New ASP.net Technologies, What to Do?
I have spent the last two weeks researching the latest ASP.net technologies and I have to admit, my mind's been swimming with the mass amount of new things out there to learn.
I purchased Visual Studio 2008 with framework 3.5 and SP1 and Windows Web Server 2008 Web Edition with IIS7 as well as SQL Server 2008 Web Edition on a Windows Vista Ultima OS. (See more info here on VS2008 and more info on SQL Server 2008 Web Edition).
If that isn't enough new stuff to learn, now what direction do I go with development?
About 8 months ago, I went to the Heros Happen Here convention and was told to steer away from Table Adapters and start working with Linq To SQL for all new development. Now we're told there will be meager support for Linq to SQL and instead of using a Dynamic Data Web Application, to instead use Dynamic Data Entities Web Application (which not only supports ADO.net, but also Linq to SQL, but is called Linq to Entities -- so it's not like you've learned Linq to SQL for nothing).
Here is a Linq to Entities tutorial and more info on the ADO.Net Entity Framework.
Well, after two weeks of researching all that's out there, I narrowed it down to these technologies:
1) To not reinvent the wheel on handling Microsoft's sql membership provider, I decided to purchase HeroCoder's Hero Membership product to handle all of my membership log in, registration, administration, password change, etc. The cost of the product is less than what I make in an hour, so it was a real bargain. I couldn't put that together in an hour.
2) To handle the admin pages for all of my tables, especially populating my "list" type tables like statuses, specialties, categories, you get it, I'd use the Dynamic Data generated admin screens. But not the Dynamic Data Web Application, but instead the ADO.net Dynamic Data Entities Web Application.
3) Now, should I use ADO.NET Entities ORM to access the database, or Linq to Sql? Well, that's a no brainer. Even MS recommends using the ADO.NET Entities, rather than Linq to SQL, and I already know ADO.NET. Besides, that is typical of what most of my clients use. I haven't had any clients ask for Linq to SQL. I'll also use the LearnVisualStudio.net Linq to Sql 101 set of videos to learn the Linq language and Lambda, which can also be used in ADO.NET Entitites Linq to Entities.
4) Now what about Ajax and bells and whistles? I decided to go with the Telerik Toolset. It handles all my Ajax controls, and for a few bucks extra, I got the entire library including ASP.NET Ajax, Winforms, WPF, Silverlight, Reporting, and even OpenAccess ORM if I decide I need that down the road.
You'll also want to take a look at forms authentication and other security videos.
So in a nutshell, there is two weeks of research you don't have to do to figure out what to use. However, I can't help you with actually reading the docs and watching the videos and learning the stuff.
May your dreams be in ASP.net!
Nannette