>>You know, I guess I was spoiled with Visual FoxPro; it seems that Microsoft (and earlier with Fox Software) took such a simple approach to handling data that I cannot now understand how it is that this can be made so complex in .NET.
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>>Yes, I am complaining.
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>>I am pouring through C# books, and all kinds of other books, and I am telling you, there is no simple way to do data in .NET. Of course, admittedly, I am speaking from inexperience with .NET. I am still trying to learn C#, much less how to handle data. Still, data handling, in my opinion, is a much more complex matter in .NET. Why does it have to be this way? It seems that there is a multitude of ways to handle data, using LINQ, ADO.NET, and so on. I just don't know where to begin. I just ordered Murach's ADO.NET 3.5 with C# book to see if this might help me a bit.
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>>Also, a few years ago when I got into C# in some local colleges, C# also seemed cryptic to me, but it now seems much easier. I guess it is a matter of time and experience. I don't think it is this way entirely with .NET data handling. There seem to be many more steps to handling data, unlike VFP and other xBased languages.
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>>Okay, I am finished with my complaining for now. :)
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>>Does anyone want to help me complain, or perhaps direct me to a simple tutorial on .NET data-handling?
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>>Has anyone else on UT here felt just as frustrated as I am feeling, or did y'all get over it 3 or 4 years ago while I was still making money with VFP?
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>Chipping in on this thread a bit late but:
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>Firstly - no one has really pointed out that just about all data-access tecnologies in the .NET world (LinqToSql, EF, nHibernate etc,etc) sit on top of the ADO.NET components. Understanding ADO.NET is not time wasted regardless of the path you choose...
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>Secondly - putting a lot of code in T-SQL is fine if you know you can stick with MS SQL. But if you may want to move to a different back-end then you will have a lot of re-writing ahead of you. Also, at least at present, the current ORM options don't work very well with SPs on the backend ( although I can't speak out of experience for nHibernate - if someone knows differently?.....)
>
>Thirdly (and I don't think anyone has suggested otherwise) - don't bother with LinqToSql. If you're sticking to the MS camp then use Entity Framework....
You're probably right about that. Regardless of which data direction one chooses to go in .NET, once you understand ADO.NET the fear and loathing go away. I can't recommend the Murach book highly enough. It comes in both C# and VB flavors.
http://www.amazon.com/Murachs-ADO-NET-Entity-Framework-Murach/dp/1890774537/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269925352&sr=8-2http://www.amazon.com/Murachs-ADO-NET-LINQ-Entity-Framework/dp/1890774529/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269925352&sr=8-1
