Web design is no longer simply about designing attractive Web pages that link to each other. Dynamic content, user collaboration, database integration, diverse content management, and server- and client-side scripting make up a world that can't be contained on a simple Web page or site. Web pages, sites, and users all communicate with each other in ways few could have guessed afew years back. Microsoft obviously had some ideas about where things were heading with its .NET focus and the integration of Expression Web with Windows SharePoint Services, the server technology considered by Microsoft to be the future of Web content. With the release of Expression Web, the product was positioned to work with all these elements integrating tightly with the best Microsoft has to offer. This book is for those web designers who are building standards-based XHTML Web sites and applications and it provides information so that professional designers can take advantage of the best of dynamic Web-site design, which will enable users to develop web applications. Readers will learn how to create standards-compliant websites with Expression Web that will work consistently in all browsers.

Who Should Read This Book?

Expression Web 2 is a powerful Web development product, and there are plenty of books about it. That puts readers in a tight spot when trying to figure out which book to purchase to learn how to use Expression Web 2 to its fullest. I've read a lot of technical books in my career, and the ones that I find most helpful are the ones that teach me everything about a particular product instead of only teaching me the features and techniques that the author prefers. If that's the kind of book you appreciate, then this is the book for you.

I have also found that many technical books are frustratingly light on any meaningful content. In fact, most of them are just complex rewrites of the documentation that ships with the product. I get the documentation with the product, and I'd rather not pay for it again from a third party. Instead, I want a book that tells me what the documentation doesn't tell me.

That's exactly what this book will do. It will show you how to use the features in Expression Web 2 for real-world Web design. I'll give you pointers on how to effectively use several features together to achieve a common goal. I'll give you a strong foundation in the technologies involved (for example, Cascading Style Sheets [CSS], Extensible Hypertext Markup Language [XHTML], ASP.NET, PHP, and more) so you aren't working in a vacuum.

When the first edition of this book was released, I read plenty of quotes from people saying that, because it is comprehensive and covers all features in Expression Web, it was best for advanced users. I agree that this book is a great resource for advanced users, but it also is great for users new to Expression Web 2. If you want a book that will continue to provide you with valuable information as your knowledge of Expression Web 2 and Web design grows, this book is a great choice for you.

The goal of this book is to equip you to be a better Web designer using Expression Web 2 as one of the tools in your arsenal. If that sounds like something you're interested in, keep reading!