The video lecture shows how to use several data controls on several tables to allow data filetring an using more complex data operations in general. The lecture shows only the min plumbing for this purpose but the students can use all their front end knowledge and skills in order to create pages useful for their projects.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Simple Database
In this video you will see how easily you create a database with your own table, fill it with data, and run the required queries on your table (doesn't have to be a book database).
After that you will create a Web form with a table rendering data from your database.
See the video here
After that you will create a Web form with a table rendering data from your database.
See the video here
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Navigation Controls
Here you will find two videos showing a very simple way of creating a web site with a hierarchy of pages. Then you will use Mater Pages to make all pages look from the same site and place navigation controls on this master page so that you can go to any page from any page. The videos show a different view of creating web sites with navigation controls, which might explain their essence better...
ASP.NET has many very useful and easy to use server controls with navigation being one of the easily solvable problem. The whole trick is in the creation of a special file Web.sitemap where you describe the structure of your site, how pages are being grouped and what hierarchies they form. Then a special element: SiteMapDataSource control connects various navigation controls to thee site description in Web.sitemap. You just have to pick a navigation control of interest and drop it onto the proper section (usually it is a Sidebar section of the master page. And... this is it!
G2 can just follow the video, if it seems simpler, modify some of its elements and, mostly important, creating pages with their own HTML content (text, art, etc.). If you want to use a lot of server controls - you will need a form, and at the current level of your knowledge it might be easier to use some of the pages without the coverage of the master page but linked by html links from other pages. There you can have all controls you want.
Part1. Here you will see how to create a master page with the side bar ready for placing navigation controls on it.
Part 2. This part shows how to create Web.sitemap description and connect navigation controls to it by using SiteMapDataSource control
ASP.NET has many very useful and easy to use server controls with navigation being one of the easily solvable problem. The whole trick is in the creation of a special file Web.sitemap where you describe the structure of your site, how pages are being grouped and what hierarchies they form. Then a special element: SiteMapDataSource control connects various navigation controls to thee site description in Web.sitemap. You just have to pick a navigation control of interest and drop it onto the proper section (usually it is a Sidebar section of the master page. And... this is it!
G2 can just follow the video, if it seems simpler, modify some of its elements and, mostly important, creating pages with their own HTML content (text, art, etc.). If you want to use a lot of server controls - you will need a form, and at the current level of your knowledge it might be easier to use some of the pages without the coverage of the master page but linked by html links from other pages. There you can have all controls you want.
Part1. Here you will see how to create a master page with the side bar ready for placing navigation controls on it.
Part 2. This part shows how to create Web.sitemap description and connect navigation controls to it by using SiteMapDataSource control
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Master Pages. Three Sections.
This video shows the easiest way of completing the work on master pages for both G1 and G2. The difference is that G2 students should read the text on both topics: master pages and themes with good understanding. The post will be updated later to include other parts of the lecture where you can change the picture in a theme and how you can create aspx and master pages just using a Notepad right from your mobile phone.
- Here is video lecture on Part 1
- In this section of the video presentation I am showing the way of changing the existing themes, including the banner pictures (will be good for your projects)
- Here you can find a very simple explanation of the master page mechanism and use. The simple pages can be created from your mobile devices without even the use of Visual Studio (if you remember some HTML).
Friday, February 21, 2014
Server Controls
While working on chapter 4 you will see the use of server controls that make the creation of complex web pages so easy. Although they look like controls in VB from forms designed for Windows, the big difference is in the complexity of the code provided for you for free that works behind the scene making all easy. ASP.NET creates Web pages working over the network and allowing for client-server , client-browser, and client cloud communications.
To make further learning more differentiated, I am creating two groups: G1 and G2. G2 will be the group where students will take the easier path having somewhat different tasks and goals. G1 students are the students that would want deeper knowledge and are preparing for the situation when they can get a job in web development using ASP.NET. G1 has A as a highest grade, while G2 has an A- as the possible highest grade. When submitting your tasks to the forums you should have a prefix stating G1 or G2 attempt. The highest grade in G1 is possible ONLY when ALL the tasks will be done for G1. G2 students can periodically attempt to do G1 tasks but without all of them done will not get an A grade (while getting the better level of .NET handling).
So for chapter 2 those who read this post can already do the work for G2 which is easier than the one shown in the tasks. This work will include following my ServerControls video and somehow modifying it. Following the textbook is not necessary, although reading it is recommended. The project part for G2 is the same as described in the tasks.
Below I am offering two video lectures. The first one (which should be viewed first) is about the most important concept in server controls = postback. The second one shows how to use several server controls on one page. G2 has to follow and modify it. It also helps to design the initial look of your project. Although later you will be able to change/modify it.
Here is video lecture 1 on postback
Here is video lecture 2 on server controls
To make further learning more differentiated, I am creating two groups: G1 and G2. G2 will be the group where students will take the easier path having somewhat different tasks and goals. G1 students are the students that would want deeper knowledge and are preparing for the situation when they can get a job in web development using ASP.NET. G1 has A as a highest grade, while G2 has an A- as the possible highest grade. When submitting your tasks to the forums you should have a prefix stating G1 or G2 attempt. The highest grade in G1 is possible ONLY when ALL the tasks will be done for G1. G2 students can periodically attempt to do G1 tasks but without all of them done will not get an A grade (while getting the better level of .NET handling).
So for chapter 2 those who read this post can already do the work for G2 which is easier than the one shown in the tasks. This work will include following my ServerControls video and somehow modifying it. Following the textbook is not necessary, although reading it is recommended. The project part for G2 is the same as described in the tasks.
Below I am offering two video lectures. The first one (which should be viewed first) is about the most important concept in server controls = postback. The second one shows how to use several server controls on one page. G2 has to follow and modify it. It also helps to design the initial look of your project. Although later you will be able to change/modify it.
Here is video lecture 1 on postback
Here is video lecture 2 on server controls
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Chapter 2
Do not skip the text in chapter 2 by jumping right to the labs. The material is extremely important and I encourage you to experiment with it until you feel comfortable with VS tools. Just the HTML editing can be extremely useful for any HTML work even outside of the VS.
In this chapter you learn the basic mechanics of web site design with various types of files, folders, and views. The rest of the first half of the semester you will see how easy will be adding of some very good and powerful controls to the site with a couple of clicks and 5-second tweaking. They will make your site look professional as well as allowing you to modify it quickly on user's whimsy. This is Rapid Application Development in the flesh. And the basis is in the use of a good integrated development environment (IDE) such as Visual Studio and a Framework (.NET) which gives you a lot of free code hidden behind each control and .NET element that offer a very rich set of attributes, behaviors, and other code features.
But you need to understand all words and sentences in the book since none of them is just for the good mood. Every skipped sentence is missing knowledge of something that will inevitably haunt you later.
A good idea might be to re-read the chapter and experiment more on it. If you will not be comfortable with the material - you will be spending much more time/efforts in the coming weeks.
In this chapter you learn the basic mechanics of web site design with various types of files, folders, and views. The rest of the first half of the semester you will see how easy will be adding of some very good and powerful controls to the site with a couple of clicks and 5-second tweaking. They will make your site look professional as well as allowing you to modify it quickly on user's whimsy. This is Rapid Application Development in the flesh. And the basis is in the use of a good integrated development environment (IDE) such as Visual Studio and a Framework (.NET) which gives you a lot of free code hidden behind each control and .NET element that offer a very rich set of attributes, behaviors, and other code features.
But you need to understand all words and sentences in the book since none of them is just for the good mood. Every skipped sentence is missing knowledge of something that will inevitably haunt you later.
A good idea might be to re-read the chapter and experiment more on it. If you will not be comfortable with the material - you will be spending much more time/efforts in the coming weeks.
Monday, February 3, 2014
HTML Video Lecture
I hope that by now you've read HTML from w3schools site recommended in the tasks. For those who still have problems in understanding of the tag approach in HTML, I can recommend a really introductory video lecture on a few simple HTML elements with some possibly used in your HTML- adding task.
Attention, Danger!
The first week showed that a number of students are at high risk of failing the course by not starting communicating their results earlier than the last day!
The attendance and necessary effort are at regrettable levels and have to be dramatically changed for those who hasn't started showing the completion of tasks or partial work with clearly demonstrated problems by Sunday. Not only such approach puts you at great risk (as the past experience showed) but it will get you low points for attendance and effort that can improve your grades even with poor tests or lower them. In addition, as I wrote in the Information about the Course file on Moodle, because of the extreme importance of early attempts and to stimulate them - the help WILL NOT be provided the last day before the deadline (Monday), unless you've started communicating with me before that. Since most of you are working toward the Web Development Certificate by taking or planning to take other necessary courses - failure in this course (grade below C) will throw you back by at least one year (when this course will be offered again). This is why I am issuing this harsh warning - to make your work in this course MUCH easier, your knowledge/skills much more solid, and decrease the risk of failing it to the min. This week was especially important because problems with installation might indicate your poor computer skills (insufficient for this course along with poor attendance and effort) AND prevent you from doing the tasks of the next week.
ALL labs for ALL weeks should be completed since the following tasks are based on them.. Reminding you that 3 missed tasks or done on the zero grade level will fail you in this course. If you couldn't complete the task just because of starting late - you will get Zero points, fail one task AND will still have to do it early next week FOR NOW POINTS AWARDED.
The course is not difficult if to do the work early, make corrections and get advice/help if necessary AND QUICKLY respond to my comments to your own posts! You should also log in daily to check the way the development is going on by other students in their posts and comments to them, as well as READING ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING in Q&A and MY BLOG. This will allow you to understand the problems in advance, plan time better, and get help from the experience of others.
Please think about this post, make corrections in your performance and read your email tomorrow which SOME of you might get.
The attendance and necessary effort are at regrettable levels and have to be dramatically changed for those who hasn't started showing the completion of tasks or partial work with clearly demonstrated problems by Sunday. Not only such approach puts you at great risk (as the past experience showed) but it will get you low points for attendance and effort that can improve your grades even with poor tests or lower them. In addition, as I wrote in the Information about the Course file on Moodle, because of the extreme importance of early attempts and to stimulate them - the help WILL NOT be provided the last day before the deadline (Monday), unless you've started communicating with me before that. Since most of you are working toward the Web Development Certificate by taking or planning to take other necessary courses - failure in this course (grade below C) will throw you back by at least one year (when this course will be offered again). This is why I am issuing this harsh warning - to make your work in this course MUCH easier, your knowledge/skills much more solid, and decrease the risk of failing it to the min. This week was especially important because problems with installation might indicate your poor computer skills (insufficient for this course along with poor attendance and effort) AND prevent you from doing the tasks of the next week.
ALL labs for ALL weeks should be completed since the following tasks are based on them.. Reminding you that 3 missed tasks or done on the zero grade level will fail you in this course. If you couldn't complete the task just because of starting late - you will get Zero points, fail one task AND will still have to do it early next week FOR NOW POINTS AWARDED.
The course is not difficult if to do the work early, make corrections and get advice/help if necessary AND QUICKLY respond to my comments to your own posts! You should also log in daily to check the way the development is going on by other students in their posts and comments to them, as well as READING ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING in Q&A and MY BLOG. This will allow you to understand the problems in advance, plan time better, and get help from the experience of others.
Please think about this post, make corrections in your performance and read your email tomorrow which SOME of you might get.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Advanced W2: Page Inspector
One of the new useful tools in VWD2012/13 is Page Inspector which allows to see HTML and CSS elements on the page as they refer to their code thus easily focusing on different parts of HTML-development. The main feature of HTML-development (that includes CSS and various scripts on HTML pages ranging from JavaScript to ASP.NET scripts) is that all of them are sufficiently independent and unlike programming, when change in one place might affect the whole logic in another, allow for local tweaking with only local effects. Later you will see how CSS allows for global behaviors but HTML is all about local tags and their modification. Each tag is responsible for some specific element (though sometimes could show certain nesting effects like list tag for list items).
Page inspector uses this property and allows forward and reverse viewing when you point on the element on the page and see the code that affects it (and can change it right there) or you point at the code and see highlighted element on the page or right in the live browser.
The advanced learners in this class that want to maximize their skills/knowledge for the time/money invested will periodically have learning enhancement options as additional exercises (like following the link above and doing some experiments that could be shown on additional screenshots and commented in the proper forum along with the mandatory exercise) the results of which they can show in places of the regular tasks but commenting on additional efforts that they make. This is good for your knowledge, skills, and final grade which considers effort and attendance. If you do not do these additional exercises but will fully complete the mandatory tasks described in the week's tasks post - you grade will not be lower and actually will be the same as for those who did this extra work (until the final course effort evaluation).
Page inspector uses this property and allows forward and reverse viewing when you point on the element on the page and see the code that affects it (and can change it right there) or you point at the code and see highlighted element on the page or right in the live browser.
The advanced learners in this class that want to maximize their skills/knowledge for the time/money invested will periodically have learning enhancement options as additional exercises (like following the link above and doing some experiments that could be shown on additional screenshots and commented in the proper forum along with the mandatory exercise) the results of which they can show in places of the regular tasks but commenting on additional efforts that they make. This is good for your knowledge, skills, and final grade which considers effort and attendance. If you do not do these additional exercises but will fully complete the mandatory tasks described in the week's tasks post - you grade will not be lower and actually will be the same as for those who did this extra work (until the final course effort evaluation).
Read about Web Forms and Frameworks
Read additional material about FRAMEWORKS , which is the foundation of .NET
Monday, January 20, 2014
About this blog
Since the course is hands-on, dynamic, and in online format - I will be running a blog that will substitute professor's commentary that you might get in face-to-face classes. It will allow make such comments more timely (whenever they have to be done and not only during class sessions) and more tailored to the current class performance and activities. Here you will find my current comments on the tasks, grades, additional help materials, etc.
The additional and help material will be published separately and linked to from this blog. Check this blog often since I assume that you've read it and consider it in my evaluation of your course work, task creation, and quiz questions. Additional advice, requirements, or modifications in the weekly tasks will also be posted here.
The additional and help material will be published separately and linked to from this blog. Check this blog often since I assume that you've read it and consider it in my evaluation of your course work, task creation, and quiz questions. Additional advice, requirements, or modifications in the weekly tasks will also be posted here.
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