This book is written for software developers proficient in writing applications in a commonly used programming language such as Perl, C#, C++ or Java. The examples in the book are written in C# and Perl, but I explain enough Perl and C# along the way that skilled engineers can follow my examples.
While an understanding of the basic principles behind Web software development (HTTP, security concerns, XML, and the like) is helpful, the book does not presume that readers have developed web- based applications and introduce this material when necessary.
