Chapter 34. ASP.NET State Management Techniques

The previous two chapters concentrated on the composition and behavior of ASP.NET pages and the web controls they contain. This chapter builds on that information by examining the role of the Global.asax file and the underlying HttpApplication type. As you will see, the functionality of HttpApplication allows you to intercept numerous events that enable you to treat your web application as a cohesive unit, rather than a set of stand-alone *.aspx files driven by a master page.

In addition to investigating the HttpApplication type, this chapter also addresses the all-important topic of state management. Here you will learn the role of view state, session and application variables (including the application cache), cookie data, and the ASP.NET Profile API.