Showing posts with label entity framework. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entity framework. Show all posts

Professional ADO.NET 3.5 with LINQ and the Entity Framework (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review

Professional ADO.NET 3.5 with LINQ and the Entity Framework (Wrox Programmer to Programmer)
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Professional ADO.NET 3.5 with LINQ and the Entity Framework (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) ReviewI bought this book to get a better handle on the advantages offered by LINQ and the Entity Framework to build Enterprise web applications. Although the author appears to have expertise in the subject matter, the style in which it is communicated was very difficult to follow. I would not rate this as one of the better technical books I have read. There is a lot of trivia throughout the book that really distracts from the content. Even the style and organization of the book does not allow the reader to read at a fast pace, since it does not clearly enough distinguish critical and superfluous content.Professional ADO.NET 3.5 with LINQ and the Entity Framework (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) OverviewLanguage Integrated Query (LINQ), as well as the C# 3.0 and VB 9.0 language extensions to support it, is the most import single new feature of Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.x. LINQ is Microsoft's first attempt to define a universal query language for a diverse set of in-memory collections of generic objects, entities persisted in relational database tables, and element and attributes of XML documents or fragments, as well as a wide variety of other data types, such as RSS and Atom syndication feeds. Microsoft invested millions of dollars in Anders Hejlsberg and his C# design and development groups to add new features to C# 3.0—such as lambda expressions, anonymous types, and extension methods—specifically to support LINQ Standard Query Operators (SQOs) and query expressions as a part of the language itself.
Corresponding additions to VB 9.0 followed the C# team's lead, but VB's implementation of LINQ to XML offers a remarkable new addition to the language: XML literals. VB's LINQ to XML implementation includes XML literals, which treat well-formed XML documents or fragments as part of the VB language, rather than requiring translation of element and attribute names and values from strings to XML DOM nodes and values.
This book concentrates on hands-on development of practical Windows and Web applications that demonstrate C# and VB programming techniques to bring you up to speed on LINQ technologies. The first half of the book covers LINQ Standard Query Operators (SQOs) and the concrete implementations of LINQ for querying collections that implement generic IEnumerable, IQueryable, or both interfaces. The second half is devoted to the ADO.NET Entity Framework, Entity Data Model, Entity SQL (eSQL) and LINQ to Entities. Most code examples emulate real-world data sources, such as the Northwind sample database running on SQL Server 2005 or 2008 Express Edition, and collections derived from its tables. Code examples are C# and VB Windows form or Web site/application projects not, except in the first chapter, simple command-line projects. You can't gain a feel for the behavior or performance of LINQ queries with "Hello World" projects that process arrays of a few integers or a few first and last names.
This book is intended for experienced .NET developers using C# or VB who want to gain the maximum advantage from the query-processing capabilities of LINQ implementations in Visual Studio 2008—LINQ to Objects, LINQ to SQL, LINQ to DataSets, and LINQ to XML—as well as the object/relational mapping (O/RM) features of VS 2008 SP1's Entity Framework/Entity Data Model and LINQ to Entities and the increasing number of open-source LINQ implementations by third-party developers.
Basic familiarity with generics and other language features introduced by .NET 2.0, the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE), and relational database management systems (RDBMSs), especially Microsoft SQL Server 200x, is assumed. Experience with SQL Server's Transact-SQL (T-SQL) query language and stored procedures will be helpful but is not required. Proficiency with VS 2005, .NET 2.0, C# 2.0, or VB 8.0 will aid your initial understanding of the book's C# 3.0 or VB 9.0 code samples but isn't a prerequisite.
Microsoft's .NET code samples are primarily written in C#. All code samples in this book's chapters and sample projects have C# and VB versions unless they're written in T-SQL or JavaScript.
Professional ADO.NET 3.5: LINQ and the Entity Framework concentrates on programming the System.Linq and System.Linq.Expressions namespaces for LINQ to Objects, System.Data.Linq for LINQ to SQL, System.Data.Linq for LINQ to DataSet, System.Xml.Linq for LINQ to XML, and System.Data.Entity and System.Web.Entity for EF's Entity SQL.
"Taking a New Approach to Data Access in ADO.NET 3.5," uses simple C# and VB code examples to demonstrate LINQ to Objects queries against in-memory objects and databinding with LINQ-populated generic List collections, object/relational mapping (O/RM) with LINQ to SQL, joining DataTables with LINQ to DataSets, creating EntitySets with LINQ to Entities, querying and manipulating XML InfoSets with LINQ to XML, and performing queries against strongly typed XML documents with LINQ to XSD.
"Understanding LINQ Architecture and Implementation," begins with the namespaces and C# and VB language extensions to support LINQ, LINQ Standard Query Operators (SQOs), expression trees and compiled queries, and a preview of domain-specific implementations. C# and VB sample projects demonstrate object, array, and collection initializers, extension methods, anonymous types, predicates, lambda expressions, and simple query expressions.
"Executing LINQ Query Expressions with LINQ to Objects," classifies the 50 SQOs into operator groups: Restriction, Projection, Partitioning, Join, Concatenation, Ordering, Grouping, Set, Conversion, and Equality, and then lists their keywords in C# and VB. VS 2008 SP1 includes C# and VB versions of the LINQ Project Sample Query Explorer, but the two Explorers don't use real-world collections as data sources. This describes a LINQ in-memory object generator (LIMOG) utility program that writes C# 3.0 or VB 9.0 class declarations for representative business objects that are more complex than those used by the LINQ Project Sample Query Explorers. Sample C# and VB queries with these business objects as data sources are more expressive than those using a arrays of a few integers or last names.
"Working with Advanced Query Operators and Expressions," introduces LINQ queries against object graphs with entities that have related (associated) entities. This begins with examples of aggregate operators, explains use of the Let temporary local variable operator, shows you how to use Group By with aggregate queries, conduct the equivalent of left outer joins, and take advantage of the Contains() SQO to emulate SQL's IN() function. You learn how to compile queries for improved performance, and create mock object classes for testing without the overhead of queries against relational persistence stores.
"Using LINQ to SQL and the LinqDataSource," introduces LINQ to SQL as Microsoft's first O/RM tool to reach released products status and shows you how to autogenerate class files for entity types with the graphical O/R Designer or command-line SqlMetal.exe. This also explains how to edit *.dbml mapping files in the Designer or XML Editor, instantiate DataContext objects, and use LINQ to SQL as a Data Access Layer (DAL) with T-SQL queries or stored procedures. Closes with a tutorial for using the ASP.NET LinqDataSource control with Web sites or applications.
"Querying DataTables with LINQ to DataSets," begins with a comparison of DataSet and DataContext objects and features, followed by a description of the DataSetExtensions. Next comes querying untyped and typed DataSets, creating lookup lists, and generating LinqDataViews for databinding with the AsDataView() method. This ends with a tutorial that shows you how to copy LINQ query results to DataTables.
"Manipulating Documents with LINQ to XML," describes one of LINQ most powerful capabilities: managing XML Infosets. This demonstrates that LINQ to XML has query and navigation capabilities that equal or surpasses XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0. It also shows LINQ to XML document transformation can replace XQuery and XSLT 1.0+ in the majority of common use cases. You learn how to use VB 9.0's XML literals to constructs XML documents, use GroupJoin() to produce hierarchical documents, and work with XML namespaces in C# and VB.
"Exploring Third-Party and Emerging LINQ Implementations," describes Microsoft's Parallel LINQ (also called PLINQ) for taking advantage of multiple CPU cores in LINQ to Objects queries, LINQ to REST for translating LINQ queries into Representational State Transfer URLs that define requests to a Web service with the HTML GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE methods, and Bart De Smet's LINQ to Active Directory and LINQ to SharePoint third-party implementations.
"Raising the Level of Data Abstraction with the Entity Data Model," starts with a guided tour of the development of EDM and EF as an O/RM tool and heir apparent to ADO.NET DataSets, provides a brief description of the entity-relationship (E-R) data model and diagrams, and then delivers a detailed analysis of EF architecture. Next comes an introduction to the Entity SQL (eSQL) language, eSQL queries, client views, and Object Services, including the ObjectContext, MetadataWorkspace, and ObjectStateManager. Later chapters describe eSQL and these objects in greater detail. Two C# and VB sample projects expand on the eSQL query and Object Services sample code.
"Defining Conceptual, Mapping, and Storage Schema Layers," provides detailed insight into the structure of the *.edmx file that generates the *.ssdl (storage schema data language), *.msl (mapping schema language), and *.csdl files at runtime. You learn how to edit the *.edmx file manually to accommodate modifications that the graphic EDM Designer can't handle. You learn how to implement the Table-per-Hierarchy (TPH) inheritance model and traverse the MetadataWorkspace to obtain property values. Four C# and VB sample projects demonstrate mapping, substituting stored procedures for queries, and TPH inheritance.
"Introducing Entity SQL," examines EF's new eSQL dialect that adds keywords to address the differences between querying entities and relational tables. You learn to use Zlatko Michaelov's eBlast utility to write and analyze eSQL queries, then dig into differences between eSQL and T-SQL SELECT queries. (eSQL v1 doesn't support INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE and ...

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Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with VB 2010 Review

Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with VB 2010
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Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with VB 2010 ReviewLearning, teaching, or referring to it under pressure, this is a best-of-class book you want on your shelf. Combined with Murach's SQL Server 2005 title there's little you won't know how to do with db programming in Visual Studio. And, you'll have code samples for all of it--not just a high-level description. These 2 books, combined and used in unison, get my vote as something every visual studio programmer should have and hold. Some of my other faves are discussed on the ITSBITS website if you're ever interested.Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with VB 2010 OverviewNow in its 4th Edition, this book shows Visual Basic developers how to use Visual Studio and ADO.NET to develop database applications the way the best professionals do. You'll learn how to:

quickly create Windows and web applications by dragging-and-dropping data controls in Visual Studio 2010
code your own presentation, business, and database classes with ADO.NET 4 to build 3-layer applications...the route the professionals take for flexibility and control
display and manipulate data in web applications by using ASP.NET data controls designed specifically for that purpose, like GridView and DetailsView
work with XML-specific features of ADO.NET and SQL Server to read, write, and manipulate XML data in your applications
create local reports using Visual Studio's Report Designer and Report Viewer to display data easily...and clearly!...in tables, matrices, lists, and charts
Use the Entity Framework to create an entity data model that maps business objects to database objects, then retrieve and maintain data through that model
Use LINQ to query datasets, SQL Server databases, and entity data

Practice exercises at the end of every chapter and complete database applications throughout help you master every skill along the way. And Murach's distinctive "paired-pages" format...where each skill is presented with examples and advice in a single 2-page spread...is great for both targeted learning and reference.

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C# 4.0 in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference Review

C# 4.0 in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference
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C# 4.0 in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference ReviewThis book is great. It's no nonsense approach to covering the C# 4.0 language is like a breath of fresh air. It is clean, to the point, and thorough. It makes finding a topic, and learning it, or getting a refresher, a very fast process.
This new version includes new chapters on parallel programming (including PLINQ), and dynamic programming, and new sections on code contracts and COM interoperability.
The authors have a great writing style which makes the book a very enjoyable read. You can read this cover to cover, or use it as a very handy reference. You won't find any case studies, or made up scenarios, to help the authors describe the technology. They stick to writing about the technology, which is nice.
One of my favorite features of the book is the way the authors do their diagramming. They include a lot of diagrams that give a visual representation of the feature they are describing. The diagrams really help with getting a quick understanding of the overall picture of the topic. The authors also demonstrate with code that is always easy to understand and within the scope of the topic at hand. You don't have 2 pages of code with 3 lines highlighted.
Another part of this book I love is the way the authors deliver the code samples using LINQPad. I own the full auto completion version of LINQPad and it rocks. I have been using it since its first release and it has become my favorite tool when working with databases.
My only complaint about the book is the construction. The gluing job they did is horrible. It has big clumps of glue embedded in the pages which cause the binder to really bend. It will probably fall apart within a month of heavy use. I won't ding the book for that. It is a publisher issue, not an author issue.
All in all I highly recommend this book. It belongs on the shelf of any serious developer.
Review Update-
The editor of C# 4.0 in a Nutshell Book read my blog and suggested I contact O'Reilly Media for a new copy since my binder was a mess.
They made good on the request for a new copy of the C# 4.0 in a Nutshell Book and I received it today with the binder in perfect condition. No glue blobs in between any pages. Hats off to O'Reilly Media!!!!!
C# 4.0 in a Nutshell: The Definitive Reference Overview

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Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with C# 2010 (Murach: Training & Reference) Review

Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with C# 2010 (Murach: Training and Reference)
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Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with C# 2010 (Murach: Training & Reference) Review(5/11/11: Update for 4.0 version at bottom.)
The introduction to this book says that knowledge of C# is assumed, but no database knowledge is necessary. What that really means is that she starts at the beginning, but she moves quickly into advanced material.
I like this approach. Too many books skip or gloss over the basics, giving a reader nowhere to look if he doesn't fully understand the code examples (except additional books).
Murach books use a "paired page" layout. On the left page is text, with the right page showing diagrams, bullet points and code samples. The right page is almost like a PowerPoint presentation, and you can quickly get through material you already know by skimming the pages on the right. The paired pages generally help you read at your own appropriate pace, especially if you're familiar with many of the points. In places, I found myself reading both pages and seeing the same material, or reading only one side and missing something. Each chapter ends with a summary and a list of terms, so you can check that you understood all of it. The layout makes it easy to go back and find something later.
These books contain good, complete and realistic code examples, and step-by-step instructions for creating them using Visual Studio tools. However, all of the ADO chapters discuss WinForms, not ASP. Many of the LINQ techniques are applicable to either platform, but the first half of the book is of minimal help to the ASP developer. (The LINQ and EF sections do dedicate their last chapters to ASP.)
LINQ (Language Integrated Query) was added with .NET 3.0 and enhanced in 3.5. Briefly, LINQ allows you to perform SQL-like selection over collections of data, whether in databases, XML, or program Objects. It lets you use a list to return another list, filtered and/or sorted. In the introductory LINQ chapter, she briefly introduces Lambda expressions, which offer a shorter, alternative syntax to many LINQ queries. Lambdas are missing from the rest of the book.
The Entity Framework, added in .NET 3.5 SP1, allows you to program to conceptualized objects instead of a specific database structure. Both LINQ and EF simplify working with data, by adding IntelliSense and a terse, flexible syntax to replace what would formerly have been much more code, tied to a specific implementation.
Murach's website has all the code examples available for free download, and there are exercises at the end of chapters using suggested changes to the examples. To me, this is the best part of the book. The downloaded code saves you from having to type along, but the exercises test your knowledge of both programming concepts and the hidden features of the Visual Studio IDE.
The code samples use SQL Server Express. An appendix explains how to download it from Microsoft if you don't already have it.
I learned a lot from this book. It introduced me to areas of Visual Studio that I had never seen before, as well as LINQ and EF. There's a lot of material here, well presented. It mostly lives up to the Murach claim that their books are "several books in one", replacing what would otherwise be a book on ADO, a book on LINQ and possibly a third book on EF.
SIDE NOTE: Microsoft has hinted that they will deprecate LINQ to SQL Server, in favor of LINQ to Entity Framework. The jury may be out on this, however.
UPDATE, 5/11/11: I just read the 4.0 version of this book. The new edition is an evolutionary change with some nice readability improvements. New sections were added on ASP.NET and XML, and the LINQ chapters are leaner and less redundant. Entity Framework is removed from the title and gets less coverage than in the earlier version, but there is a good introduction.Murach's ADO.NET 4 Database Programming with C# 2010 (Murach: Training & Reference) OverviewNow in its 4th Edition, this book shows C# developers how to use Visual Studio and ADO.NET to develop database applications the way the best professionals do. You'll learn how to:
quickly create Windows and web applications by dragging-and-dropping data controls in Visual Studio 2010
code your own presentation, business, and database classes with ADO.NET 4 to build 3-layer applications...the route the professionals take for flexibility and control
display and manipulate data in web applications by using ASP.NET data controls designed specifically for that purpose, like GridView and DetailsView
work with XML-specific features of ADO.NET to read, write, and manipulate XML data in your applications
use Visual Studio's Report Designer and ReportViewer control to create and display reports in both Windows and web applications
use LINQ to SQL instead of standard SQL so you can query databases using C# constructs
create Entity Data Models so you can use LINQ to Entities to work with business objects, like invoices, while the Entity Framework handles the database details
Practice exercises at the end of every chapter and complete database applications throughout help you master every skill along the way. And Murach's distinctive "paired-pages" format...where each skill is presented with examples and advice in a single 2-page spread...is great for both targeted learning and reference.

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Professional Enterprise .NET (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review

Professional Enterprise .NET (Wrox Programmer to Programmer)
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Professional Enterprise .NET (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review
Ok I admit it, I buy too many development books. Most of these I never get around to reading properly. Most of that is my fault. Some of the time I'm put off by dry academic type text that doesn't engage with reader. It must by hard too, right? to produce a book covering topics that are far from exciting whilst still making it enjoyable to read.
So it comes as a pleasant, scratch that, 'fantastic' surprise to read this book that manages to convey a vast amount of information on a broad range of key design patterns and methodologies, like TDD, Inversion of control, Dependency Injection, Entity Frameworks and MVP/MVC and yet still remain a joy to read. I own and have part read books on similar subjects from the most established of authors, the likes of Martin Fowler and Bob Martin. While there is no denying these authors have a wealth of knowledge (having developed many of these patterns and methodologies), it's Professional Enterprise .Net that manages to cut past the waffle and terse examples and provide me with the key information I require.
Highlights for me are the topics on TDD and Refactoring, Inversion of Control and Dependency Injection, Business Logic layer patterns (Active Record & Domain Model patterns) and Data Access Layers including ORM. The examples given lead from the simple solution to the most complete and preferred solution. Each chapter is concise enough to be read through again for reference and is a great book to keep at hand when developing.
Minor quibbles I have are the inclusion of the C# primer in the appendix, I feel this has been used to pad out the book. The book is short for this sort of subject (at around 470ish pages), but I count that as a positive. Also I'd like to see a few more common patterns and practices included and given the same treatment relating to examples are guidance on when to use (maybe we need a 2nd book).
I thoroughly recommended this book, don't be put off by the 'Enterprise' in the title, this book is not dry and should be on any developers bookshelf who wants to improve and advance their code.Professional Enterprise .NET (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) OverviewComprehensive coverage to help experienced .NET developers create flexible, extensible enterprise application code
If you're an experienced Microsoft .NET developer, you'll find in this book a road map to the latest enterprise development methodologies. It covers the tools you will use in addition to Visual Studio, including Spring.NET and nUnit, and applies to development with ASP.NET, C#, VB, Office (VBA), and database.
You will find comprehensive coverage of the tools and practices that professional .NET developers need to master in order to build enterprise more flexible, testable, and extensible .NET applications with minimal upfront costs.
Helps C#, VB.Net, and ASP.NET developers who wish to migrate both their applications and their own skillsets to newer, more flexible enterprise methodologies
Describes each new pattern or feature along with its benefits, then outlines the pros and cons of its implementation
Includes an introduction to enterprise development and a comprehensive overview of the differences between new enterprise patterns and older, traditional Microsoft programming
Explains how to implement these patterns by upgrading an existing code base
Covers benefits including flexibility, automated testing, extensibility, and separation; modular code; test-driven development, unit test, test automation, and refactoring; inversion of control; and object relational mapping
Also covers enterprise design patterns: MVC including Ruby on Rails, Monorail, and ASP.NET MVC, MVP, observer, and more
Contains a primer on object-oriented design

Professional Enterprise .NET focuses on the often-inevitable compromise between forward-thinking design and the needs of business, helping you build applications that serve both.

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