Enterprise Library 3.0 and WCSF Sample Download - Can't Wait for WCSF Team
by David Hayden ( Microsoft MVP C# ), Filed: Enterprise Library 3.0, Web Client Software Factory
It turns out that the Web Client Software Factory Team isn't planning on coming out with a 1.1 Release of the WCSF that supports Enterprise Library 3.0 until Mid-May. I totally missed that in Blaine's earlier post ( my earlier comments ) and find that is way, way too long to wait given that the developer community has been talking about wanting a release of WCSF that supports Ent Lib 3.0 way before Ent Lib 3.0 was even released. Ent Lib 3.0 is also the second most voted on issue behind AJAX Support.
Apparently the team did some smoke tests and said that one can easily just reference the new Ent Lib 3.0 assemblies and the WCSF works fine. Hogwash :) I tried that and I get all kinds of security errors and errors referencing the 2.0.1 Enterprise Library Assemblies that ship with the Web Client Software Factory. And anybody who knows Enterprise Library, knows for a fact that at a minimum you will also have to change the Web.config file to work with the new Enterprise Library 3.0 Assemblies. I did it, and believe me, it is a pain in the butt.
I have Enterprise Library 3.0 working with the Web Client Software Factory but it takes more than just referencing the new Enterprise Library Assemblies. I had to:
- Recompile Microsoft.Practices.CompositeWeb.dll, Microsoft.Practices.CompositeWeb.EnterpriseLibrary.dll, and Microsoft.Practices.ObjectBuilder.WCSFExtensions.dll referencing Ent Lib 3.0
- Create a new Web.config file to use the new Enterprise Library 3.0 Assemblies
- Manually copy the new Assemblies to the Project/Library Folder because the Location of Enterprise Library Assemblies Dialog Box doesn't work.
- Replace Assembly References to the new Assemblies in each project
Yep. Way more than we should have to do to get Enterprise Library 3.0 Support for WCSF.
So nobody else has to painstakingly go through this process, I have made the files available for download as well as a sample project. I downloaded and used the project several times to verify it works for me, but that is all I can guarantee - It works for me :)
You can get the download on my .NET Community Downloads and Sample Code Page. If you find any problems with it, please let me know on the WCSF Forum Thread: Download WCSF and EntLib 3.0 Sample Project and Files.
As an FYI, yesterday I sent Blaine an email message containing the current list of steps to get a successful install of the WCSF with WAP and Enterprise Library 3.0 Support. I think he would agree it is pretty ugly as there are all these little workarounds that need to be done to compensate for known issues in the current download. Some of these issues require us to replace and edit files as well as register a new Guidance Package. Now for Enterprise Library 3.0 we need to recompile source code, etc. Yikes! I don't envy any of you who are unfamiliar with all these workarounds as there is no current set of instructions to do all of this.
I have high hopes, however. I think we will hopefully see something before the middle of May. I realize the WCSF Team is busy working on the Smart Client Software Factory. I also realize making things available for download has to go through a bit of red tape. But, the big question in my mind is always this - Why is the same team working on the WCSF and SCSF? The Patterns & Practices Team needs to shell out a few bucks and get another team so we can have concurrent development. Yeah, that's the ticket!
Source: David Hayden ( Microsoft MVP C# )
Filed: Enterprise Library 3.0, Web Client Software Factory