devconnections : JohnPapa.net

DevConnections Las Vegas - Nov 2008

Friday, May 16 2008 - devconnections, silverlight, book, entty-framework, enterprise-library - 1 comments

I'll be speaking at DevConnections in Las Vegas this Fall along with others Julie Lerman and Paul Litwin. The 3 topics I will be presenting are:

Data Access with Silverlight 2
Integrating Enterprise Library's Data Access Application Block with your Project
Practical Strategies with the Entity Framework

The past few events have been awesome and getting stronger and more fun each time. If you are planning on attending the conference in the Fall, please stop by and say hi.

My upcoming book tentatively titled Data Access with Silverlight 2 should almost be available by the conference. I am targeting December, but I am hoping I can pull it off for November.

JohnPapa.NET is Open for BusinRSS

Saturday, April 19 2008 - codebetter, graffiti, devconnections, entity-framework, ssrs, sql-server, linq - 0 comments

No that's not a typo in the title ... it's my poor attempt at dry humor :)

I have had several questions from people over the past few months regarding my noticeable sparseness in blogging at www.codebetter.com, my blogging home for the past 3 years. The truth is that it took me a while to get back to setting up my new blogging home at www.johnpapa.net . I used the various beta versions of Graffiti CMS to get it started and then I recently migrated the site over to the release version of Graffiti. I must say that Graffiti is perfect for my needs. I can consolidate my posts, organize my events, articles, and add some ASP.NET and SilverLight aspects, too.

So what will you find on www.johnpapa.net ? You will find my usual technical posts as well as a listing of all of the articles I have published (the books listing is not there yet) and all of the events I will be speaking at as they get scheduled and confirmed.

Will I still post to www.CodeBetter.com ? Yes, I will still cross post some content to www.CodeBetter.com but the superset of the posts will be on www.johnpapa.net including technical content, reviews, and opinions.

So please add my new site www.johnpapa.net to your aggregated feed list http://feeds.feedburner.com/JohnPapa.

I'll be at DevConnections this coming week in Orlando, so if you are going to be around please stop by one of my sessions on windows mobile development, LINQ, the Entity Framework or SQL Server Reporting Services and say hi!

Entity Framework Setup - Installation Fun!

Saturday, April 19 2008 - entity-framework, edm, devconnections - 0 comments

Yeah, I know its expected that when a product is in beta and its ancillary features are released in a CTP that there will be some "interesting" issues in getting set up. But its getting a bit out of control (in a good way) lately with all of the installations related to the Entity Framework. I had not noticed much until this weekend as I am preparing my laptop for my sessions at DevConnections in Orlando next week.

Here is the list of installations that I had to go through just to get the Entity Framework up and running:

Key Entity Framework Bits

Extras

Tools

Samples

There are the bits themselves, then there are several extras from the Data Team which are very useful. Then there are the tools such as the Mapping Helper (very cool indeed) and eSqlBlast (very cool helpful writing Entity SQL). Finally, there are a few examples that are nice to walk through. of course, then there are the dozens of example projects I have built that I need to migrate to my laptop.

Over time these don't seem like much but when I had to install all of these today it struck me on how much is going into the Entity Framework and from so many sources!. I love this stuff!

EntityBag Modes with the Entity Framework

Friday, April 18 2008 - entity-framework, entitybag, devconnections, ado-net - 0 comments

I've been using the EntityBag concept that Danny Simmons has been posting for a while now. One of the neat aspects of the EntityBag is its automatic mode settings. As I was explaining this to someone this week (as a precursor to my 2 Entity Framework DevConnections talks next week in Orlando), it occurred to me to create a small table explaining the highlights of the modes. So here is the 20,000 foot view of the modes of an EntityBag. You can find more about the EntityBag and its modes on Danny's blog.

Next up, Orlando DevConnections!

Tuesday, April 08 2008 - entity-framework, mobile, net, devconnections - 0 comments

DevConnections in Orlando is just around the corner and I'll be there presenting 4 sessions on mobile development, the Entity Framework and SQL Server. So much has changed with these technologies in the past few months so I have all new code samples for new techniques using the latest bits, especially with the Entity Framework. if you are going to be at DevConnections in April in Orlando, please stop by one of my sessions and say hi.

Here are the 4 session abstracts:

VMD302: Data Access Techniques and LINQ in Mobile Applications
John Papa
Data access layers, domain entities, and databases are all integral components of dealing with data in an enterprise application. Mobile applications also rely heavily on these types of data vehicles and stores. This session will delve into different ways of handling data in mobile applications using ADO.NET objects and domain entities. I will demonstrate different data binding techniques in mobile applications using both domain entities and DataSets as well as techniques using LINQ to interact with data on a mobile device.

VDA203: Getting Started with the Entity Framework
John Papa
The Entity Framework can be used to architect applications against a conceptual model that is mapped to the logic model. The Entity Framework has many components including EntityClient, Entity SQL, Object Services, the Entity Data Model, and LINQ to Entities. This session will discuss the architecture of the Entity Framework and explain the roles of each of its different components. It will also demonstrate how to write queries using the different options as well as how to evaluate which options within Object Services to use or if to use the EntityClient provider directly.

VDA202: Customizing Entity Data Models in the Entity Framework
John Papa
Designing the Entity Data Model with the Entity Framework is a critical aspect in developing an architecture. Once the model has been created it is beneficial to know how to customize the model to adapt to the business problems. This session will explore the different XML files that map the objects to the database schema and show how to modify them when needed. I will explain how you can design an object model with the Entity Framework using both the Entity Data Model Wizard as well as by manually editing the XML files. I will demonstrate how to implement inheritance, how to merge multiple entities within a conceptual model, how to take advantage of features such as conditions in the mapping layer, how to implement complex types, and how to hook into stored procedures. This session will demonstrate how to interact with the conceptual model using EntityClient, Entity SQL, and LINQ to Entities to perform queries and make updates to a database.

Events

Friday, December 21 2007 - events, devconnections, ineta, vslive - 0 comments

Here is a short list of some of the events where I have presented as well as where I will be in the near future. I also hold training sessions on various topics. If you are interested in training or mentoring, please contact me for more information.

Upcoming Events



DevConnections - Las Vegas, NV (Nov 10-13 2008) I will be presenting 3 sessions: Data Access with Silverlight 2 Developing with Enterprise Library Data Access Application Block Implementing the Entity Framework
DevConnections - Las Vegas, NV (Nov 10-13 2008)


VSLive NY – NY City, NY (Sep 7-10 2008) I will be presenting 2 sessions: Building Effective Data Bound Applications with WPF and Silverlight ASP.NET Data Binding
VSLive NY – NY City, NY (Sep 7-10 2008)
Tech Valley .NET User Group – Albany, NY (July 22, 2008) Making the most of the Entity Framework involves first designing a practical Entity Data Model, understanding how to manage the model, and how to effectively interact with it through services. In this presentation I will give a brief overview of the Entity Framework and its related components, demonstrate how to design and manage an Entity Data Model using the designer tools, and walk through examples of how to interact with the model and use tools such as the standard query operators. Demonstrations will include Entity SQL with the Entity Client provider, Entity SQL with Object Services, and LINQ. This is an INETA sponsored meeting and food will be provided.
Tech Valley .NET User Group – Albany, NY (July 22, 2008)

Miramar .NET User Group - Miramar, FL (July 8, 2008) Making the most of the Entity Framework involves first designing a practical Entity Data Model, understanding how to manage the model, and how to effectively interact with it through services. In this presentation I will give a brief overview of the Entity Framework and its related components, demonstrate how to design and manage an Entity Data Model using the designer tools, and walk through examples of how to interact with the model and use tools such as the standard query operators. Demonstrations will include Entity SQL with the Entity Client provider, Entity SQL with Object Services, and LINQ. http://www.fladotnet.com/Reg.aspx?EventID=306 This is an INETA sponsored meeting and food will be provided.
Miramar .NET User Group - Miramar, FL (July 8, 2008)