Tim has been an author and technical reviewer for several books from Wrox Press and most recently was a lead author on Professional VB. NET 2003. His other books include Professional Commerce Server 2000, and Professional ADO 2.5 Programming. Tim is currently working as a lead author on the next edition of Professional VB. NET. Tim has written numerous articles for the Developer. NET Update newsletter, devel ped packaged presentations for MSDN, and has written a whitepaper for Microsoft on using COM+ ervices in NET. He has also written articles for SQL Server Magazine and Windows & NET Magazine Tim has spoken at technical conferences around the world and several San Diego area user groups(includ- ing both NET and SQL Server groups)and he has been a regular speaker at the Microsoft Developer Days conference in San Diego for the last several years. Tim has also delivered MSDN webcasts, many of which were repeat requests from Microsoft. Tim also teaches custom nET classes to companies in need of expe NET mentoring and training Tim holds a BB A. in marketing from the Illinois Institute of Technology as well as an M.B. A in market- ing from National University. Before becoming an application developer, Tim was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Tims passion for NET is only surpassed by his passion for Notre Dame athletic i dedicate this book to everybody in my family who supports me. Jasmine, some day you will be writing books, too! Rama Ramachandran is a software architect at DKR Capital, a major hedge fund company in Stamford, Connecticut. He is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer and Site-Builder and has excelled in designing and developing Win Forms and Web applications using NET, ASP.NET, Visual Basic and SQL Server. Rama has more than 15 years'experience with all facets of the software development lifecycle and has cowritten Introducing NET, Professional ASP Data Access, Professional Visual Inter Deo Programming (all Wrox Press), and four books on classic Visual Basic. Rama is also the"ASP Pro"at Devx. com, where he maintains ASP-related columns He teaches net Development and Web Development for Fairfield Universitys master's degree in software engineering, andattheUniversityofConnecticutYoucanreachRamaatramabeenaehotmail.com. This book is dedicated to my wife, Beena, and our children, Ashish and Amif. They make my life whole I'm great at writing about technology but get tongue-tied trying to say howo much I love and care about the three of you. I am grateful to our prayer-answering God for your laughing, mischievous, adoring lives. Thanks for being there, Beens. I love you Kent Sharkey. Born in an igloo and raised by wolves in a strange realm called"Manitoba, " Kent Sharkey wandered the wilderness until found by a group of kind technical evangelists and migrated to edmond. He now is content strategist (yeah, he doesn't know what he's supposed to do either)for ASPNET content on MSDN. When not answering email he dreams of sleeping, complains to everyone around (come to think of it, he does that while answering email as well), and attempts to keep his house- mates(Babi, Cica, and Squirrel) happy As with all else, to Margaret. Thank you Bill Sheldon is a software architect and engineer originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Holding a degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology(IIT)and a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer(MCSD)qualification, Bill has been employed as an engineer since resigning his commissi with the U.S. Navy following the first Gulf War. Bill is involved with the San Diego. NET User Group and writes for Windows and. NET magazines, including the twice monthly Developer. NET Update email newsletter. He is also a frequent online presenter for MSDN and speaks at live events such as Microsoft Developer Days. He lives with his wife, Tracie, in Southern California, where he is employed as a princi- alengineerwithInterknowlogy.YoucanreachBillatbillseinterknowlogy.com.Tim has been an author and technical reviewer for several books from Wrox Press and most recently was a lead author on Professional VB.NET 2003. His other books include Professional Commerce Server 2000, and Professional ADO 2.5 Programming. Tim is currently working as a lead author on the next edition of Professional VB.NET. Tim has written numerous articles for the Developer .NET Update newsletter, devel￾oped packaged presentations for MSDN, and has written a whitepaper for Microsoft on using COM+ services in .NET. He has also written articles for SQL Server Magazine and Windows & .NET Magazine. Tim has spoken at technical conferences around the world and several San Diego area user groups (includ￾ing both .NET and SQL Server groups) and he has been a regular speaker at the Microsoft Developer Days conference in San Diego for the last several years. Tim has also delivered MSDN webcasts, many of which were repeat requests from Microsoft. Tim also teaches custom .NET classes to companies in need of expert .NET mentoring and training. Tim holds a B.B.A. in marketing from the Illinois Institute of Technology as well as an M.B.A. in market￾ing from National University. Before becoming an application developer, Tim was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Tim’s passion for .NET is only surpassed by his passion for Notre Dame athletics. I dedicate this book to everybody in my family who supports me. Jasmine, some day you will be writing books, too! Rama Ramachandran is a software architect at DKR Capital, a major hedge fund company in Stamford, Connecticut. He is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer and Site-Builder and has excelled in designing and developing WinForms and Web applications using .NET, ASP.NET, Visual Basic and SQL Server. Rama has more than 15 years’ experience with all facets of the software development lifecycle and has cowritten Introducing .NET, Professional ASP Data Access, Professional Visual InterDev Programming (all Wrox Press), and four books on classic Visual Basic. Rama is also the “ASP Pro” at Devx.com, where he maintains ASP-related columns. He teaches .NET Development and Web Development for Fairfield University’s master’s degree in software engineering, and at the University of Connecticut. You can reach Rama at ramabeena@hotmail.com. This book is dedicated to my wife, Beena, and our children, Ashish and Amit. They make my life whole. I’m great at writing about technology but get tongue-tied trying to say how much I love and care about the three of you. I am grateful to our prayer-answering God for your laughing, mischievous, adoring lives. Thanks for being there, Beens. I love you. Kent Sharkey. Born in an igloo and raised by wolves in a strange realm called “Manitoba,” Kent Sharkey wandered the wilderness until found by a group of kind technical evangelists and migrated to Redmond. He now is content strategist (yeah, he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do either) for ASP.NET content on MSDN. When not answering email he dreams of sleeping, complains to everyone around (come to think of it, he does that while answering email as well), and attempts to keep his house￾mates (Babi, Cica, and Squirrel) happy. As with all else, to Margaret. Thank you. Bill Sheldon is a software architect and engineer originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Holding a degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) qualification, Bill has been employed as an engineer since resigning his commission with the U.S. Navy following the first Gulf War. Bill is involved with the San Diego .NET User Group and writes for Windows and .NET magazines, including the twice monthly Developer .NET Update email newsletter. He is also a frequent online presenter for MSDN and speaks at live events such as Microsoft Developer Days. He lives with his wife, Tracie, in Southern California, where he is employed as a princi￾pal engineer with InterKnowlogy. You can reach Bill at bills@interknowlogy.com. 01_575368 ffirs.qxd 10/7/05 10:46 PM Page vi