Expert One-On-One: Visual Basic .Net Business Objects

by Lhotka, Rockford

• ISBN13: 9781861007261
• ISBN10: 1861007264
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-03-18
• Publisher: Peer Information

Summary

Subject Area
Business objects handle the rules to process information correctly - the business logic required for an application. The .NET framework provides new mechanisms to easily locate business objects in different physical locations (i.e. stored on different computers) and supports standards like Web Services which mean .NET business objects are able to inter-operate with applications coded in many other languages and running on different operating systems. Both these abilities add huge value in distributed programming.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
From COM to .NET	1	(1)
Designing CSLA .NET	2	(1)
What's covered in this book?	3	(1)
What you need to use this book	4	(1)
Conventions	5	(1)
Customer support	6	(3)
How to download sample code for this book	6	(1)
Errata	6	(1)
e-Mail support	6	(1)
p2p.wrox.com	7	(2)
Chapter 1: Distributed architecture	9	(34)
Logical and physical architecture	10	(14)
Complexity	11	(1)
Relationship between logical and physical models	12	(5)
The logical model	12	(1)
The physical model	13	(4)
A 5-tier logical architecture	17	(3)
Presentation	17	(1)
UI	18	(1)
Business logic	18	(1)
Data access	19	(1)
Data storage and management	20	(1)
Applying the logical architecture	20	(4)
Optimal performance intelligent client	21	(1)
High scalability intelligent client	21	(1)
Optimal performance web client	22	(1)
High security web client	23	(1)
The way ahead	24	(1)
Managing business logic	24	(14)
Potential business logic locations	25	(3)
Business logic in the data management tier	25	(1)
Business logic in the UI tier	26	(1)
Business logic in the middle (business/data access) tier	27	(1)
Business logic in a distributed business tier	27	(1)
Business objects	28	(3)
Business objects as smart data	29	(1)
Anatomy of a business object	30	(1)
Distributed objects	31	(13)
A new logical architecture	33	(1)
Local, anchored, and unanchored objects	33	(4)
Complete encapsulation	37	(1)
Architectures and frameworks	38	(1)
Conclusion	39	(4)
Chapter 2: Framework design	43	(60)
Basic design goals	44	(23)
n-Level undo capability	47	(2)
Tracking broken business rules	49	(1)
Tracking whether the object has changed	50	(1)
Strongly-typed collections of child objects	50	(1)
Simple and abstract model for the user interface developer	51	(5)
Ul in charge	52	(1)
Object in charge	53	(2)
Class in charge	55	(1)
Supporting data binding	56	(3)
Enabling our objects for data binding	57	(1)
Events and serialization	58	(1)
Object persistence and object-relational mapping	59	(7)
Relational vs. object modeling	60	(1)
Object-relational mapping	61	(1)
Preserving Encapsulation	62	(2)
Supporting physical n-tier models	64	(2)
Table-based security	66	(1)
Framework Design	67	(36)
Business Object Creation	69	(4)
BusinessBase	69	(1)
BusinessCollectionBase	70	(1)
ReadOnlyBase	71	(1)
ReadOnlyCollectionBase	71	(1)
NameValueList	71	(1)
SafeSql Data Reader	72	(1)
SmartDate	72	(1)
n-Level undo functionality	73	(3)
UndoableBase	74	(1)
NotUndoableAttribute	75	(1)
Data binding support	76	(3)
BindableBase	77	(1)
BindableCollectionBase	78	(1)
EditableObject	78	(1)
Business rule tracking	79	(2)
BrokenRules	80	(1)
RulesCollection	80	(1)
Rule structure	80	(1)
Data portal	81	(14)
The client-side DataPortal	82	(3)
The server-side DataPortal	85	(3)
DataPortal behaviors	88	(7)
Table-based security	95	(2)
Custom principal and identity objects	95	(1)
Using DataPortal	95	(1)
Integration with our application	96	(1)
Namespace organization	97	(1)
Component design	98	(2)
Conclusion	100	(3)
Chapter 3: Key technologies	103	(52)
Remoting	104	(125)
Basic concepts	104	(3)
Channels	105	(1)
Formatters	105	(1)
Listener	106	(1)
Object proxies and location transparency	106	(1)
Remoting configuration	107	(1)
Remoting servers	107	(6)
Creating the DLL	108	(2)
Creating the IIS host	110	(2)
Testing with the browser	112	(1)
Remoting clients	113	(5)
Configuring remoting	115	(2)
Using the binary formatter	117	(1)
Serialization	118	(7)
Types of serialization	119	(1)
The Serializable() Attribute	120	(1)
The NonSerialized() Attribute	120	(1)
Serialization and Remoting	121	(3)
Manually invoking serialization	124	(1)
Enterprise Services (COM+)	125	(7)
Enterprise Services and COM+ contexts	126	(1)
Running code in Enterprise Services	127	(3)
Using Enterprise Services directly	127	(1)
Installing the assembly into COM+	128	(1)
Using Enterprise Services indirectly	129	(1)
Two-phase distributed transactions	130	(2)
Reflection	132	(4)
Working with types	132	(4)
Getting a Type object	132	(1)
Getting information from a Type object	133	(3)
Attributes	136	(2)
Creating custom attributes	136	(1)
Simple attributes	136	(1)
Restricting attribute usage	137	(1)
Detecting custom attributes	137	(1)
.NET role-based security	138	(1)
ADO.NET	139	(13)
ADO.NET architecture	139	(3)
Data providers	139	(1)
The DataSet object	140	(1)
Data provider and DataSet interaction	140	(2)
Basic use of ADO.NET	142	(9)
Connecting to a database	143	(1)
Reading data with a data reader	144	(5)
Updating data	149	(2)
ADO.NET transactions	151	(1)
Conclusion	152	(3)
Chapter 4: Business framework implementation	155	(74)
Setting up the CSLA NET solution	157	(1)
CSLA.Core.BindableBase	157	(7)
Core.BindableBase	159	(1)
Core. BindableCollection Base	160	(4)
CSLA	164	(68)
NotUndoableAttribute	166	(1)
Core.UndoableBase	166	(12)
Helper Functions	168	(1)
CopyState	169	(6)
UndoChanges	175	(2)
AcceptChanges	177	(1)
BusinessBase	178	(13)
Tracking basic object status	179	(4)
Object editing	183	(3)
Object cloning	186	(1)
Root and child objects	187	(2)
Deleting objects	189	(1)
Edit level tracking for child objects	190	(1)
BrokenRules	191	(10)
Rule data type	193	(2)
RulesCollection	195	(3)
BrokenRules	198	(2)
Exposing BrokenRules from BusinessBase	200	(1)
BusinessCollection Base	201	(15)
Creating the class	202	(1)
Clone method	203	(1)
Contains method	203	(1)
Root or child	204	(1)
Edit level tracking	204	(1)
Reacting to insert, remove, or clear operations	205	(1)
Deleted object collection	206	(1)
Deleting and undeleting child objects	207	(4)
CopyState	211	(1)
UndoChanges	212	(1)
AcceptChanges	213	(1)
BeginEdit, CancelEdit, and ApplyEdit	214	(1)
IsDirty and IsValid	215	(1)
ReadOnlyBase	216	(1)
Read OnlyCollectionBase	217	(2)
Clone method	217	(1)
Preventing changes	218	(1)
SmartDate	219	(6)
Supporting empty dates	220	(1)
Conversion functions	221	(2)
Text functions	223	(1)
Date functions	224	(1)
Date manipulation	224	(1)
Database format	225	(1)
Conclusion	225	(4)
Chapter 5: Data access and security	229	(82)
A note about object-oriented programming	230	(2)
CSLA	232	(8)
BusinessBase	232	(4)
DataPortal methods	233	(1)
Save method	234	(1)
DB Method	235	(1)
BusinessCollectionBase	236	(2)
ReadOnlyBase	238	(1)
ReadOnlyCollectionBase	239	(1)
Client-side DataPortal	240	(13)
TransactionalAttribute	242	(1)
DataPortal	242	(11)
Helper methods	244	(1)
Creating the server-side DataPortal	245	(3)
Handling security	248	(1)
Data access methods	249	(4)
CSLA.Server.DataPortal	253	(12)
Server. DataPortal	254	(11)
Creating the assembly	254	(1)
Creating the DataPortal class	255	(1)
Helper functions	256	(5)
Data access methods	261	(3)
Updating the CSLA project	264	(1)
CSLA.Server.ServicedDataPortal	265	(5)
Transactional DataPortal	265	(5)
Creating the assembly	265	(2)
Creating the DataPortal class	267	(1)
Data access methods	268	(1)
Updating the CSLA project	269	(1)
DataPortal remoting host	270	(8)
Server-side DataPortal host	271	(7)
Reference CSLA assemblies	272	(1)
Add a Web.confIg file	272	(1)
Configure remoting	273	(1)
Registering ServicedDataPortal	274	(1)
Testing remoting	274	(1)
Making the DataPortal useful	274	(4)
CSLA.Security	278	(20)
Security table	278	(9)
Creating the database	279	(1)
Adding tables	280	(2)
Adding a stored procedure	282	(1)
Configuring database permissions	283	(1)
Creating the database project	284	(2)
Providing test data	286	(1)
Businessidentity	287	(6)
Creating a business object	288	(4)
Implementing lldentity	292	(1)
Exposing the roles	293	(1)
BusinessPrincipal	293	(5)
Implementing Principal	294	(1)
Login process	294	(4)
Utility classes	298	(10)
SafeDataReader	298	(3)
Creating the SafeDataReader class	299	(2)
NameValueList	301	(11)
Creating NameValueList	303	(5)
Conclusion	308	(3)
Chapter 6: Object-oriented application design	311	(38)
Application requirements	312	(4)
Use cases	313	(3)
Project maintenance	314	(1)
Resource maintenance	314	(1)
Assigning a resource	315	(1)
External access	315	(1)
Object design	316	(11)
Initial design	316	(2)
Revising the design	318	(12)
Duplicate objects	319	(1)
Trivial objects	319	(1)
Overly complex relationships	319	(5)
Optimizing for performance	324	(1)
Reviewing the design	325	(2)
Using CSLA NET	327	(3)
Database design	330	(19)
Creating the database	331	(1)
Tables	331	(3)
Roles	332	(1)
Projects	332	(1)
Resources	333	(1)
Assignments	333	(1)
Database diagram	334	(2)
Stored procedures	336	(6)
getProjects	337	(1)
getProject	337	(1)
addProject	338	(1)
updateProject	338	(1)
deleteProject	338	(1)
addAssignment	339	(1)
updateAssignment	339	(1)
deleteAssignment	340	(1)
getResources	340	(1)
getResource	341	(1)
addResource	341	(1)
updateResource	342	(1)
deleteResource	342	(1)
Creating the database project	342	(4)
Database security	344	(2)
Conclusion	346	(3)
Chapter 7: Business object implementation	349	(96)
Business object lifecycle	349	(13)
Object creation	350	(4)
Root object creation	350	(1)
Child object creation	351	(3)
Object retrieval	354	(2)
Root object retrieval	354	(1)
Child object retrieval	355	(1)
Updating editable objects	356	(4)
Adding and editing root objects	357	(1)
Adding, editing, and deleting child objects	358	(1)
Deleting root objects	359	(1)
Disposing and finalizing objects	360	(2)
Implementing IDisposable	360	(1)
Implementing a Finalize method	361	(1)
Business class structure	362	(28)
Common features	362	(5)
The Serializable attribute	362	(1)
Common regions	362	(2)
Private default constructor	364	(1)
Nested criteria class	365	(2)
Class structures	367	(23)
Editable root business objects	368	(4)
Editable child business objects	372	(4)
Switchable objects	376	(2)
Editable root collection	378	(3)
Editable child collection	381	(3)
Read-only business objects	384	(2)
Read-only collections of objects	386	(2)
Name-value list objects	388	(2)
Project tracker objects	390	(51)
Setting up the project	392	(1)
Business class implementation	393	(53)
The Project class	394	(16)
RoleList	410	(1)
Resource	411	(6)
Assignment	417	(3)
ProjectResource	420	(6)
ResourceAssignment	426	(3)
ProjectResources	429	(6)
ResourceAssignments	435	(1)
ProjectList	436	(4)
ResourceList	440	(1)
Conclusion	441	(4)
Chapter 8: Windows Forms UI	445	(46)
Windows Forms Interface	446	(43)
Application configuration	447	(4)
Application configuration file	447	(2)
Configuring the DataPortal server	449	(2)
Main form	451	(3)
Menu	451	(1)
Status	452	(2)
Login form	454	(6)
The login dialog	455	(2)
Doing the login	457	(1)
Updating the menu	458	(1)
Using Windows' integrated security	459	(1)
Project list	460	(2)
ProjectSelect dialog	460	(2)
Project edit	462	(15)
ProjectEdit form	462	(13)
Updating the menu	475	(2)
Removing a project	477	(1)
Resource list	478	(3)
ResourceSelect dialog	478	(2)
Removing a resource	480	(1)
Resource edit	481	(12)
The ResourceEdit form	481	(6)
Updating the menu	487	(2)
Conclusion	489	(2)
Chapter 9: Web Forms UI	491	(64)
Web development and objects	491	(2)
State management	493	(6)
State on the web server	494	(2)
Using a web farm in ASP.NET	495	(1)
Transferring state to/from the client	496	(1)
State in a file or database	497	(2)
Web Forms interface	499	(54)
Application configuration	500	(3)
The Web.config file	501	(1)
Using a separate DataPortal server	502	(1)
UI overview	503	(1)
Default form	503	(2)
Login form and security configuration	505	(5)
Changing the Web.config file	505	(1)
Login form	506	(3)
Global.asax	509	(1)
Projects form	510	(8)
Setting up the form	511	(3)
Coding the form	514	(4)
ProjectEdit form	518	(11)
Setting up the form	518	(3)
Coding the form	521	(8)
The ChooseRole form	529	(5)
Setting up the form	530	(1)
Coding the form	530	(4)
The AssignResource form	534	(4)
Setting up the form	534	(2)
Coding the form	536	(2)
Resources form	538	(2)
The ResourceEdit form	540	(10)
Setting up the form	541	(3)
Coding the form	544	(6)
The AssignToProject form	550	(3)
Conclusion	553	(2)
Chapter 10: Web services Interface	555	(38)
Overview of web services	556	(3)
SOAP	556	(1)
Message-based communication	557	(1)
SOAP and web services	557	(1)
SOAP, web services, and the NET Framework	558	(1)
Web services as an interface	559	(4)
A web service for every tier?	560	(1)
A web service as the 'user interface'	561	(1)
Web services and contracts	562	(1)
Implementing a web services interface	563	(30)
Web service design	563	(5)
Deciding on web methods	564	(1)
Grouping web methods into web services	564	(1)
Returning our data	565	(2)
Security	567	(1)
Web service implementation	568	(17)
Creating the project	568	(3)
Creating the web service	571	(1)
Handling security on the server	572	(4)
Defining data structures	576	(2)
Get a project list	578	(2)
Get a project	580	(2)
Add or update a project	582	(1)
Delete a project	583	(1)
Resource web services	584	(1)
Web service consumer implementation	585	(6)
Creating the project	586	(1)
Handling security on the consumer	587	(3)
Calling web services	590	(1)
Conclusion	591	(2)
Chapter 11: Reporting and batch processing	593	(68)
What's not to like?	594	(1)
Dealing with distributed environments	595	(1)
Avoiding data transfer	595	(1)
Providing background processing	596	(1)
Dealing with object-oriented applications	596	(2)
Reporting and objects	596	(1)
Batch processing and objects	597	(1)
Batch queue server	598	(46)
CSLA.BatchQueue design	599	(4)
The role of the BatchQueueService object	600	(1)
The role of the BatchEntry object	601	(1)
The role of the BatchEntrylnfo object	602	(1)
Security and user identities	603	(1)
Creating the BatchQueue assembly	603	(37)
IBatchEntry interface	604	(1)
BatchEntryinfo class	605	(2)
BatchEntries class	607	(1)
Client-side BatchQueue class	608	(3)
Server-side BatchQueue class	611	(2)
Batch Entry class	613	(3)
BatchJobRequest class	616	(2)
BatchQueueService class	618	(22)
Creating and running batch jobs	640	(4)
Creating a batch job	640	(2)
Submitting a batch job	642	(2)
Loading a DataSet from objects	644	(15)
The ObjectAdapter class	645	(12)
Operational scope	645	(1)
Setting up the class	646	(1)
GetField method	646	(3)
Automatic discovery of properties and fields	649	(4)
Populating a DataTable from an (List	653	(2)
Implementing the Fill methods	655	(2)
Reporting using ObjectAdapter	657	(2)
Conclusion	659	(2)
Appendix A: NetRun	661	(22)
No-touch deployment	661	(4)
Security considerations	662	(1)
Object serialization workaround	663	(1)
Reading application configuration settings	663	(1)
Preventing browser popup	664	(1)
NetRun design	665	(2)
NetRun implementation	667	(12)
Main module	667	(4)
Helper methods	667	(1)
Sub Main	668	(1)
RunApplication	669	(2)
Launcher class	671	(8)
RunApp	671	(2)
Serialization bug workaround	673	(1)
Set FullTrust security	674	(3)
Revoke FullTrust security	677	(2)
Installing NetRun	679	(1)
Using NetRun	679	(1)
Conclusion	680	(3)
Indexes	683