I have heard so many discussions (read: arguments) about which DAL method is the best and nobody ever has a clear-cut case for all solutions.  Previously I have sort of  “rolled my own” data layer, with a simple helper class and some parametrized queries.  This has slowly grown into a very lite version of the Data Access Application Block from Microsoft (which kinda makes me grin, b/c that wasn’t the intent).

The last project I started used NHibernate.  It really did make a lot of things easy, and definitely sped up development.  I was a little weary of the learning curve (which only gets steeper the more complex your schema gets), but I eventually came up with a solid solution that has held up well.  I did have to make certain design considerations using NHibernate, which I didn’t like, but I got over it.

Anyway, I get to start fresh on a new project again and I’m back at the same step:  how should I shape my data layer?  Should I use NHibernate again?  Should I use CSLA.NET?

Here’s what I am considering:

• My own hand-made DAL.
• CSLA.NET
• Use Enterprise Library (specifically the Data Access Application Block)
• NHibernate

Right now I’m leaning toward CSLA, because I think it might integrate quite nicely with a large project we currently have, where the DAL it uses (well, only about 25% of the code even uses the middle tier) is sort of primitive. (anyway, don’t get me started on this, it’s a mess that needs to be cleaned up)

My goal is to provide a boilerplate DAL that ALL of our upcoming projects can utilize effectively (large or small).  Any suggestions?

I just got home from the Houston Dot Net User's Group, and it was a great meeting.  Not only did my whole team get to come along, but Venkat spoke about .NET Gotchas!

I really enjoy hearing him speak. I only wish we could have had a little bit more time for chit-chat after the meeting, but we got kicked out of the building right after the presentation ended.

Anyway, I'm going to try to sign up to give a 15 minute presentation for next month, hopefully they'll pick me this time :)

 Where do I start?  Channel 9 is going to choose a blogger to go to the PDC for free, and armed with my new blog design I think it should be me…  here’s why:

I am young and my brain is like a sponge.  I read as many books as I can find the time, and there are always 2 or 3 that I want to read next… ALWAYS.  I read developer blogs religiously in hopes of gaining more knowledge in my travels as a developer.  The deeper I go, the more I love it!

I get more involved with the community every day.  Since I completed my Computer Science degree at the University of Houston in December I have been posting questions and answers on the ASP.NET forums, I have published and updated an article on Code Project that got pretty good reviews, and I plan to give a “tips n tricks” presentation at the next Houston .NET User Group.  This will be my first attempt at speaking, and I’m a bit nervous, but I think it’ll be fun and hopefully I can spread some of my experience to others.   

I attended my first conference recently, Houston DevCon 2005, and absolutely loved it.   I can only imagine how fun it would be to attend.  I pleaded with my boss to send me to DevConnections, then TechEd, and finally a local, cheap, 1 day conference came (DevCon) and I was able to attend. 

I am an active blogger.  I try to post something worthwile every day or so.  Since I find a lot of humor and professional advice in the blogs I read, I hope to pass that on to some junior developers trying to make sense of it all.  Hopefully my experiences and thoughts might help others aspiring to be successful developers.

I know everybody is going to do this, but it’s still valid. I vow to blog religiously about my experiences at the PDC, take pictures and post them here, and generally spread my enthusiasm about the developer community to others.  I might get a little creative with my camera and try and do some amateur interviews.

Finally, my kids just want me to shutup about it!  I’ve been talking about going for so long now, they can’t stand it! 

I even have some audio supporters!  Listen to them recommend me! 

(umm, no, they aren’t robots — what are you, nuts?)

Mike wants me to go.

So does Crystal

Even Rosa, the hispanic lady at the local dry cleaners wants me to go! (hey, how does she know I like .NET?)

(oh, and thanks for looking!)

I have been playing MOH: European Assault for XBox lately, and I think it is a pretty solid WW2 shooter.  The controller gun action is pretty easy to get used to (I’m so used to a mouse it’s sometimes hard to play on a console).  I don’t know what is is that attracts me to WW2 shooters over others like Viet Nam or futuristic ones.  Maybe it’s the terrain, maybe it’s the time period, I don’t know.   I’m addicted and I play just about every single one that comes out.

One thing is bugging me though.  Why is it that in just about EVERY World War 2 game I’ve ever played snipers pop out of windows on the 2nd or 3rd floor, you shoot them, and they fall forward out of the window.  For a genre of games that are supposed to be incredibly realistic, that just seems stupid.  In 1944 did bullets actually pull people toward the shooter?  Not only is this dumb because it happens, but also because it happens to ANYONE who is standing near a ledge.  I know for a fact if I shoot this guy on the water tower that he’s going to fall over the railing.

Here’s a screenshot of what I’m talking about:

Of all of the WW2 shooters out so far, here are my favorites:

Brothers in Arms – I love the realistic team play.  I rarely play a game like this twice, but this one was an exception.  I can’t wait for BIA 2.

Call of Duty (and expansion) – This game was so cinematic, it really kicked MOH out of my favorite spot for a while.  I keep playing this one, simply because it’s so immersive.

Battlefield 1942 – I played this game for hours on end.  The sniper rifle was more realistic than you usually find in games (some people probably found it annoying, but I found it challenging).  I got pretty good at hitting running enemies from 300 yards away, leading the crosshairs in front of their heads by about 2 inches.  Yummy.

MOH Frontline – I feel that this game really set the stage.  It had a great soundtrack and really felt like Saving Private Ryan.  The other Medal of Honors didn’t quite capture the atmosphere like this one, but they were fun to play nonetheless.