The Microsoft .NET software platform integrates various aspects of software development. In .NET applications can be written in a variety of programming languages and can be either stand-alone or web-based. A lab module for CS 453 Electronic Commerce Technologies was developed that instructs students on how to develop complex e-commerce websites using the programming language C# within the Microsoft .NET framework. This project and thesis provided insight into the power of C# and the .NET framework. Student evaluations were constructive and positive overall. There were many good suggestions for expansion of the C# lab module.

The Microsoft .NET software platform integrates various aspects of software development. The .NET framework is installed on all machines that contain applications designed in the Visual Studio .NET Integrated Development Environment (IDE). This IDE allows software developers to create fully deployable applications. These applications can be written in a variety of programming languages and can be either stand-alone or web-based. The programming language C# (pronounced see-sharp) is a central language in .NET that evolved from the languages Java and C++.

C# and the Microsoft .NET framework has advantages over older languages that make it worth learning. Because there is very little support for C# and the .NET framework in the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, few UVA students graduate with basic knowledge of this technology. This problem must be rectified so UVA graduates can be effective in the IT industry.

To address this problem, in this project a lab module for CS 453 Electronic Commerce Technologies was developed. It instructs students on how to develop complex e-commerce websites using C# within the Microsoft .NET framework. The lab module will introduce the unique features of C# and the .NET framework. Because the existing structure of CS 453 is being used, students may start at different levels depending on their knowledge of the languages and their skills. These difficulty levels are Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. The Beginner level introduces the programming languages C# and ASP.NET and outlines the role that the Microsoft .NET framework plays in programming with these languages. The “Intermediate” and “Advanced” levels include more complex examples.

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