Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0/3.0: Are the new features worth the effort to upgrade?Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0/3.0 include a variety of new features that can streamline Web development projects. Two, in particular, offer new capabilities for creating and maintaining page layout and style elements. Microsoft recently released an upgrade to ASP.NET, its technology for developing dynamic Web-based applications, prompting many clients to ask about the potential advantages of upgrading. The newer versions, Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 and 3.0, include a variety of new features that enable programmers to take steps that previously weren't possible or that required custom development. These features can produce a range of benefits -- from greater speed and efficiency in the development process to a more sophisticated user experience. Two new features particularly worth noting are the inclusion of functions for producing master pages and applying style elements, called themes and skins. Master pages.Many sites incorporate common design elements -- such as the placement of content and functionality--that appear across groups of pages. Previously, ASP.NET developers were required to recreate these elements of page layout each time they created a new page. The new master-page functionality included with Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 and 3.0 changes that. Now, developers can create one file -- a so-called "master page" -- that includes the layout and common elements that apply to a group of related pages. This feature saves steps in the development process and eliminates the need for identical code to exist on many different pages. But perhaps more importantly, it can save significant time and improve accuracy in the application maintenance process. Whereas changes to page layout -- such as a new content section -- would have required a developer to update each individual page, the master pages feature of ASP.NET 2.0/3.0 enables developers to make the change just once. Themes and skins.Themes and skins are a new option for applying style--color, font, font size, graphics, and other similar elements--to an ASP.NET website. A "theme" is a directory of style sheets and "skins," files that define styles specifically for ASP.NET Web controls. These functions give the pages in a website a consistent appearance. In the past, developers used individual style sheets or page style elements to apply style to pages in an ASP.NET website. Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 and 3.0 include new functionality that enables developers to apply a theme to an entire site or to a group of sites on a single server. In addition, it enables dynamic application of themes at run time--including the ability for users to change styles and customize their site experience. These are just two of a variety of new features included with Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0/3.0 that can facilitate the development process--enabling users to bring effective Web-based applications to market faster. West Monroe Partners--a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner--has extensive experience with Microsoft ASP.NET development projects. We can help you assess the new ASP.NET 2.0 and 3.0 features in relation to your development needs and upgrade, if appropriate. For more information, please contact
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