GuruStop.NET

Introduction

Sqlite

SQLite is a file based database, or an embedded database that you can use without need for any special installation from your side. It’s a bit popular for non-LOB (line of business) desktop applications and even mobile applications like Android apps. It also has an "In-Memory" mode where there is no physical file used as a database, which is usually used in testing.

It has a similar syntax (sort of) to SQL Server. In Microsoft .NET world,, those using NHibernate are usually using the in-memory mode for applying unit testing or trying out NHibernate stuff, although Microsoft has its own embedded database called SQL Compact Edition (CE), which doesn’t seem to support in-memory databases (v4.0).

You can download the latest Sqlite database (v3.0) from:

http://system.data.sqlite.org/index.html/doc/trunk/www/downloads.wiki

Since it’s not SQL Server, you need a special ADO.NET provider too. It’s called "System.Data.Sqlite"., which is very similar to the normal System.Data.SqlClient stuff. It’s included in the above download link.

NuGet

If you don’t know what NuGet is, go to www.nuget.org or check my old posts mentioning it, or if you are an Arab maybe check this post in Arabic.

My first DotNetwork Cairo Code Camp in 2009 was a great experience, because it was one of the biggest events I’ve spoken at (in terms of audience count, similar to SilverKey Demo Day II). However, Cairo Code Camp `10 had a much different taste!

Not just that I met Scott Hanselman, one of the most popular Microsoft guys, and hold him down as you see in the picture (which I’ll never forget), the great person and popular guru…

Not just that I met so many great other speakers, many of them are my friends and some of my friends talking for the first time in such event or after long pause…

But also because we all (speakers and organizers – both volunteers) met so many great attendees. Some of them were interesting people I’ve followed on Twitter for some time and haven’t seen them yet. Some of them were old lovely faces that we meet very rarely (especially I no longer work  in Egypt). Some of them were totally new faces, bringing a lot of ideas and very useful discussions….

While I was planning to write about the same topic and have the draft ready in my Windows Live Writer waiting to complete, I found an interesting question in StackOVerflow and couldn’t just resist to answer:

ORM/Persistence layer Advice

The question starts with:

I’m starting a new project and I’m looking around for either a very good ORM or for a non-SQL-based persistence layer.

Then follows up with a REALLY GOOD summary of what he believes about each known ORM he knew out of his own findings and search. I advice you to go read it.

However, all this investigation didn’t get him to a single choice answer. And I can’t blame him. This is one fo the questions that will remain for so long without a single answer, or maybe having the popular “It depends” answer.

I have had a LONG research in this topic as well. I have read for so long (and watched videos/casts) to make sure of the best usage of many ORMs and then used them sometimes in test projects sometimes in production, and I wanted to share my thoughts based on this. I posted a long answer there on the question in StackOverflow, and I want to share this answer with you here. I may also have a second part of this post based on my existing Windows Live Writer draft, but, based on my previous times, I think I won’t!

الحلقة 5: محمد مليجي يتكلم عن الـ ORM (Object Relational Mapping)

وصف الحلقة من دوت نت عربي:

محمد مليجي تكلم عن الـ ORM (Object Relational Mapping) و هي برامج مساعدة تستطيع من خلالها نقل المعلومات و تحويلها من طبيعة قاعدة البيانات إلى طبيعة البرامج المبنية بأسلوب الـ Object Oriented. حلقة غنية بالتفاصيل و المعلومات القيمة جدا.

• يمكنكم الاستماع للحلقة و متابعة تقاصيلها كاملة على صفحتها بالموقع