Accessing random SQL server - c#

The application I'm designing will have to be able to access any MS or Oracle database through the network, will have to read all the databases inside the database, list all the tables.
In the end, the user must be able to download a whole table, and load it into the application.
The user will have to insert some parameters :
Ip address and port
Login and password.
Then he will have to choose the database, and then he will have to choose the table.
I've looked up through the internet to find something almost out of the box, and the best result I've found is actually Dapper (http://code.google.com/p/dapper-dot-net/)
Ain't there any better library that could meet my needs?

There is no library that will meet your needs. You're building a database browsing tool, like SSMS, so Dapper is only a means to an end to get data in a dynamic fashion. However, you could just as easily do it with basic ADO.NET. The DataTable is a very dynamic structure and quite capable of what you need.
In fact, though I love Dapper, I would argue that if I were in your shoes I'd just use ADO.NET because you could abstract your interaction to using just the interfaces: IDbConnection and IDbCommand for example.

Before you go rolling your own, I would suggest you take a look at the Microsoft Enterprise Library Data Access Application Block; it builds on ADO.Net but provides a database agnostic API for applications to code against. I've used it against both Sql Server and Oracle.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn169621.aspx

A few notes:
I agree with the idea of using ADO.NET. And getting back to the interfaces that SqlConnection and the ODP.NET share.
A few ideas:
IoC Link
and
INFORMATION_SCHEMA
Google that. It is what the standard is for different RDBMS.
My guess is that you could write 2 "Concretes" that implement the same abstract class (see IoC link above)... where the abstract class has "common logic"...but then you have a "safety value" if something does work exactly the same between the 2 RDBMS.
But since your results will be dynamic, in the sense you won't know ahead of time what the tables/columns, a DataTable isn't a bad idea.
A different idea is to look at this, the "Dynamic Data" project.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc488545%28v=vs.100%29.aspx
But I don't know (maybe not) if that ever got an implementation for Oracle, probably just Sql Server.

I finally found happyness using DbProviderFactory.
I've created a class that creates connexion strings, and that has a property that return the invariant name of the connexion (eg : "System.Data.SqlClient").
I use this invariant name and this connexion string that way :
this.Factory = DbProviderFactories.GetFactory(connexionStringBuilder.InvariantName);
this.Connection = Factory.CreateConnection();
Connection.ConnectionString = connexionStringBuilder.ConnexionString;
And then, I have all the ADO.Net queries that I had in the past.

Related

Sql Server class in C# for all request?

I'm looking for a class for Sql Server. I need to make insert, update, delete, select (retrieve many rows and columns) and execute Stored Procedure.
I didn't find a sample of this sort of class and i didn't want to reinvente the wheel.
Somebody can give it to me?
You sound like you may be looking for a ORM (Object Relational Mapper). There are a great number available, some built right it to the .NET framework itself. Look at the various websites and see if you can find one that fits your needs.
There's not a single class that does this, but instead a set of a few classes you need to know:
Sql Server specific:
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter
Used by all database types
System.Data.DataTable
System.Data.DataSet
System.Data.SqlDbType (enum)
There are others as well, but these are the main ones. Together, these make up the ADO.Net API, and the Sql Server provider for the ADO.Net API.
Additionally, there are a number of Object Relational Mappers that build on top of ADO.Net to try to make this easier. Entity Framework, Linq To Sql, and NHibernate are of a few of the more common options. One common characteristic of ORMs is that they try to free you from even knowing the sql language. If you want to write your own SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE queries, which it sounds like you do, you should start at the native ADO.Net level.
To put your data access in one object, you create your own class that makes use of these other types. Don't try to build a new public method that accepts an sql string. Build individual methods for each query you will want to run that include the needed sql as part of the method, and have those methods use these types to change or return data.
You might be interested in this tutorial.
There is builtin functionality (System.Data.SqlClient) to simply access an SQL server.
There is no single class that can do everything you need. Whatever choice you decide you would necessarily need to deal with multiple classes.
Look at it this way – in order to get data from SQL Server you need to typically do following things:
Open connection
Crete SQL query
Execute SQL Query
Accept results
Close connection
Putting all this functionality into a single class would make the class way too complex.
Here is a good reading material for what you need.
Beginners guide to accessing SQL Server through C#

How to make data access layer for SQL Server and MySql

I'm building a data access layer and need to be able switch between two providers in different environments.
How do I structure this? I'm using a repository pattern and have e.g. a CarRepository class and a Car class. The CarRepository class is responsible for saving, deleting and loading from the database.
I have a Database class, responsible for connecting to the database, and executing the query (sending a SqlCommand for SQL Server). The SQL syntax for the underlying databases is different and the parameter syntax is also different (SQL Server uses # and MySql uses ?).
I would like an approach where I can make the least effort in making my application run on both platforms.
The obvious method is making a MySqlCarRepository and a SqlServerCarRepository, but that introduces a heavy amount of maintenance. Are there any good approaches to this scenario? Maybe keeping a static class with static strings containing the SQL statements for the different SQL flavours? (how about parameter syntax then?)
Any advice is welcome
(Please note that ORM (Nhibernate, Linq2Sql etc) is not an option)
The approach I follow is to first-of-all use the ADO Provider Factories to abstract the data access implementation. So I will use IDbConnection and so forth in the code.
Then I have an abstraction for a query. I can then use Query objects that contain the actual sql statements. These Query objects are created from RawQuery or various query builders (insert/update/delete/etc.) that have implementations for each provider type. The specific raw queries will need to be coded and obtained specific to the DB you need since there is no gettin passed that.
There is quite a bit of leg work involved in coding this 'plumbing' and I have not had a situation where I actually require different platforms so I have not bothered coding some small bits that I know need some ironing out but you are welcome to contact if you are interested in seeing some code.
Can you use any code generation tools?
I used to use Code Smith in another life and had templates that would generate POCO objects from DB tables, repository classes for each object and stored procedures. Worked alright after fine tuning the templates, and there were plenty examples on the net.
But this was way before I saw the light with NHibernate!
A pattern for accessing multiple database types is the DAO (Data Access Object) pattern. This could suit your particular need if you can't/don't use an ORM. The following article explains the pattern for Java but it is still very relevant for C#:
http://java.sun.com/blueprints/corej2eepatterns/Patterns/DataAccessObject.html

Are there existing data layers I can use for an application I'm building?

I'm writing a .NET application and the thought of implementing a data layer from scratch is icky to me. (By data layer I'm referring to the code that talks to the database, not the layer which abstracts the database access into domain objects [sometimes called the data access layer and used interchangeably with data layer].)
I'd like to find an existing generic data layer implementation which provides standard crud functionality, error handling, connection management - the works. I'll be talking to SQL Server only.
It doesn't matter to me if the library is in C# or VB.NET and I don't care if it's LINQ or ADO.NET. As long as it works.
** I want to emphasize that I'm not looking for data access technologies or mechanisms (e.g. LINQ, ORM tools, etc.) but rather existing libraries.)
If you are talking to only SQL Server the Linq to SQL is your best option. It is pretty easy to get up and running. You will get both the Data Layer and the Abstraction. All you have to do is provide a connection string to Linq to SQL and it will handle the rest.
If you are going to connect to other database than SQL you would want to with NHibernate.
NHibernate takes a little more work than Linq to SQL to get up and running. MS provided in Visual Studio a nice tool that can get you reading from a SQL database pretty quick.
Honestly as much of a fan as I've always been with NHibernate. With the latest release of Enterprise Library 5 Data Access Block that they added in the dynamic mapping support natively. I would have to strongly consider not using NHibernate on a project and instead use a forward database generation tool from my domain objects to create my database (perhaps even use NHibernate solely for the scheme export) or something like CodeSmith and use EntLib.
You can use easyobjects has a very small learning curve, and is very extensible.
From their web:
EasyObjects.NET is a powerful data-access architecture for the .NET Framework. When used in combination with code generation, you can create, from scratch, a complete data layer for your application in minutes.
I'd like to find an existing generic data layer implementation which provides standard crud functionality, error handling, connection management - the works. I'll be talking to SQL Server only.
Might want to check out Subsonic. Though I personally find it quite limited, it's certainly not an ORM, but a "query tool." It will make CRUD operations easy and straightforward, and it generates partial POCO classes for every table in your database, rather than trying to map from a database to a domain layer.
Microsoft's Entity Framework might be what you are looking for to releave you from writing "the code that talks to the database".
The best things are that it already ships with Visual Studio and - depending on your requirements - you can use most functionality out-of-the box or manually adjust it to your custom business logic via T4 templates.
You can use it for forward and reverse engeneering and being a microsoft technology it integrates well with other MS products like SQL server.
I started using it 3 months ago in my current project at work which is composed of several windows and WCF services to convert third party data into our own database scheme. From the experiences we made with it, we'll be using the EF in future project a lot more.
What would you expect this framework to do with your exceptions? If it can't connect to your database, what should it do - crash the application, show an error message (winforms or WPF or ASP)... the questions are endless.
An ORM such as those suggested elsewhere in these answers is likely to be the closest you're going to get. Expecting a third party framework to provide all your exception handling isn't realistic - how would a third party know how your application is supposed to behave?
The direct answer to your question asking for "an existing generic data layer implementation which provides standard crud functionality, error handling, connection management - the works" is simple: use ADO.NET. The answers everyone else have provided actually go beyond that functionality, but your responses suggest that you think that there's something even further beyond - something that implements your data layer for you. My suggestion is that what you're looking for probably doesn't exist.

Best way to query different database engines in a uniform way?

I work on a C# client application (SlimTune Profiler) that uses relational (and potentially embedded) database engines as its backing store. The current version already has to deal with SQLite and SQL Server Compact, and I'd like to experiment with support for other systems like MySQL, Firebird, and so on. Worse still, I'd like it to support plugins for any other backing data store -- and not necessarily ones that are SQL based, ideally. Topping off the cake, the frontend itself supports plugins, so I have an unknown many-to-many mapping between querying code and engines handling the queries.
Right now, queries are basically handled via raw SQL code. I've already run into trouble making complex SELECTs work in a portable way. The problem can only get worse over time, and that doesn't even consider the idea of supporting non-SQL data. So then, what is the best way to query wildly disparate engines in a sane way?
I've considered something based on LINQ, possibly the DbLinq project. Another option is object persistence frameworks, Subsonic for example. But I'm not too sure what's out there, what the limitations are, or if I'm just hoping for too much.
(An aside, for the inevitable question of why I don't settle on one engine. I like giving the user a choice of the engine that works best for them. SQL Compact allows replication to a full SQL Server instance. SQLite is portable and supports in-memory databases. I can imagine a situation where a company wants to drop in a MySQL plugin so that they can easily store and collate an application's performance data over the course of time. Last and most importantly, I find the idea that I should have to be dependent on the implementation details of my underlying database engine to be absurd.)
Your best bet is to use an interface for all of your database access. Then for each database type you want to support to do the implementation of the interface for that database. That is what I've had to do for projects in the past.
The problem with many database systems and storage tools is that they aim to solve different problems. You might not even want to store your data in a SQL database but instead store it as files in the App_Data folder of a web application. With an interface method you could do that quite easily.
There generally isn't a solution that fits all database and storage solutions well or even a few of them well. If you find one that claims it does I still wouldn't trust it. When you have a problem with one of the databases it's going to be much easier for you to dig through your objects than it will be to go dig through theirs.
Use an object-relational mapper. This will provide a high level of abstraction away from the different database engines, and won't impose (many) limitations on the kind of queries you can run. Many ORMs also include LINQ support. There are numerous questions on SO providing recommendations and comparisons (e.g. What is your favorite ORM for .NET? appears to be the most recent and has links to several others).
I would recommend the repository pattern. You can create a class that encapsulates all the actions that you need the database for, and then create a different implementation for each database type you want to support. In many cases, for relationional data stores, you can use the ADO.NET abstractions (IDbConnection, IDataReader, IDataAdapter, etc) and create a single generic repository, and only write specific implementations for the database types that do not provide an ADO.NET driver.
public interface IExecutionResultsRepository
{
void SaveExecutionResults(string name, ExecutionResults results);
ExecutionResults GetExecutionResults(int id);
}
I don't actually know what you are storing, so you'd have to adapt this for your actual needs. I'm also guessing this would require some heavy refactoring as you might have sql statements littered throughout your code. And pulling these out and encapsulating them might not be feasible. But IMO, that's the best way to achieve what you want to do.

Pros and cons of the Access database engine. Life after SQLite

I asked a question a while ago about which local DB was right for my situation. I needed to access the DB from both .NET code and VB6. The overwhelming response was SQLite. However, I decided to pass on SQLite, because the only OLE DB provider for it charges royalties for every deployed copy of my software. It also requires an activation procedure to be run on every single PC.
After evaluating other options (SQL Server Compact edition - barely functional OLE DB provider, Firebird - don't want to have to pay for another driver, etc...), I've come to conclusion that the only viable choice is using .MDB files created by Microsoft Access (or the Jet engine).
I haven't used it since late 90s, so I have the following questions to those who have experience with it.
Have they resolved the problem where the database would corrupt every now and then.
Is access to the MDB from c# accomplished via the ADO.NET OLEDB Provider or is there a native solution (i can't seem to find it).
Is there a viable alternative to the really crappy SQL Editor in Access?
Thanks.
Rather then going "back" to Access, I'd stick with SQLite and use the System.Data.SQLite provider for SQLite data access within the .NET code.
Then I'd just create a simple COM interop .NET class for use by VB6 that wraps any required SQLite data access functionality. Finally, just reference and use it like a standard COM object from your VB6 projects.
My knowledge of Access is probably a bit dated and biased by bad experiences, but within reason I would try most other options before resorting to the Access route.
Have you considered SQL Server 2008 Express Edition (as oppose to SQL Server CE)?
1) Personally, I found that most times that Access DBs corrupted it was due to code that didn't clean up after it self, or there was a faulty Network card involved.
2)
string connectionString = #“Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; " +
#"Data Source = C:\data\northwind.mdb; " +
#"User Id = guest; Password = abc123”
using (OleDbConnection oleDbConnection = New OleDbConnection())
{
oleDbConnection.ConnectionString = connectionString;
oleDbConnection.Open();
...
}
3) SQL Server 2008 Express Edition
MDB corruption is largely due to failures that occur in client machines, file servers, and networks while the database is open. If you put the MDB on a file share this is always a risk, if on a local hard drive and used by one user the problems are much rarer.
I would not expect SQLite to be any different, and if anything worse.
Periodically running JetComp.exe (a Microsoft download) will fix many problems and compact index tables and such. Backups are important no matter what you use.
You don't need MS Access at all to use Jet MDBs. There are some 3rd party tools for designing the database schema and doing interactive queries, both command line and GUI.
Since the MDB format is more or less deprecated, your late 90s knowledge is quite up to date. See this MSDN page
You could also try SQL Anywhere it runs on various OS and has a small footprint. Works for me :)
AngryHacker asked:
Q1. Have they resolved the problem where the database would corrupt every now and then.
Er, what?
There was never any corruption problem in properly engineered apps properly deployed in properly maintained environments. I haven't seen a corrupted MDB in 3 or 4 years, and I have dozens of my apps in full-time production use by many clients in many different types of operating environments.
I think that most people who experience corruption are those who try to share an MDB file among many users (whether split or unsplit). Since you're not contemplating using Access, that's not really an issue.
Q2. Is access to the MDB from c# accomplished via the ADO.NET OLEDB Provider or is there a native solution (i can't seem to find it).
The native solution would be DAO, but that's COM, so you might not want to use that. From C#, I'd say OLEDB is your best bet, but that's not my area of expertise so take it with a grain of salt. I believe that Michael Kaplan reported that the Jet ADO/OLEDB provider was thread-safe, while DAO is not. This doesn't mean he recommended ADO/OLEDB over DAO, though, but his comments also came in an Access context, and not C#.
Q3. Is there a viable alternative to the really crappy SQL Editor in Access?
Why would you be using that when you're not actually using Access? You could use any SQL editor you like as long as you test that the SQL you write is compatible with Jet's SQL dialect.
I, for one, don't see what the issue is with Access's SQL editor (other than the inability to set the font size), but then, I write a lot of my SQL using the QBE and don't ever even look at the SQL view.
To answer your question regarding the really crappy SQL editor in Access - I wholeheartedly agree. The font stinks, MSAccess always badly reformats the query, it sometimes adds in metacharacters that break my SQL, and lastly but worstly, if it can't parse the SQL, it won't let you have access to it!
My solution is to use external code. I use DAO to instantiate MSAccess and can then directly edit the queries using the QueryDefs collection. It lets you do most things - create, rename, edit, etc. There are a couple of things you cannot do this way though - for example, you do not have access to the query metadata (description, hidden, etc).
External code is also great because you can build a suite of test cases, specifying expected return values, etc.

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