Code Generation in Microsoft .NET

Description

Code generation has the potential to revolutionize application development. Rather than handcrafting each piece of code, developers are increasingly turning to code generation based on templates and applications of business logic to automatically perform a variety of tasks. This book teaches the technical details of code generation in .NET through a coherent series of steps that will help you to incorporate code generation into your own development efforts. Veteran author Kathleen Dollard teaches code generation as a scripted repeatable process using templates you control, so you're not tied to a particular framework or style. Because you can regenerate code at any time, you can incorporate changes, including database changes, throughout the life of your application. The templates are flexible and designed to work smoothly with the handcrafted code youll use to customize your application. The underlying fundamentals are explained along with three specific techniques: outputting code to a stream, using the Code DOM, and using XSLT-based code generation. In addition to the text, the tools in the book (downloadable in both VB .NET and C#) include a mechanism to extract information from SQL Server; a tool for editing and running code-generation scripts; a simple, flexible ORM tool that relates your database structure to your runtime class model; and a set of templates you can use as the starting point for your adventures in code generation. Generating repetitive sections of code frees you to focus on the features that make your application unique. Code generation will turbo-charge your development cycles by offering speed, reusability, agility, and consistency. Go forth and generate! Front Matter....Pages N2-xxx Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introducing Code Generation....Pages 3-51 Extracting Metadata....Pages 53-111 Outputting Code....Pages 113-177 Writing Handcrafted Code....Pages 179-213 Tying It All Together....Pages 215-289 Front Matter....Pages 291-291 Mapping Database Structure into Business Objects....Pages 293-343 Generating Stored Procedures....Pages 345-375 Generating Middle Tier Templates....Pages 377-419 Generating a WinForms Application....Pages 421-470 Generating a Web User Interface....Pages 471-507 Establishing Perspective....Pages 509-542 Back Matter....Pages 543-730