There is a lot of discussion around Microsoft’s object-relational efforts right now. There are a couple of key issues:
- Is Microsoft really committed to Linq to SQL, or is it shifting its attention to Entity Framework?
- Is Entity Framework being pushed out before it is ready? A “vote of no confidence” open letter along those lines has been signed by over 300 including more than a dozen MVPs (Most Valued Professionals), experts in Microsoft data technologies.
Now a post from MVP Ian Cooper makes the frightening suggestion that Microsoft is ignoring the lessons of Java’s problems with EJB:
The .NET community had a huge amount to gain from this experience. Ports of Hibernate and Spring offered the community the chance to avoid the mistakes of the past. However, seemingly unaware of the lessons of history the EF team embarked on a project to produce a complex framework, of which persistence is just one aspect, reminiscent of the EJB initiative. So the reaction against the EF comes from its failure to learn lessons that another community has struggled with around complexity and ambition.
Microsoft’s success with .NET has been partly enabled by over-complexity in the Java world. Microsoft’s secret sauce is enabling developers to build stuff that works quickly and easily – which, incidentally, is why I am really disappointed that Visual Studio 2008 is still such a mess for quick database applications.
My own knowledge of the Entity Framework is rather thin. I’ve treated it as a layer that you have to generate in order to use ADO.NET Data Services, a REST API that I really like. It has to be said though – Microsoft’s data story is getting confusing. Roger Jennings is doing a great job of tracking developments.
Hi, Tim,
Thanks for the compliment.
As to “I am really disappointed that Visual Studio 2008 is still such a mess for quick database applications.”
Have you tried ASP.NET Dynamic Data. I believe it’s Blinq on steroids and finally supports any RDBMS with a LINQ provider and ersatz DataContext and even the ObjectDataSource.
Even Frans Bouma thinks it’s great and has adapted LLBLGen Pro as a data source.
I think most problems with quick and easy databases for novices with VS 2005+ was the entire attaching and detaching process, which appears to be an attempt to make SQL Server mimic a file-system DB (e.g., Access).
Cheers,
–rj
‘Microsoft’s success with .NET has been partly enabled by over-complexity in the Java world.’
Interesting point here but for me .NET has been completely enabled by the maddening complexity of Java(Xml config files anyone? Not to mention lack of RAD tools) and the additional baggage of extreme syntax verbosity. I really must be honest I would never touch a line of Java unless I really had to.
“I really must be honest I would never touch a line of Java unless I really had to.”
You should. Then you would realize were were wrong. I do both Java and .Net. For most applications, Java is the better choice in the long run.
“maddening complexity of Java(Xml config files anyone?” Not all frameworks require this and most give you a choice.
“Not to mention lack of RAD tools) ” What RAD tools do you think are missing
“additional baggage of extreme syntax verbosity” You mean like VB and C#