Chapter 4. Using ADO.NET: Creating a Technical Support Application

In This Chapter:

• Ad Hoc Queries

• The DataAdapter and DataSet Objects

• The Cache API

• The HelpDesk Application

• Extending and Modifying the HelpDesk Application

• Deploying the HelpDesk Application

This chapter teaches additional ADO.NET techniques that you'll commonly use in application development. Whereas the Survey application in Chapter 3 used stored procedures throughout, this chapter and its featured application uses ad hoc queries. The DataAdapter and DataSet objects are discussed because these are extremely useful and flexible data-access objects. The .NET Cache API can cache data obtained from a database, and this in turn speeds up your application performance.

A ready-to-use HelpDesk application illustrates the topics presented in the chapter. The application uses ad hoc queries instead of stored procedures, and it creates the queries with parametric and string concatenating techniques. The HelpDesk application offers users the capability to post problems they're experiencing for the purpose of seeking a resolution. Because a Web-based technical support solution is less expensive than a phone-based solution, this capability might save your company a lot of money. Users can also search on previously entered problems to find resolutions that have already been posted.

Finally, hints on extending and modifying the HelpDesk application follow. These hints give you ways to adapt an already-useful application to your specific needs. A section covers deployment of the HelpDesk application so that you can easily use it in your Web application.