Hey everyone -

I am busily reading my way through this book, and am enjoying learning all the new toys that .NET 3.5 has to offer.

However, I am an old ASP3 coder and really enjoyed writing the code on my own for querying the database to populate the drop down list and multi line text fields, etc... Not to mention to add, edit or delete database records.

This book really dwells on the new gridview, detail view, and other 'built-in' controls.

Can anyone direct me to any how-tos or other books that detail how to do these things on your own without the use of these controls?

MUCH appreciated - thanks!
JN

Hi there,

You could check out the ADO.NET Quick Starts here:

http://www.dotnetjunkies.ddj.com/qui...sOverview.aspx

Alternatively, get a copy of

- Professional ADO.NET 2: Programming with SQL Server 2005, Oracle, and MySQL
- Professional ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB (Chapter 8 deals with ADO.NET in an ASP.NET context)

While I understand your desire to write code yourself (I come from an classic ASP background myself), make sure you always make the right balance between "then" and "now". Back then, it was necessary to write a lot of code yourself in order to get anything done. Nowadays, with smart controls like the ListView, that's often no longer necessary.

I think you'll be interested in controls like the ObjectDataSource (discussed in the Pro ASP.NET book as well). They give you all the fancy features on the front-end (design time support, inserting, updating and so on) while they target your custom entities that use custom written ADO.NET code.

You may also want to take a look at my articles on N-Layer design that show a lot of custom written code (I don't dwell on simple front end controls alone :)).

The first series, on ASP.NET 2.0 can be found here:

http://imar.spaanjaars.com/QuickDocId.aspx?ID=416

The second series targeting ASP.NET 3.5 (part 1 was published last week, the rest will come in the next months) can be found here:

http://imar.spaanjaars.com/QuickDocId.aspx?ID=476.

Cheers,

Imar


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Imar Spaanjaars
http://Imar.Spaanjaars.Com
Everyone is unique, except for me.
Author of Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 : in C# and VB, ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results and Dreamweaver MX 2004
Want to be my colleague? Then check out this post.

Thanks much for the notes Imar!

I am working through the Database sections of the book now and finding the built-in controls quite adaptable in fact!

I do have an issue on p.406, but I'll post a separate question on that.

Thanks again -
JN