ASP.NET 2.0

[Guest]

One of the biggest advancements with ASP.NET 2.0 is the addition of the data
controls (SqlData Source, FormView, GridView, etc). I was wondering what
folks' opinions on these are.

I really want to adopt these new controls into the applications that my
group creates, but I can't help but get teh feeling that we're taking steps
backwards. It seems to me that with these controls, you end up placing more
validation controls onto your web forms and then you place a lot of business
rules into XXXUpdating events or inside of stored procedures that you hook
into the web controls. It looks almost like a web version of a MS Access
database because this approach seems to be focused on providing visibility
into a row of data or a stored procedure within a database

Granted, you can throw together a prototype quickly, but for complex
applications, I can't help but wonder if these things are a good tool.

What experiences have folks had trying to build more complex applications
using these things? Can you build a good enterprise app with them, or are
folks still retaining the practices of more code-centric object models to
support their apps?

(no flames, please...just looking for opinions, here)

 

[S. Justin Gengo]

David,

I think that these controls have a place, there probably isn't a single
programmer out there who hasn't had to build an application for a company as
quickly as possible. But having used them for a few months now, I prefer to
handle my data logic myself whenever possible.

Visual Studio Magazine had a great article in it's January issue that dealt
with creating ObjectDataSources that I ended up taking to heart. The
ObjectDataSource is now my datasource of choice. It gives me control over my
connections and functions beautifully. I get the speed of development in
the UI layer (after my objects are built) and maintain the level of control
I want.

Regards,

--
S. Justin Gengo
Web Developer / Programmer

Free code library:
http://www.aboutfortunate.com

"Out of chaos comes order."
Nietzsche

 

[sloan]

Do you have the link to the Visual Studio Magazine?

I'm trying to develop the ObjectDataSource as the company standard, before
we get VS 2005 installed.

Thanks...

 

[Mark Rae]

One of the biggest advancements with ASP.NET 2.0 is the addition of the
data
controls (SqlData Source, FormView, GridView, etc).

I disagree totally - it's of no interest to me...

 

[Mark Rae]

I think that these controls have a place,

I haven't found one yet...

I prefer to handle my data logic myself whenever possible.

Me too.

 

[Flinky Wisty Pomm]

I'm recently retrofitting a feature to a large application, the feature
involves massive changes to the database and rippling changes
throughout the app. Sql and ObjectDataSources have become one of the
many banes of my life.

On the next project we'll be dropping them altogether - it's bad,
sloppy architecture, and I've lost count of the number of the things
I've had to rip out and replace with explicit DAL/Business entity code.
I've had all kinds of fun when I've changed method signatures to add
new parameters and then had to go and find all my DataSources and fix
the runtime errors.

To be fair, for a quick and dirty web-app they're great, but in the
long run - definite thumbs down for maintainability.

 

[S. Justin Gengo]

Finky,

Actually those are the things the article addresses.

It shows how to set things up so that all of the ObjectDataSources will give
you error messages if anything changes. Makes it all as easy to take care of
as possible. The title says it all:

Build More Robust Databinding Apps
Take control of databinding in .NET 2.0 and utilize Visual Studio's new
automated testing and refactoring features to make your app more testable
and resilient to change.

Here's the link (you need to sign up to see it):
http://www.ftponline.com/vsm/2006_01/magazine/features/jboodhoo/default_pf.aspx


Regards,

--
S. Justin Gengo
Web Developer / Programmer

Free code library:
http://www.aboutfortunate.com

"Out of chaos comes order."
Nietzsche

 

[S. Justin Gengo]

Mark,

I'll give you a for-instance, A marketing manager wants some information for
a one-time demo. The information needs to be available outside the company
but then needs to be destroyed. Well, how about a quick and dirty datagrid
on a website. The manager will have access and it can be thrown-up (pun
definitely intended) in minutes with the new datacontrols.

Would I do this if I had any kind of a choice? NO! But if the president of
your company comes to you and says, "I need this. Make it happen now." which
has happened to me. Then these controls are a godsend.

I've argued with him about how bad it is to do something like that, but
business and immediate dollars have always overridden good programming in
that type of situation with him. If you think you can stop that from
happening in most corporations please get out there and do it. You'd be a
godsend to the rest of us!


Regards,

--
S. Justin Gengo
Web Developer / Programmer

Free code library:
http://www.aboutfortunate.com

"Out of chaos comes order."
Nietzsche