What is the best way to learn the latest version of CSLA?

What is the best way to learn the latest version of CSLA?

Old forum URL: forums.lhotka.net/forums/t/5047.aspx


ChrisMcGrath posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Hello all,

I used CSLA 1.0 on a project a few years ago and loved it.  I'm planning on implementing the latest CSLA framework in some upcoming projects, but have not used CSLA in quite a while and my co-workers have no experience in it.  I was wondering what the most straightforward method would be to learn CSLA 3.5 from scratch.

I see that there's a book planned for September that addresses the C# edition, but we use VB.NET.  From what I've seen here on the site, learning the latest version would require reading at least one book and then reading up on the updates to 3.5.  It's also not clear whether the 3.0 handbook is a good place to start from scratch or if prior understanding of the framework is required.

Thanks!

nermin replied on Wednesday, July 02, 2008

I would say that the best way to learn Csla 3.5 is a private one-on-one training with Rocky (take couple of days for example)

 

;-)

 

Nermin

 

PS

Since the option stated above is not likely, perhaps it is time to have another Csla Tech Night with focus on only 3.5 features – I find those presentations extremely useful.  And it has been a while since we have had one.

 

From: ChrisMcGrath [mailto:cslanet@lhotka.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 2:11 PM
To: Nermin Dibek
Subject: [CSLA .NET] What is the best way to learn the latest version of CSLA?

 

Hello all,

I used CSLA 1.0 on a project a few years ago and loved it.  I'm planning on implementing the latest CSLA framework in some upcoming projects, but have not used CSLA in quite a while and my co-workers have no experience in it.  I was wondering what the most straightforward method would be to learn CSLA 3.5 from scratch.

I see that there's a book planned for September that addresses the C# edition, but we use VB.NET.  From what I've seen here on the site, learning the latest version would require reading at least one book and then reading up on the updates to 3.5.  It's also not clear whether the 3.0 handbook is a good place to start from scratch or if prior understanding of the framework is required.

Thanks!


RockfordLhotka replied on Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Chris and I have traded emails as well.

I think that right now the best and most efficient way to get a group up to speed on 3.5 is the training available from Dunn Training.

You are right, to get to 3.0 you need to read Expert 2005 Business Objects, and the CSLA .NET Version 2.1 Handbook ebook and (if you are using WPF/WCF/WF) the Using CSLA .NET 3.0 ebook. Then you'd still need to infer a lot of the 3.5 feature changes by looking at the ProjectTracker code and/or reading the posts here and on my blog.

I am working on Expert 2008 Business Objects, but it is slow going, not in small part because I'm also working on CSLA Light (CSLA .NET for Silverlight) - and there are only so many hours in the day (sometimes I really begrudge the need for sleep).

At this point I expect Expert C# 2008 Business Objects to be out near the end of the year, with the VB edition coming out early next year.

Ash002 replied on Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Expert BOs is great. Chapters 1 & 2 why and what, but after that skip to chapter 8 & 9 to get yourself grounded in an actual example of how, then back to chapter 6 & 7 for more theory.

ianinspain replied on Friday, July 04, 2008

This is great news!, i have the original (in print) book for 2.0 ... but after all the patches and downloadable pdf's i have put off putting any effort in the update it.. Just too many patches and too many bits of documentation.... i was going crazy...

This is not due to the price fo the pdf's - that doesn't bother me, just too much flicking from one book to another to another...


I can't wait for the new in print book, i presume this will cover from KNOWLEDGE = 0 up to the latest version??????

Any info you can offer on this would be really great!

It would be really nice to just sit down with 1 book and work through it again..

RockfordLhotka replied on Saturday, July 12, 2008

At present, the plan is for Expert 2008 Business Objects to follow the same basic structure as Expert 2005 Business Objects did, though the chapters will break out differently.

The framework has grown way too large to walk through the code in the detail I have in the past. So the chapters dealing with the framework implementation will be at a higher level and will focus more on the design decisions than on the code detail. And I'm breaking the topics up differently so they (hopefully) are more organized.

There will still be a chapter (or 2) covering ProjectTracker.Library and how it is created. And that will be at the same code-focused level as in 2005.

And then there'll be chapters covering three interfaces: WPF, Web Forms and WCF services.

My current plan is to do small ebooks for Windows Forms, ASP.NET MVC and Windows Workflow - basically each one like a very focused (and somewhat longer) chapter on that specific interface technology.

So yes, the book will start at 0 (assuming 0 is an already competent .NET developer), and will walk through the philosophy, design and implementation of CSLA .NET, and then into using it in some scenarios. Pretty much like the 2005 book.

vdhant replied on Sunday, July 13, 2008

Can't wait for the books... The one that i am most looking forward to is seeing what your thoughts on ASP.NET MVC are.

bt1 replied on Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Hey, is there any way to get access to the e-book as it is being written.  I know other publishers have a way to do that such as the "Rough Cuts" http://www.informit.com/promotions/promotion.aspx?promo=135396

It allows you to buy a copy of the e-book and download versions of the book as it is being written and also a final copy once complete.  

If you haven't guessed I also would like to use CSLA3.5 on a project that has started but am suffering from finding sources to learn the new version (only used 1.1 previously).  I don't like the Idea of trying to figure out which techniques goes with which version 1.1 2.0 2.1 3.0 3.5.  I would like to just learn the current technique to do CSLA. 

Also, why isn't this fourm organized by version.  It is rather difficult to look for help on something then figure out what version the info was applicable to.

 

RockfordLhotka replied on Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Expert 2008 Business Objects isn’t an ebook, it is a traditional book published by Apress. You’ll have to look at www.apress.com to see if they are doing an electronic pre-released. I know they do that with some books.

 

 

There was a lot of discussion a few years ago when I set up the forum, about splitting it into many little groups or leaving it as one. I do have a hard limit, in that I only have so many email addresses I can use. So I could create (and have created) some forums that aren’t email enabled, but that isn’t real satisfying for a primary forum.

 

At some point I’ll get time to upgrade the software. It has supported tagging for some time now, I just haven’t had time to do the upgrade. But I think good use of tags would help in many ways.

 

Rocky

 

ianinspain replied on Monday, July 21, 2008

This is great stuff, for me (and i know others will disagree) but i was never really that interested in the internal workings on the framework - i just wanted to be competent at using it....

 

Can't wait! thanks again

 

RockfordLhotka:

At present, the plan is for Expert 2008 Business Objects to follow the same basic structure as Expert 2005 Business Objects did, though the chapters will break out differently.

The framework has grown way too large to walk through the code in the detail I have in the past. So the chapters dealing with the framework implementation will be at a higher level and will focus more on the design decisions than on the code detail. And I'm breaking the topics up differently so they (hopefully) are more organized.

There will still be a chapter (or 2) covering ProjectTracker.Library and how it is created. And that will be at the same code-focused level as in 2005.

And then there'll be chapters covering three interfaces: WPF, Web Forms and WCF services.

My current plan is to do small ebooks for Windows Forms, ASP.NET MVC and Windows Workflow - basically each one like a very focused (and somewhat longer) chapter on that specific interface technology.

So yes, the book will start at 0 (assuming 0 is an already competent .NET developer), and will walk through the philosophy, design and implementation of CSLA .NET, and then into using it in some scenarios. Pretty much like the 2005 book.

thaehn replied on Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I would like to see more of a "how to" book and the use the framwork for your new book.  Starting with a couple chapters that would be an overview and  then getting into a tutorial walking through creating a project in CSLA.  The "whys" mixed in with the "hows" as you go along creating your project.  I like the hands-on approach where you can type in the code shown in the book and see results right away. 

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