As a tutorial, Beginning ASP Databases offers an entry point to one of the most crucial aspects of Microsoft-oriented Web development--database integration with Active Server Pages. In Beginning ASP Databases, a trio of authors covers the basics of working with databases from ASP--especially using ActiveX Database Objects (ADO).

The book is quite substantive in content but is written in a somewhat light-hearted style that makes readers new to the technology comfortable. The authors begin with a discussion of the benefits of ASP and ADO, and then explain how to configure the technology on the various flavors of Windows. From there, they show how to access databases using ADO, demystify how it all works, and focus on several key areas, including debugging, SQL, and stored procedures.

Plenty of code examples are included, and each is captioned with step-by-step explanations. Exercises and quizzes also complement the material. Throughout the book the authors identify some quite useful techniques to employ and traps to watch for--nuggets of knowledge that will set new ASP programmers on the right track. A lengthy case study ties it all together with a real-world example.

If you're planning on building Web sites on the Microsoft platform, ASP/ADO database access knowledge is essential. This fine guide offers an excellent way to get up to speed seamlessly. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: ADO/OLE DB architecture, SQL, recordsets, databases and cookies, error handling, command object, stored procedures, irregular data handling, performance testing and tuning.

Customer Reviews...

Excellent tutorial and overview of using ADO with ASP, October 19, 1999
Reviewer: Steve Danielson (steve_danielson@hotmail.com) from Raleigh, NC
This book is a great introduction to accessing databases using ASP. Data access is via ADO, and both Jet (MS Access) and SQL Server database examples are provided. In addition to just showing how to connect to a database through ASP, the book also shows many practical examples of when and why you would want to do so, and also provides a good case study illustrating an entire web application including such features as user logins, basic security, and cookies (as well as of course plenty of database access through ADO and dynamic asp pages).

This book would be a good first book for a programmer wanting to learn ASP and ASP Database technology, as complete code samples and explanations are provided for all asp code given, but it is also a good follow up book to Beginning ASP (ver 3.0 is about to be released)

(I was a member of the technical review team for this book, so I have read every word of the book and run every code sample.)

A gem. Six stars! Should win the technical Pulizter prize., December 24, 1999
Reviewer: Stephen C Puchniak
The missing link for ASP web developers who are ready for databases connectivity. You do not need to know ASP to benefit from this book. I did not. Using a simple format the author takes you from basic ASP installation, to building HTML forms which add, delete, and update information on your local DB server. Every word in the book is carefully worded so you never second guess the author's intentions. Things to note: The book's database and scripting focus is Access and VBscript. But It is easy to create the example DB tables in SQL Server - that's what I did. Download a single file from the WROX website and all of the working examples in the book are at your disposal. You don't waste any time figuring out coding problems, Instead your main focus is reviewing the code and analyzing how it worked so well. This book is better than any $1500 ASP training course. It is the single Web development resource which connects all of the pieces together for you. Thanks John!