In Real-World ASP.NET: Building a Content Management System, Stephen R.G. Fraser presents an overview of the elements of a Content Management System, and builds a Content Management System in ASP.NET using C#. In short the book covers basic information about Content Management Systems, Workflows, Version Control and Personalization, but also introduces the reader with ASP.NET, Database Development, and XML.
The book is divided in fifteen chapters which consist of the following major subjects:
Definition of a Content Management System — explains the elements of a Content Management System;
Basics of Web Architecture — explains the basics of Web Architecture, the presentation, application and database layers;
ASP.NET, C#, and Visual Basic .NET — introduction to the .NET framework and it’s Web scripting languages;
ADO.NET — explains the database basics and objects;
Authentication — authorization, and encryption of content and the system;
Personalization — defines Personalization and how to use it;
The book also has a website, at www.contentmgr.com, were you can see the Content Management System you will build live-in-action. Also you can download the companion source code of the Content Management System that will be built through out the book at the publisher’s web-site: www.apress.com, go to Downloads and choose “Real-World ASP.NET: Building a Content Management System” to download it.
Analysis
The first five chapters of the book start with explaining the elements of a Content Management System, so it’s told that a Content Management System consists of a minimum of three elements: the content manager application (CMA), the metacontent management application (MCMA), and the content delivery application (CDA). After the writer explains the basis of a Content Management System and its terminology, the writer continues with explaining the aspects of version control and workflows.
The next chapter is about the basics of Web Architecture, it will explain the reader about the classic n-tier client/server architectures which consist of the following layers: Presentation Layer, Application Layer, and Database Layer. As mentioned in the book the only difference with the classic n-tier client/server and the Web architecture is the presentation layer which will be via a web browser instead of an operation system specific executable.
The next three chapters make space for an introduction to the .NET Framework , ASP.NET and the language C# but also Visual Studio .NET. In a tutorial kind of way you will build a Dynamic Content Viewer. Once you are done with this viewer you will step in the world of database development, in the chapter “Database Development and ADO.NET”. In this chapter you will learn how to use the database functionality available in Visual Studio .NET and ADO.NET. You will also build some examples were you read data from a database and showing it in a Data Grid, and last you will be altering the Content Viewer you made in the previous chapter to work with ADO.NET.
After all this information has been thrown at you it’s time to really start building the Content Management System (“CMS”). The first thirty pages of the second half of the book are spent explaining how to install the included source code. The next chapters in the book will guide you how to make the several parts of the CMS. From implementing Authentication or a control panel where you can add or remove your stories. Of course there is information how to display dynamic content and how to implement support for Workflows in your CMS.
Verdict
When you have finished reading Real-World ASP.NET: Building a Content Management System, you have all the information you need to build your own CMS successfully. If you build a CMS for the first time this is the book you want. Very well explained it implements the theory you learned in the first chapters into a nice ASP.NET based CMS that you can use a kick-start for your own CMS. The book is really meant for the Web developer. After the first five chapters the content of the book will get too technical for your editor or designer. In short it’s a great book, together with a book like Content Management Bible which you in my opinion you already should have on your desk, you have perfect combination to start building your own CMS.
