripting languages. In ASP .NET, you can write ASP forms in a .NET language of your choice. As well as a more robust and cleaner architecture, ASP .NET is supposed to perform better and be more maintainable . I am expecting many new web applications to be written in ASP .NET because it really is a great improvement over ASP 3.0.
1.8.2 XML web services.NET supports the creation of web services using VS .NET. [36] You can expose methods in your classes as web services easily, post them to a UDDI server, and consume web services offered by compatible servers. Most of the mundane tasks (creation of WSDL files, creation of SOAP packets, etc.) are automated by VS .NET and the developer is left to concentrate on the business logic codes.
1.8.3 .NET enterprise serversYou might have heard of them “ SQL Server 2000, Commerce Server 2000, Exchange Server 2000, BizTalk Server 2000, Host Integration Server 2000, and others. These server tools from Microsoft are often mentioned together when .NET is being discussed. Each .NET enterprise server is a member of Microsoft's enterprise server family, and each has a specific part to play on the .NET football field. Be aware that these so-called .NET enterprise servers do not yet run on .NET technology (notice that most of them have been released in year 2000, while .NET was only finalized and released in 2002). I suppose they have been called .NET enterprise servers because they are still relevant today, and someone from marketing had a final say. For example, Commerce Server 2000 (which works together with Microsoft IIS to host a customizable commercial-quality e-commerce website) runs on ASP 3.0 rather than ASP .NET. [37]
So much for confusing names . 1.8.4 Windows .NET Server [38]
The Windows .NET server [39] will be the successor of the Windows 2000 server family. Built on the foundation of Windows 2000, Windows .NET server comes in four editions:
Naturally, this new operating system integrates with other Microsoft technologies including .NET Passport, Microsoft Active Directory, and COM+ component architecture with XML web services through the .NET framework. It also provides native support for SOAP-based XML message parsing in MSMQ. 1.8.5 .NET My Services [40]
Formerly codenamed HailStorm, .NET My Services is a set of user-oriented XML web services provided and administered by Microsoft. A user of My Services is authenticated via .NET Passport, which also stores your personal information. Through My Services the user can share information with any trusted third party, which may also provide its own web services. Relevant information stored at a central repository can be passed around and utilized without requiring the user to re-enter such information. The initial set of .NET My Services includes:
Third party developers can create SOAP-aware applications and portable devices that consume .NET My Services. These applications can also expose their own functionalities as web services which are compatible with .NET My Services. 1.8.6 .NET Passport [41]
.NET Passport is Microsoft's solution for an internet-based single sign-in (SSI). [42] Launched in 1999, it is a suite of web-based services that involves keeping a user's identity and encrypted credit card information at a central server. The merchant signs up with Microsoft and links its site to Passport (for a fee). When users wish to make an online purchase, they identify themselves by logging in using this Passport account. They do not need to key in personal particulars (shipping address, credit card information etc) all over again when they need to make a purchase because that information is already linked to their Passport account.
1.8.7 .NET Compact FrameworkJava has J2ME for constrained devices; .NET has the Compact Framework. While the .NET Framework is suitable for desktop PCs, the .NET CF is a subset of the .NET framework meant for smaller 'smart' devices (personal digital assistants (PDA) running the Pocket PC operating system, TV set-top boxes, intelligent cell phones, etc). A Smart Device Extension (SDE) for VS .NET is an IDE extension for writing, debugging, and deploying applications for .NET CF. The SDE includes the .NET CF, additional device-specific functionality for Visual C# .NET and VB .NET, remote device debugging capabilities, and device emulators. 1.8.8 Visual Studio .NETEfficient software development must be accompanied by an efficient development tool. For writing .NET codes, nothing comes close to VS .NET (naturally). Unlike Java's ' open market' for Java IDEs , VS .NET seems to be the only choice for writing .NET applications. Learning how to write, compile, and run a C# program in VS .NET takes only 15 minutes. But there are several other useful tools and wizards provided in this IDE that will take a couple of days to be totally familiar with. VS .NET is beyond the scope of this book “ the code examples can be all compiled using the command line .NET SDK. VS .NET comes in four editions:
VS .NET installs on Windows NT 4.0 Workstation/Server, 2000 Professional/Server, and Windows XP Professional only. A 60-day trial of VS .NET Professional is also available from Microsoft. [43]
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