Hi Imar,

I had a question about the use of the SqlDataSource control. I guess one of the benefits is that it allows you to quickly create database driven pages.

But like you said on p.473, many developers don't like or use it. So when is it primarily used for real world applications?

My guess... Is it primarily used for creating quick prototypes for an application for demo purposes and then replaced by the ObjectDataSource control so that you can take advantage of using 3-tier architecture and truly separate the presentation from the processing?

Thank you.

Tulsi

Hi Tulsi,

I guess the answer is: it all depends. If you build professional sites as your job, you probably want to stay away from the SqlDataSource controls as they are hard to maintain over time.

However, the alternatives come with a price: learning n-layered design is not an easy undertaking and may take some time to master. For some articles on N-layered design, take a look here:

http://imar.spaanjaars.com/416/build...pnet-20-part-1
http://imar.spaanjaars.com/476/n-lay...l-introduction

If you're building a small site for yourself, or say, for the local soccer club, the SqlDataSourcemight be just what you're looking for: easy to understand and use. If you accept its long term maintenance issues, it might be a good alternative.

Cheers,

Imar

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Imar Spaanjaars
http://Imar.Spaanjaars.Com
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Author of Beginning ASP.NET 4.5 : in C# and VB, Beginning ASP.NET Web Pages with WebMatrix
and Beginning ASP.NET 4 : in C# and VB.
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