New Roadmap

“Web Application Development (ASP.NET)

Providing the thin-client counterpart to Windows client development is the Web application infrastructure ASP.NET, introduced as part of version 1.0 of the .NET Framework. In the Whidbey release, ASP.NET will feature a new set of controls that simplify Web-based data access and will include functionality that facilitates code reuse, visual consistency, and aesthetic appeal.

First, ASP.NET data access will be refined in the Whidbey release through the introduction of new controls for interacting with data, such as the DataSource. This control will be used declaratively or programmatically in an application to encapsulate the query logic required to work with data from a database, XML file, middle tier business object, or numerous other sources. The DataSource exposes a set of common interfaces so that data-bound controls can easily consume different types of data without requiring a unique API for each data type it supports.

While the DataSource control helps simplify the retrieval and update of data, ASP.NET will also provide new controls that display data. The GridView control is a successor to the ASP.NET DataGrid that adds the ability to automatically handle paging, sorting, editing, and deleting of data. The DetailsView is a data-bound control that renders a single record at a time from its associated data source. Similar to the Form View of a Microsoft Access database, the DetailsView provides paging buttons to navigate between records. Developers can use the DetailsView control in a master-details scenario for updating and inserting new records where the selected record of the master control determines the DetailsView display record.

Second, Whidbey will include features that ensure consistency and code reuse across pages within a Web site. The introduction of Master Pages will enable developers to quickly share layout across multiple pages by designing templates that specify the location of controls, menu bars, headers, and footers. Similar to visual inheritance in Windows Forms, Master Pages allow other pages on a Web site to inherit from a Master Page, automatically acquiring its look and feel. When a developer wishes to change the layout of all the pages, they need only make updates to the Master Page.

Finally, ASP.NET will incorporate themes and skins to enhance the visual appearance of Web applications. A skin is a set of properties and templates that can be used to standardize the size, font, and other characteristics of controls on a page. A theme incorporates multiple skins and stylesheets to specify the overall look and feel of a Web site. Themes and skins will be simple to package, transfer, and apply to other Web sites. In addition, ASP.NET will provide several built-in themes that developers can use to build aesthetically appealing Web sites out of the box.”

[MSDN]

Sounds good to me. Master pages and skinning sounds especially nice! Also, confirmation of ObjectSpaces being in the release, visual designers for webservice components, and an updated version of SourceSafe!