Free .NET Tutorials and Technical Articles

 

 

This is a subset of the articles I have written on ASP.NET, C#, Sql Server, Object-Oriented Programming, and patterns and practices. Some of them are in-depth with extensive code examples while others are part of either a book review or in response to other technical articles I have read on the Internet. You can find more .NET articles and tutorials like these on my blog. Click on a link below to find articles about that particular topic:

• Agile Software Development
• ADO.NET 2.0
• ASP.NET
• Back to Basics
• Blog Engines
• C# 3.0
• Design Patterns
• Enterprise Library
• Enterprise Library 3.0
• Expert C# Business Objects
• GRASP Patterns
• High Performance ASP.NET
• Object-Oriented Principles
• SQL Server
• SQL Server Management Objects

 

Agile Software Development

Many of these articles are based on the book Agile Software Development. Principles, Patterns, and Practices by Robert C. Martin. The code samples in the book are weak, but the content on object-oriented programming principles and design patterns is fantastic. Note that this book has examples in C++ and Java.

• Agile Practices, Extreme Programming (XP), and Test-Driven Development
• Refactoring and Pair Programming
• What is Agile Design?
• Single-Responsibility Principle
• Open-Closed Principle
• The Liskov Substitution Principle
• Dependency-Inversion Principle
• Interface-Segregation Principle
• Agile Software Development Principles, Patterns, and Practices Book Review Conclusion

 

ADO.NET 2.0

• Batch Updates in ADO.NET 2.0 for Improved Performance
• Typed DataSet and Sorting Filtering and Searching a DataTable in ADO.NET - Custom Expressions - ShoppingCart DataSet
• Expert ASP.NET 2.0 Advanced Application Design Book Review - Data Access Layer
• DataTable - Load from IDataReader - CreateDataReader - ReadXml WriteXml - Free ADO.NET Tutorials
• ObjectDataSource Control and Concurrency in Multiuser ASP.NET Web Applications - OverwriteChanges - CompareAllValues
• DataAdapter and Database Connections - Performance and Connection Pooling
• .NET 2.0 Provider Model - Polymorphism - Factory Method - ADO.NET 2.0 Data Providers
• Pro ADO.NET 2.0 Book Review by David Hayden
• Builder Design Pattern Part I - DBConnectionStringBuilder and SqlConnectionStringBuilder in ADO.NET 2.0
• .NET 2.0 Provider Model - Polymorphism - Factory Method - ADO.NET 2.0 Data Providers
• DataAdapter and Database Connections - Performance and Connection Pooling
• DataAdapter and Database Connections and Connection Pooling - Part 2
• ObjectDataSource Control and Concurrency in Multiuser ASP.NET Web Applications - OverwriteChanges - CompareAllValues
• Database Explorer and Code Generator - Stored Procedures and SqlConnectionStringBuilder
• System.Transactions for Sql Server 2000 and Sql Server 2005 - TransactionScope and SqlTransaction
• DataTable - Load from IDataReader - CreateDataReader - ReadXml WriteXml - Free ADO.NET Tutorials
• Typed DataSet and Sorting Filtering and Searching a DataTable in ADO.NET - Custom Expressions - ShoppingCart DataSet
• Batch Updates in ADO.NET 2.0 for Improved Performance
• SqlBulkCopy - Copy Table Data Between SQL Servers at High Speeds - ADO.NET 2.0 New Feature
• GetSchema - DbConnection.GetSchema in ADO.NET 2.0 - Retrieve Databases Tables Columns Views etc. from Database Connection
• SCOPE_IDENTITY() vs. @@IDENTITY - Retrieving Identity for Most Recently Added Row in Table
• SqlCommandBuilder and DbCommandBuilder - Generating Update Insert Delete Queries From Select Query
• Get List of Tables in a Database - Query INFORMATION_SCHEMA.Tables - ADO.NET
• Insert Update SQL Query Code Generator - Information_Schema.Tables - GetSchema
• Copy a DataTable in ADO.NET 2.0 - Free ADO.NET Tutorials
• DataView Sorting Filtering and DataBinding in ADO.NET 2.0 - Converting DataView to Table - ADO.NET Tutorials
• Retrieve Identity Column Value After Inserting Record in Database Table - SQL Server - Free ADO.NET Tutorials
• ADO.NET 2.0 Tutorial : SqlBulkCopy Revisited for Transferring Data at High Speeds
• GetSchema and DbProviderFactories - List of Tables in a Database
• Access Deleted Row Columns / Information in DataTable - ADO.NET Tips

 

ASP.NET

These are mainly articles from others with details on ASP.NET. Great resources to have on hand.

• ASP.NET ViewState and ASP.NET Page Life Cycle
• ASP.NET Architecture - ASP.NET Worker Process - HTTP Pipleline - Http Modules and Handlers
• Creating a Plug-In Framework for .NET Web Applications - Loading .NET Types and Assemblies Dynamically
• HTTP Modules and Handlers to Create Pluggable ASP.NET Components - Microsoft ASP.NET Developer Center
• URL Rewriting in ASP.NET - Creating HTTP Modules

 

Back to Basics

A number of articles about basic programming using the .NET Framework.

• Object Identity vs. Object Equality - Virtual Method Equals in System.Object

 

Blog Engines

If you are an ASP.NET developer or at least ASP.NET Savvy, I recommend these two blog engines for ASP.NET

• DasBlog - Personal Blog Engine
• Community Server - Community Blog Engine

DasBlog is wickedly easy to install and great for a personal blog. It does not require a database and takes about 15 minutes to install and set-up. Did I mention it is free and comes with source code? :)

Community Server offers more than just a blog, it also has forums and a photo gallery. There is a free community version and it also comes with source code.

 

C# 3.0 Tutorials

For those interested in the next version of C#, C# 3.0, that will be available during Visual Studio Orcas.

• Extension Methods in C# 3.0 - C# Tutorials and Examples
• Lambda Expressions Extension Methods and LINQ in C# 3.0 - C#3.0 Tutorials and Examples
• C# 3.0 Feature - Object Initialization Expressions - C# 3.0 Examples and Tutorials
• Anonymous Types in C# 3.0 Needed for LINQ
• Implicitly Typed Local Variables in C# 3.0 - The var Keyword
• C# 3.0 Powerpoint Presentation Slides and Video: Anders Hejlsberg - C# 3.0: Future Directions in Language Innovation
• Automatically Implemented Properties - Visual Studio Orcas C# Compiler - C# 3.0
• Automatically Implemented Properties and Extension Methods Video - C# 3.0 and Visual Studio Orcas
• C# 3.0 Specification Documentation - C# 3.0 Tutorials and Examples
• C# 3.0 Compiler and Type Inference Algorithm Video - Charlie Calvert and Eric Lippert
• Query Expression Translation in C# 3.0 - C# 3.0 Expression Queries and LINQ
• Expression Trees in C# 3.0 - C# 3.0 Examples and Tutorials
• C# 3.0 Features - C# 3.0 Examples - Query Expressions - Anonymous Types - Lamba Expressions - Extension Methods
• Expression Trees C# 3.0 Part II - Building Expression Trees - C# 3.0 Examples and Tutorials

 

Design Patterns

If you are interested in Design Patterns, you will also want to look at the articles on Agile Software Development and GRASP Patterns as there is much overlap:

• Design Patterns in C# - Construction Pattern - Factory Method
• Singleton Pattern in C# - Provider Model - Community Server and DotNetNuke
• Design Patterns in the .NET Framework - Adapter Factory Strategy Composite Template Method
• Strategy Design Pattern and Dependency-Inversion Principle
• Strategy Design Pattern and Open-Closed Principle
• PatternShare - Design Patterns Shared by .NET Architects and .NET Developers - Software Patterns

 

Enterprise Library Application Block v2.0

Various articles on how to use the Enterprise Library Applications Block v2.0 released by Microsoft for enterprise development.

• Enterprise Library 2.0 December Update - Interim Community Drop
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Architecture Webcast
• Enterprise Library 2.0 - From Configuration Block to IConfigurationSource - SystemConfigurationSource - FileConfigurationSource
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Data Access Application Block
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Released - Application Blocks by Microsoft Patterns and Practices Group
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Configuration Tool - Configuring Data Access Application Block
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Extension Pack
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Logging Application Block Part I - TraceListeners
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Logging Application Block Part II - Simple ASP.NET 2.0 Website Example - Logging Unhandled Exceptions
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Logging Application Block Part III - Programmatically Using Logging Application Block With No Configuration File
• Enterprise Library 2.0 Logging Application Block Part IV - Conclusion - Free .NET Tutorials and Examples
• Caching Application Block - Enterprise Library 2.0 - IsolatedStorage and Database Caching
• Cryptography Application Block in Enterprise Library 2.0 - Symmetric Encryption Providers - RijndaelManaged ( AES ) - Part I
• SecureString - System.Security.SecureString Class - Encrypting Strings in Memory in .NET 2.0 Framework
• DPAPI - Encrypt and Decrypt Data Using the Data Protection API
• Hashing Passwords Using Enterprise Library 2.0 Cryptography Application Block - SHA1Managed Hash Provider
• Rolling File Trace Listener Extension for Enterprise Library 2.0
• Enterprise Library 2.0 DAAB and ADO.NET 2.0 Batch Updates Feature
• Enterprise Library 2.0 and SMO Tutorials and Resources - Orlando CodeCamp Presentations
• Data Access Application Block - Reduce ADO.NET Code in Your Applications

I also mention Enterprise Library in some additional articles concerning object-oriented principles and design patterns:

• Data Access Application Block Revealed - Factory Methods and Reflection

 

Enterprise Library 3.0

Various Enterprise Library 3.0 Tutorials Based on the December 2006 CTP.

• Enterprise Library Validation Application Block Revealed
• Application Block Software Factory - Enterprise Library 3.0 - Build Custom Application Blocks
• Enterprise Library 3.0 December 2006 CTP Released!
• Enterprise Library 3.0 - Visual Studio-Integrated Configuration Editor
• Validation Application Block in Enterprise Library 3.0 - Using Validation Facade Class - Part I
• Validation Application Block in Enterprise Library 3.0 - ValidationFactory Class - Part II
• Validation Application Block Ruleset in Enterprise Library 3.0 - Enterprise Library 3.0 Tutorials - Part III
• Validation Application Block - Rules in External XML Configuration File - App.Config Web.Config - Enterprise Library 3.0 - Part IV
• Validation Application Block - Business Layer and Data Access Layer Integration - Enterprise Library 3.0
• Data Access Application Block Gets Batch Update Functionality in Enterprise Library 3.0
• Data Access Application Block Supports SQL Server Compact Edition with SqlCeDatabase Class - Enterprise Library 3.0 Tutorials

 

Expert C# Business Objects

I was so impressed with Rockford Lhotka's Expert C# Business Objects book that I wrote a chapter by chapter review of Expert C# Business Objects:

• Chapter 1 - Distributed Architecture
• Chapter 2 - Framework Design - CSLA
• Chapter 3 - Key Technologies - Remoting - Serialization - Reflection
• Chapter 4 - Business Framework Implementation
• Chapter 5 - Data Access and Security
• Chapter 6 - Object-Oriented Application Design
• Chapter 7 - Business Object Implementation - CSLA.NET
• Conclusion - Expert C# Business Objects by Rockford Lhotka Book Review

 

GRASP Patterns

GRASP, General Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns, is a learning aid for assigning responsibilities to objects. I was introduced to these patterns while reading Craig Larman's Applying UML and Patterns - An Introduction to Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and Iterative Development.

There are 9 GRASP Patterns and I have written about most of them:

• Information Expert ( Part I and Part II ) - A general principal of object design and responsibility assignment?
• Creator - Who creates?
• Controller - What first object beyond the UI layer receives and coordinates a system operation?
• Low Coupling - How to reduce the impact of change?
• High Cohesion - How to keep objects focused, understandable, and manageable?
• Polymorphism - Who is responsible when behavior varies by type?
• Pure Fabrication - Who is responsible when you are desperate, and do not want to violate high cohesion and low coupling?
• Indirection - How to assign responsibilities to avoid direct coupling?
• Protected Variations - How to assign responsibilities so that the variations or instability in the elements do not have an undesirable impact on other elements?

I have also written a few articles about how the GRASP Patterns relate to a few popular software applications like DotNetNuke, Community Server, and Enterprise Library:

• GRASP Patterns - Controller - DotNetNuke and Community Server Source Code Examples
• DotNetNuke Architecture - Digging Into the DNN Source Code
• Community Server Source Code - Abstract Classes, Reflection and Data Providers

 

High Performance ASP.NET Websites

After attending the Tampa .NET Developer Code Camp in July 2005, I decided to write the following few articles on building high performance ASP.NET websites. My goal was to explain how developers can easily build high performance ASP.NET websites with little effort by leveraging the built-in functionality of ASP.NET.

• Developing High Performance and Scalable ASP.NET Websites
• Avoid Chatty Interfaces Between the Tiers in Your ASP.NET Web Application
• ASP.NET Page Profiling - Page Tracing - High Performance and Scalable ASP.NET Websites Made Easy
• Web Applications: N-Tier vs. N-Layer - Benefits and Trade-Offs
• Query Analyzer - Sql Server Database Indexes and Execution Plans
• High Performance ASP.NET - Speeding Up ASP.NET Pages
• Website HTTP Performance Tuning using Fiddler for High Speed Websites

Here are posts about other resources to help with ASP.NET Website Performance:

• Improving .NET Application Performance and Scalability
• Improving .NET Application Performance and Scalability - PDF Version
• Optimized ADO.NET - DataReader vs. DataSet - Connection Pooling - Transactions
• 10 Tips for Writing High-Performance Web Applications

 

Object-Oriented Principles

Here are a few articles on Object-Oriented Principles, which is one of my favorite topics.

• Single-Responsibility Principle
• Open-Closed Principle
• The Liskov Substitution Principle
• Dependency-Inversion Principle
• Interface-Segregation Principle
• Objects vs. DataSets - Is it Really About the Technical Aspects?

 

SQL Server

• Paging Records Using SQL Server 2005 Database - ROW_NUMBER Function
• SQL Server 2005 Samples and Sample Databases - Data Access Full-Text Search CLR SMO Service Broker XML
• SQL Server 2005 System View Map - SQL Server 2005 Schema
• Unit Testing Database Logic for SQL Server Database Developers
• System.Transactions for Sql Server 2000 and Sql Server 2005 - TransactionScope and SqlTransaction
• Database Explorer and Code Generator - Stored Procedures and SqlConnectionStringBuilder
• SQL Engine / Database Written in C# - Free and Open Source - SharpHSQL v 1.0.3.3
• Sql Server 2005 Service Manager
• Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express - Graphical Management Tool
• SQL Server Transaction Savepoints - Rollback Part of Transaction - SqlTransaction.Save - SqlTransaction.Rollback
• Sql Server Transactions - ADO.NET 2.0 - Commit and Rollback - Using Statement - IDisposable
• Query Analyzer - Sql Server Database Indexes and Execution Plans
• SQL Server Queries - SQL Server Query Tips and Tricks for Efficient SQL Server Query Performance

 

SQL Server Management Objects ( SMO )

• SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) - Create Stored Procedures in C# - Code Generation
• Create Table in SQL Server 2005 Using C# and SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) - Code Generation
• Generate a Table Create Script using SQL Server Management Objects ( SMO )
• SetDefaultInitFields and SQL Server Management Objects ( SMO ) - Delayed Instantiation of Object Properties
• SQL Server 2005 XML Web Services - Create HTTP Endpoint Using SMO