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You might want to check ou the code in this article[^]. As an article, it sucks, but the code should show you what you're looking for.
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Background:
Lots of Excel modelling (20+ years), lots of Excel VBA, plenty of ad hoc T-SQL, and some rudimentary WinForms apps with VB.Net. Have begun the transition from VB to C#, and have learned enough XAML to be dangerous.
In our department we occasionally need to collect user input for some relatively simple SQL Server databases - with typical CRUD activities. These will USUALLY be short term initiatives, so the effort that goes into creating the apps can't be too great. I'll be a part time 'programmer' creating these apps.
I'm looking at WPF as the vehicle for these apps, and it sure seems that MVVM can simplify the UI a great deal. I think I can handle the Views and ViewModels. Where I am struggling, though, is finding relevant examples on the Model aspect. It seems examples are either too simple, with a local XML file providing the data for a class or two, or they are (to me) too complex, with ISomeObjectRepository and SomeObjectRepository, IUnitOfWork and UnitOfWork, etc.
Much as I would like to understand all this "stuff," programming these apps is not my day job, so I need some straightforward examples/tutorials for building reasonably reliable apps. I'm also looking for advice on whether working through learning MVVM for its occasional use is warranted. Am I better off abandoning MVVM and simply binding the UI to the classes that EF or LinqToSQL create? Or, is somebody in my position really best advised to wait until LightSwitch is out of beta?
Thanks in advance!
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Duke Carey wrote: These will USUALLY be short term initiatives
Given this I would hesitate on using WPF. It seems it would create an issue of users having many apps on their systems that will be outdated and attempting to enter data that may no longer be valid or useful. I would consider a web interface where the apps could be easily taken out of service after the initiative passed, or possible ClickOnce deployment with the app run from a server.
If the data structure is relatively simple as you say I would say MVVM isn't worth the effort at this point. However, you would certainly want to expend some thought on creating a reusable architecture.
Is InfoPath and option for you?
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
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Thanks for taking the time to answer Mark. Your comment about MVVM resonates, but I've already dummied up/prototyped one WPF app that, immediately after a demo, required significant changes and all most of the code behind had to be scrapped (probably tells you something about my coding skills). Thus, the command structure and ViewModels tug at me as being a real benefit.
I guess what was left unstated in the original question was that using WPF first might allow us to easily migrate to Silverlight, if we can get the corporate folks to grant us access to a server. That's all locked down pretty tight right now, and I feel I'm viewed as an anarchist for asking for server access. So, the deployment of any app - WinForm, WPF, or web-based - is fraught with problems of one sort or another.
InfoPath was tried once (not my effort) but, on the one hand, the data demands outstripped the SharePoint version's abilities and, on the other, few people have it on their desktops. The SharePoint hosted form had an issue with the data not fitting into a simple list format, and in our apps we'll be dealing with 5 or 6 related tables.
I've looked at some of the videos for LightSwitch and it looks as though it will allow somebody like me to quickly create smaller apps. I just worry that some business requirement will come up will be JUST beyond the reach of what LightSwitch can do, and then I'd be back to square one, so it seemed best to ask for help here.
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Duke Carey wrote: is fraught with problems of one sort or another.
It goes without saying that these types of issues need to be corrected, or mitigated, before any project has a chance at success.
Duke Carey wrote: some business requirement will come up will be JUST beyond the reach of what LightSwitch can do
Yes. And that limit will come very quickly.
Good luck
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
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Duke Carey wrote: So, the deployment of any app - WinForm, WPF, or web-based - is fraught with problems of one sort or another.
I'd like to be there when you tell them your Silverlight app/WCF service needs cross-domain permissions. The looks on the security guys' faces would be priceless... 
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: I'd like to be there when you tell them your Silverlight app/WCF service needs cross-domain permissions.
JSOP - I was kinda hoping you might carry the water for me on that one, since you could 'splain it so much better than me!
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As another guy in this thread said, if you are just doing small "one-off" apps, MVVM definitely isn't worth the trouble. Actually, let me rephrase that: *PROPER* MVVM isn't worth the trouble for small "one-off" apps. Lots of guys say they are doing MVVM, but when you look at their code, its more like "make believe MVVM" since they've broken a lot of MVVM tennants. I'm not sure where you fall in that category (no offense intended), but if you aren't doing MVVM right, or are just doing it because "its what the cool kids are doing", you are asking for trouble and hair pulling. You should only use MVVM where its appropriate and understand why you are using it. If your MVVM infrastructure is larger then your app "u r doing it wrong!!" .
I'm even going to go a step further... for small "one-off" apps, why even bother with WPF? WPF is intended for rich customized applications. If you are just doing a cookie cutter form with stock controls, WPF ain't worth the hassle. Lots of stupid small things that would take you one line of code in Winforms would take pages and pages of code in WPF. WPF is a huge time saver in certain areas, but its also a massive time killer in other areas.
As for WPF vs. Silverlight... its straight forward to go from Silverlight to WPF since Silverlight is a subset of WPF. Not so easy to go the other way.
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How to change date format in c#
i need dd/mm/yy
i am using Vs 2008 And SQL Server 2005
Please Help Me
thanks in advance
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You'll be pleased to know that there are several handy formatters available for dates. This one could be achieved using something like:
Console.WriteLine("Date is {0}", DateTime.Now.ToString("dd/MM/yy"));Why do you need to change the date format though? It's generally better to leave the date formats as the user expects them to be set up based on their locale settings. Changing them round may lead to unfortunate consequences for the user if they misread the date because of differences in the format.
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i need to insert date in Sql Server 2005 as DD/MM/yy
how i can do this??
please Tell Me
Thanks In Advance
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a database should store data using the most appropriate type; string is not the most appropriate type for datetimes, as it is subject to lots of confusion. Use an actual date or datetime field.
BTW: you may be interested in reading this little article[^].
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Another Luc-ticle strikes again 
return 5;
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There must be a reason why I turned my answers to popular questions into little articles...
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Because you know too much to fit into a reasonably sized forum post?
return 5;
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I also don't like typing the same things over and over too much.
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Unless you're using parameters to squirt the data into the database (as you should be doing), converting it to a string is necessary...and MS SQL expects a certain format (one of which is the one shown by the OP).
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is that any different from what my article says?
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Don't know. Didn't read it. Just responded to the post, not the btw. 
OK. Just skimmed the article. Nope.
Still, the OP just as likely did what I did, looked at the post itself which essentially said to redesign the database if it wasn't using datetimes.
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You should never store the data in a format such as this. Store it in a locale agnostic fashion, and let the front end format the string to the relevant format using a method such as ToShortDateString() on a DateTime.
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You do that only when you output it, generally with ToString ( "format" ), or you could set the format of your system to do it -- I set mine to use an ISO 8601 format.
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Declaring
bool? b = true;
Then,
b.GetType();
should return Nullable or Null?
Why does it has type bool?
I am not clear on this. Your know' will be helpful. 
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From http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms366789%28VS.80%29.aspx[^]:
However, if you attempt to obtain type information from Nullable variables at runtime using the GetType method or the is operator, the result is a Type object that represents the underlying type, not the Nullable type itself.
Calling GetType on a Nullable type causes a boxing operation to be performed when the type is implicitly converted to Object. Therefore GetType always returns a Type object that represents the underlying type, not the Nullable type.
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Excellent answer. Clear, concise and accurate - just the kind I like.
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Good Reply. Thank You
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