Summary

ASP.NET, although still familiar, represents a radical upgrade from previous versions. This chapter simply scratched the surface of what is available. The use of the .NET Framework Class Library ensures consistent object-oriented development rather than the spaghetti code of old. We think that as you explore more of its features, you'll soon find ASP.NET and the System.Web namespace as indispensable as VB .NET itself.

The following are key points presented in this chapter:

• The System.Web namespace exposes the HttpRequest and HttpResponse objects used when working with HTTP.

• Data can be passed on the URL using a query string. This data is accessible as a collection from the Request object.

• Forms get posted to a Web page. This data is exposed to the Request object using the Form collection.

• The HttpBrowserCapabilities class enables you to ascertain a client's capabilities.

• You can store and retrieve application-level state information (accessible to all ASP.NET pages in your site) using the HttpApplicationState class.

• User-specific state can be managed in a number of ways, including using hidden form fields with the ViewState object, cookies, and session state using the HttpSessionState class.