Learning Site Server From the Ground Up
Delve into this book’s pages, and discover the ins and outs of Site Server Commerce Edition.
Offering one of the few books currently available on Microsoft’s Site
Server Commerce Edition, Marco Tabini authored this book to allow application
developers and site architects to build and implement solutions using
the SSCE platform. As such, this volume isn’t intended directly for Exam
70-057: Designing and Implementing Commerce Solutions with Microsoft Site
Server 3.0. Tabini’s book is actually like two books in one. The first
section covers installing, using, and managing SSCE out of the box. Virtually
no code is examined and the focus is on the utilization of the product’s
wizards and management tools. This section closes with a discussion of
security issues, and a brief examination of the SSCE database structure
in Chapter 8 serves as a transition to the remaining material.
The second half addresses customizing and extending SSCE and delves into
how to interface with SSCE at the programming level. This is replete with
VBScript, Visual Basic, and Visual C++ coding examples.
If your goal is to generate a simple e-commerce site, you can just read
Chapters 1 through 7 and skim the rest. If you’re already familiar with
SSCE wizards and management, you may want to browse the first part and
jump to Chapter 8. But if you’re starting with little prior knowledge
and want to learn both the administration and programming sides, you should
work through the entire book.
As you work with this volume, I recommend you have access to SSCE itself.
In addition, you’ll need a Visual Studio development environment to view
the examples. The teaching approach is focused on working through actual
examples and code snippets; therefore, you need to work through them while
connected to an SSCE server with Visual Basic and Visual Interdev available.
Site Server is a rapidly evolving product. So, in the book you’ll find
several outdated references to installation issues and product bugs (the
book was written prior to the release of SSCE Service Pack 3). Plus, the
installation, examples and interfaces are discussed from an NT perspective
even though SSCE is now supported for Win2K. Regardless, the product retains
the same functionality and interfaces under Win2K, so don’t let your environment
deter you from the book.
I recommend this book to those endeavoring to leverage SSCE. In addition,
it has value as an exam-preparation aid as it covers database structure,
site foundation and builder wizards, Advertising Server, and Microsoft
Wallet.
About the Author
Robert Leithiser, MCDBA, MCSD, MCSE+I, MCT, OCP
DBA is a database consultant/technical trainer currently residing in Montgomery, Alabama. In his spare time, he takes his family on outings to Barnes and Nobles to read books.