How to go from PHP to ASP

January 31, 2007 3:32 AM

Going from PHP to ASP: Resources, Books?

I am an experienced PHP developer, doing larger ecommerce applications for the last years. I am also doing Action-/Javascript and a bit of Java. However, my ASP/MSSQL knowledge is pretty much nil.

I need to start developing in ASP 2.0 NET as well, and pretty quickly. My first look for resources on the web beyond introductory tutorials was a bit disappointing. Buying books without knowing the first thing about the matter seems hit or miss.

So, I'd be happy about book recommendations. Mainly dealing with structure of ASP projects, OOP ASP, MVC/templating, ASP best practices, etc.

Pointers to good online resources are appreciated as well, of course.

Thanks!

posted by uncle harold to computers & internet (5 answers total)

Well, what is your php work like?

ASP.NET is an event driven OO platform. You can do some of that in php, so the reading list is different if your php is object oriented vs top to bottom embedded html/php spaghetti like ASP 3.0 used to be.

If your php is object-y you need to learn the libraries, syntax, and IIS weirdness. If your php is script-y you need to learn that an how to build OO apps.
posted by mrbugsentry at 8:05 AM on January 31, 2007

You have options when it comes to what language you use in ASP.NET 2.0. It doesn't make that much of a difference, but I'd probably go with c#. It will look most like php/java.

I'd start here with the Microsoft patterns and practices site.

Their ASP .NET Developer center is pretty comprehensive too.

One of my biggest frustrations with earlier versions of ASP.NET was the lack of a decent template component. Check out Master Pages in ASP.NET 2.0

These guys from Rolla generally have a pretty good handle on what's going on in Microsoftland.

Oh, and don't forget to take your wallet with you. Microsoft provides a lot of introductory tools for free to get people to invest their time learning their new products, (all the Express versions of Visual Studio, MSDE), but for larger projects their full fledged products like Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 cost a pretty penny compared to what you are used to getting for free in PHP/mySQL land.

Have fun!
posted by zackola at 8:21 AM on January 31, 2007

Thanks.

mrbugsentry: In PHP, I use both the symfony framework and my own MVC framework, and would like to try to keep the three layers as loosely coupled as possible in ASP as well. So yes, definitely OOP.

zackola: But there is a free SQL Server developer edition, AFAIK? The production servers will be the business of my (large corporate) client, which is the reason I need to learn NET in the first place. So I won't need to buy the production versions - correct?
posted by uncle harold at 9:17 AM on January 31, 2007

But there is a free SQL Server developer edition, AFAIK?

Yes, with limitations.
posted by matthewr at 9:43 AM on January 31, 2007

Yes, with limitations.

I don't have experience with ASP.Net, but I develop C# desktop applications, and didn't run into these limitations until I needed to use Crystal Reports. I would really recommend trying the free editions, and figuring out if you really need the professional ones before upgrading. AFAIK, you really shouldn't run into limitations using the express edition of Sql Server, as the limitations are on things like the number of connections allowed, not on what the engine itself can do.

Also, as far as database stuff is concerned, there isn't really any reason you can't use MySQL or PostgreSQL just like you would with PHP, as most (all?) major RDMSs have .Net data providers. The app I'm working on uses PostgreSQL. The only problem I've run into is that a lot of the automagic code-generation stuff you can do in Visual Studio is harder to do or impossible, but a lot of that stuff ends up being too simple and limiting anyway.

I like The Code Project for an online resource.
posted by !Jim at 12:09 PM on January 31, 2007