So you want to get start with .Net Development but don’t know where to start?
I wanted to write this post because more and more I get asked “how can I keep up” and “how can I get started”. So I would like to answer these questions by providing a list of resources available for free to all developers.
How to get the tools
Free versions of Visual Studio and SQL Server are available here. This site also has some good “Getting Started” resources. You might also qualify for free copies of some tools through the ***Spark programs. Make sure to check to see if you qualify.
Selected MS Resources
- ASP.Net Portal
- Windows Client Portal
- IIS Portal
- Silverlight Portal
- MSDN
- Documentation | VB.Net | C# | .Net | SharePoint
- Channel9
- Visit Mix
- Microsoft PDC
Beginner Resources
- Introduction to the C# Programming Language
- Visual Basic Guided Tour
- Getting Started with Visual Studio
- Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Virtual Labs
- .NET Framework Conceptual Overview (a bit more advance but useful information)
3rd Party Resources
Boring background information (Moved to the bottom so that resources would be on top)
I can’t believe it has been over 10 since I started my career in software development. I remember the days when I was learning web development and Classic ASP. Things where a bit more simple back then (or were they?). I learn the basics of HTTP and HTML. Learned the basics of Javascript and then started to learn about dynamic page generation using VBScript and Classic ASP. Now, by this time I had already learned programming and algorithm development but web development was a different animal.
Getting up to speed was not that hard. It was not very long after I started that I was able to create simple web applications. It was very easy to get started because there were not that many choices available. I did not have to choose a data access framework as ADO was the only one available. I did not have to worry about selecting and learning the perfect AJAX framework because there were none. And the list goes on and on. However, once the applications became more and more complex, I found my self wanting more out of the tools I was using.
When ASP.Net came out, I thought to my self “great I have to start all over again”. Just as I was starting to get deep in Classic ASP, I have to learn something new. I love learning new things but I also love to get my applications complete :-). Leaning ASP.Net was not hard but my productivity increase short after I started. The reason being was that ASP.Net provided some features out of the box that Classic ASP did not.
Tools are suppose to make you more productive. I did not have to learn all the ins and outs of ASP.Net just enough to make me do my job better and more efficiently. As time when by, I became more efficient due to the fact that I was taking full advantage of what ASP.Net had to offer.
Same is true today. There are more options today that 10 years ago and the pace of new technologies being introduce is also greater. The key to stay afloat is to only learn just enough to get your current job done but to always aim to learn more just a bit more. Continuous improvement as some folks like to call it.
