Beginning ASP.NET ?

I recommend you learning all the items from the following list:

Database
Table design
relations(one to one, many to many, junction table)
indexes(single column, composite index)
primary key, foreign key, unique key
functions(table and scalar return functions)
stored procedures
views
database diagrams for db design
SQL CLR

Data Access Layer
Linq To Sql
Strongly Typed DataSets
Codesmith
dotNetTiers
Doodads
Subsonic
Repository Pattern implementation in Linq to SQL

Business Logic Layer (Services Layer)
Server side validation
Web Services
SOA
WCF business service

Javascript
JSON
JQuery
Jquery ajax
JQuery JSON
Jayrock

CSS(block model)
positioning
layout
visibility
display
border

XHTML(div, span, fieldset, label, legend)

ASP.NET
UserControls
Server Controls
Page Life Cycle
ModelViewController
Client side validation
ASP.NET theme

Configuring
connectionStrong
AppSetting
Controls
Assemblies
Authentication
Authorization
Creating Custom config Sections
Membership
Roles
Profile
WCF Services|Clients


Visual Studio
Solution and project files
reference adding by project
reference adding by dll
creating macros
keyboard shortcut setting
running macros with short keys
Google a few good VS Addons install and use them

Subversion
Tortoise svn
(Host your code for free at http://unfuddle.com)
Checkout
Add
Delete
Rename
Commit
Update
Revert

WCF, Little Intro

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is a framework for building service-oriented applications. Using WCF, you can send data as asynchronous messages from one service endpoint to another. A service endpoint can be part of a continuously available service hosted by IIS, or it can be a service hosted in an application. An endpoint can be a client of a service that requests data from a service endpoint. The messages can be as simple as a single character or word sent as XML, or as complex as a stream of binary data.

1. With WCF we can send calls through HTTP, TCP, MSMQ, Named Pipes, Peer2Peer etc
2. We can use IIS, windows service(as network service), a terminal, a windows form application to HOST the business logic of the remote software. It means if we do not like IIS, nothing to worry. We can host the same business logic without IIS.
3. It can send data in either XML(SOAP) or Binary form(through TCP) which is faster and reliable and secure too.
4. It has built in authentication and authorization system which means that our roles Admin, reseller and Domain user will be recognized by control server software.
5. It can be used as legacy SOAP client for backward compatibility so that it can be used by third parties apps like Java, asp.net , flash and .NET framework Web Service Clients itself.
6. Its clients (Control Server) can CHANGE the HOST anytime, so that Server A, B and C has the same business logic but on demand we can change the HOST and communicate dynamically. (That was my major concern with old SOAP code and I ran for a solution)
7. A lots easier to use than other SOAP application styles, Microsoft has done a LOT in this field already.
8. Supports Synchronous and Asynchronous calls, i.e Call and wait or Call and forget and keep working on other tasks.

I downloaded a DVD from AppDev ( http://www.appdev.com/prodfamily.asp?catalog_name=AppDevCatalog&category_name=WCCProduct&cookie_test=1 ) and studied a book by orielly ( http://www.amazon.com/Programming-WCF-Services-Juval-Lowy/dp/0596521308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276883505&sr=1-1 ) which is the best rated book on the Amazon on the Topic of Windows communication foundation.

Reference on MSDN is
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms731082.aspx

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