Dear .NET Developer:
Have you ever tried to find a component for your .NET application only to waste more time in research than you saved in using the component? Or gotten 80% of the way to launch, only to discover that the component you were depending on lacked one crucial feature? Depending on your project's scope, such problems can range from minor annoyances to major disasters. But with all the great .NET tools and components out there on the market, these problems can be avoided...if only you can find the right components for your own particular needs.
Unfortunately, getting information on components has been a hit-or-miss proposition. That's why we're launching the How-To-SelectTM Guide series. Our goal is simple: we want to bring you the comprehensive, unbiased information that you need to make an informed choice when picking the components that you need to make your .NET project a success. Each How-To-Select Guide will look at a particular category of components in depth. We'll offer guidance on what components in that category can do, and show you how to choose between the various components on the market. We'll also list and evaluate every component that we can in the category (limited only by the vendor's willingness to provide us with their software to evaluate).
How-To-Select Guides go far beyond simple feature checklists to address the issues that really matter to working developers who need to find the right components for serious projects. We'll help you sort out the use cases for the various components, discuss vendor support and licensing policies, and make sure you understand what each component can (and can't) do for project. We include free and open source software right alongside commercial offerings, so you can choose the most economical component that will get the job done for you.
We're also committed to keeping the Guides up-to-date. Assuming changes and ongoing interest in each category, we plan to revise each Guide roughly every six months with the latest products and version information, as well as additions and corrections based on reader feedback. If you've got something to say about our coverage, we'd love to hear from you on our forums here via our web site's forum. Why not stop by to let us know how we can help your .NET development efforts succeed?
-Mike Gunderloy
Executive Editor
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