Mastering ASP.NET Ajax Library on TekPub

When Rob Conery (@robconery) and James Avery (@averyj) announced TekPub, I remember thinking, "why didn’t I do something like that!?" :)

If you are not yet familiar, TekPub is website that provides high-quality screen-cast series on various subjects. The current catalog features the following series:

• Concepts
• Coder to Developer 2009
• Mastering Git
• Mastering NHibernate
• Building My Blog: Hana
• Linux for Softies: Setting Up Apache with Rails
• Mastering jQuery
• Mastering ASP.NET MVC 2.0
• Mastering LINQ
• Build Your Own Blog: Rails

What’s nice about a TekPub series is that you get professionals taking you step-by-step through a given technology. Books are great, but there’s always a little added magic when you get to see and hear the implementation and explanation of what’s being presented.

Sure, I’m biased though because I am very excited to tell you about the latest series in the TekPub family ‘Mastering ASP.NET Ajax Library’.

In this series I plan to cover the following aspects of the ASP.NET Ajax Library:

• Introduction to the Framework
• Script Loader
  • Basic Concepts

    <li>Using the CDN </li>
  
    <li>Managing Dependencies </li>
  
    <li>Integrating Custom Scripts </li>
  
    <li>Lazy Loading Scripts </li>
  
    <li>Minifying Scripts for Debug and Release Modes </li>
  </ul>
  

  • DataView Control
    • Basic Concepts

      <li>Introduction to Declarative Data Binding </li>
    
      <li>Introduction to Imperative Data Binding </li>
    
      <li>Changing Data Sources </li>
    
      <li>Changing Item Templates </li>
    
      <li>Working with Different Binding Modes 
        <ul>
          <li>Auto </li>
    
          <li>One Way </li>
    
          <li>One Time </li>
    
          <li>One Way to Source </li>
    
          <li>Two Way </li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    
      <li>Working with Binding Customizations 
        <ul>
          <li>Custom Value Converters </li>
    
          <li>Default Values Converters </li>
    
          <li>Default Values </li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    
      <li>Template Manipulations 
        <ul>
          <li>Creating Headers, Footers and locating alternate rows </li>
    
          <li>CSS Class Conditional Assignment </li>
    
          <li>Formatting Bound Items </li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    
      <li>Fetching Data 
        <ul>
          <li>Static HTML </li>
    
          <li>ASP.NET WebForms </li>
    
          <li>ASP.NET MVC </li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    
      <li>WCF Data Services Integration 
        <ul>
          <li>Working with the Data Context Control </li>
    
          <li>Declarative Approach </li>
    
          <li>Imperative Approach </li>
    
          <li>Examples of the Unit of Work pattern </li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    </ul>
    

    • Observer Pattern Framework
      • Basic Concepts

        <li>Working with Single Objects </li>
      
        <li>Working with Arrays </li>
      
        <li>Disconnected Bindings </li>
      </ul>
      

      • Case Study
        • Implementing an editable grid

      This is just a preliminary outline as ASP.NET Ajax is currently in beta and the series will also cover further changes up until the RTM release.

      The price is modest for the series, $20 for all the episodes, but feel free to check out the first episode on the ScriptLoader for FREE! *
      

      * Update: You get the first 12 minutes for free, my mistake :)
      

      Expert Tip

      I record and watch a lot of screencasts, so take it from your uncle Craig and download the video files and play them at 1.4x, 2x or even faster speeds so you can digest the information as quickly as possible. If you miss something or you need to review, you can simply slow playback to the normal rate and rewind, but having this type of “consumption control” is one of the great reasons to use audio and video for learning!