Hi Imar,

Let me point out a major problem for all users. First of all sql2005 and express are just new so every hosting company does not support it currently. Next since sql expresss is totally FREE, every hosting company avoids this ( since they cannot charge ).No hosting support is found for sqlexpress.

The last option left is sql2000 which every hosting company supports, since its already there since long time.

What you should be doing is providing sql2000 database support as well as a seperate download, which is finally used as placing the site online. The developers/students like me can study on sql2005 express and take all trials locally, but finally when they need to go online none of the database/stored procedures are useful, since there is no sql2005 support found everywhere.

MicroSoft- also provides sql2000 with all starterkits, since they are aware of this. We request you to do so. The fresh developers/students are in no condition to create the highly advanced storeproceures so quickly and without any error. All thy can do is run aspnet regsql and create aspnetdb.

sql2000 database ( seperate download ) is the only way to go online.

Pl. guide me if i am wrong in any way.

Thanks

SoftMind: You are right that not all of the hosters have upgraded to offer SQL Server 2005 Hosting. However, in designing this book, we went with 2005 for 2 reasons: One, SQL Server 2005 (whether Express or Standard) is really the preferred way to use ASP.NET 2.0. Yes, you can use SQL Server 2000 with it, but we expected more book readers to be going the route of using both new technologies together. 2nd, with the free availability of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (a much better free option than MSDE was for the 2000 era SQL Server) we thought most readers would experiment with this locally using SQL Server 2005 Express.
The number of hosters working with ASP.NET 2.0 and SQL Server 2005 might vary by country and I haven't looked at Microsoft India's site to see if they have a similar list. Here in the US, MSFT has a list of ASP.NET 2.0 hosters:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/asp.net/in...s/default.aspx
and
SQL Server 2005 hosters:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/asp.net/in...s/default.aspx

It's fairly easy to look through the lists here and find a hoster supporting both and having a good deal. Granted, if you are happy with your hoster and don't want to switch but they don't offer the version support you need, that's another problem.

Jim Minatel
Senior Acquisitions Editor
Wiley Technology Publishing
WROX Press
Blog: http://wroxblog.typepad.com/
Jim's Book of the week: No book this week - Donate to the Red Cross!

In addition to what Jim has mentioned, I'd like to point out that SQL Server 2005 is not just an increase in version number by 5... ;)

The book uses a number of new SQL Server 2005 features (like Common Table Expressions) that didn't exist in SQL 2000, so "downgrading" a site that uses this feature (the Customer Support Site for example) is not an easy undertaking.

Imar
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Imar Spaanjaars
Everyone is unique, except for me.