Chapter 9 * project ideas * and further research needed

Chapter 9 was interesting. It went into detail on how to pull in data from rss feeds to represent xml data. Then it showed a quick overview of xml and described, briefly, how xml works. Then i saw how to create some xml, its looks alot like html, and how to modify the xml data and turn it into html.

It then went into showing you how to incorporate webservices into your system. You can program your own web services and host them. Or you can call other web services so long as you have access to them. I think this is very cool especially having just finished the BPMN class that was all about service oriented architecture. Microsoft has its WCF, windows communication foundation, which itself is a service, which is a service that handles connecting to services. Its pretty cool, kinda like linq.

I now have some questions. I want to be able to do asp.net with java, I think i can hax my program to make it possible, i don't see why I shouldn't be able to. It uses html, so I should be able to javascript and have java files that my stuff can use for calling objects. If it can't do it inherently, I should be able to hax it just like I did with the ajax controls. That means bring in third party controls to make it doable. This way I can program in Netbeans, import those java files and use them in my .net applications. I will have to research this a bit.

I also don't see how I can take an excel spreadsheet, parse the information via linq, and then save that data as a new entry into a database. I may have to custom code that, but it seems that it should be a function of LINQ. If not I can just parse the data by fields, create an empty database with the tables set up to handle the data then create a few functions to fill in each column at a time based on the data in the array that LINQ creates.... Maybe. I think that will be part of my project.

Linq

Language Integrated Query

My original post referencing linq was apparently quite accurate. Here is the source information about linq, everything you want to know written by the people that made it.

Summary: LINQ to SQL provides a runtime infrastructure for managing relational data as objects without losing the ability to query. Your application is free to manipulate the objects while LINQ to SQL stays in the background tracking your changes automatically.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/hi-in/library/bb425822(en-us).aspx

Thanks,

Alex

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 was a pain in my ass. The book didn't explain that I had to import System.Linq into my aspx.vb file as well as reference System.Linq in my project. Without the System.Linq my aspx.vb files can't query the data.

After long hours of web searching and trying to figure out what was going on, I fixed the problem.

This chapter works with lots of VB scripting. I believe I have finally obtained a strong understanding of VB syntax. I can read written code very well, now, but I am not sure that I can code it without referencing existing code. This, however, isn't a problem. I learn to code by referencing examples then playing with the syntax.

This chapter was almost exactly like the last chapter, but more focused on the SQL side of Linq. This was most apparent with the VB code where you create a variable to act as a Database holder, i suppose is how it works, based on the data that I put into my project from the database I connected to it, and then call methods associated with the database object that act as insert and delete, update and what not variables. You then take those variables and do a SubmitChanges() that takes all the floating variable associated with whatever database object you are working with, such as db.SubmitChanges() and actually updates the database.

Its kinda a mind screw having to think about initializing a database as an object just to pull the data out and work with it. Then having the SQL commands be handles as variables which i guess are more like objects that inherit from the database object and have values that you provide when you create them. Its very similar to having to learn to transpose music when you sight read, you go little weird in the head until you understand it.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 went into detail about how Linq works. It teaches logic and syntax and goes over the different methods available within the Linq object. It functions very much like SQL, well, exactly like SQL, but with the added benefit of the other methods and Linq's functionality to search any data set, pretty much.

It is kinda quirky to work with, but given my background with SQL and Java it made lots of sense and I believe I have a pretty good understanding of how it works. We will see when they go into more detail in chapter 8.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 went into detail on how to connect to a database. It also went into how to create and use, very briefly, session variables. It went into great detail on SQLdata controls and how to set those up to handle different input types as well as how to format view controls to make your information look interesting.

This chapter presented some very simple concepts then applied them in very interesting ways. I am going to reference this chapter as I progress for information on how to manipulate data I obtain from a database.

Chapter 5, End of Section 1

I just finished up going through chapter 5. It beat to death how to handle user input in different ways. It was very boring, but I did realize I needed to switch over to Visual Basic because the dummies book is written for using visual basic and goes into detail the logic behind where and how you use visual basic.

I am looking forward to the next section that goes into much more detail with how to use a database with your web applications.

Chapter 4 progress: 1

I almost completed chapter 4. I ran into an issue. My book gives instructions in visual basic. I have it set up to run with visual c#. I am having problems validating the date data because my program won't run the VB commands and I don't know the c# commands to make it work. I will have to do some research into c# and get a c# book before I can finish this chapter.

Thanks,

Alex

Progress Update

I got the c# book and found c# to be less useful to me. The dummies book I am using goes into great detail on how visual basic works and how I can use it. I have found that visual basic has many build in functions that make it much more efficient to use, for now, for this class.

Moving forward I would learn c# separately and write and keep a compilation of many good classes and their methods I write so that I can just search them and pop em into my .net work.
Such as data validation methods in a data validation class. But that is a whole other idea altogether.

Chapter 3

So, chapter 3 was short and sweet. It was pretty awesome though. I learned how to create a microsoft SQL database, use tools to create a table for the database, then add the table to the website I created for my chapter 3 project. ( the project is just my hands on work working through the book) Not bad for 30 minutes.

The next chapter I will learn how to do data management. Thats pretty cool, I'm learning in 2 hours how to do stuff with asp.net that took me 1 and 2/3 a semester with java using netbeans. I haven't really learned how to use c#, its all the IDE doing the work, but still, its not bad.

Shows how good my training was with my programming classes.


Thanks,

Alex

Chapters 1 & 2

I just completed chapters 1 and 2. They walked me through installing and setting up my microsoft visual studio and adding components to the tool box. It also had me create a very very basic website that consists of a button that I renamed and changed the background color.

I expect chapter 3 to be much more entertaining. I will post on that when I finish it, probably within the hour.

Thanks

Alex

Crouse Schedule Proposal

The book I am using is set up into 5 sections. Each section has ~ 5 chapters. There are about 13 weeks left in the semester. I figure I will take 2 weeks per section. 3 Weeks extra time at the end, 2 weeks to accommodate any deviations from this schedule and give an extra 1 week for work solely on the final project for this class.

Any thoughts or suggestions on this schedule would be great. Also, the final section is just a set of trouble shooting tutorials that I may not have to work through for this course.

Thanks,

Alex