Castle

ASP.NET MVC Framework and Castle MonoRail

Dave Hayden — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:14:00 GMT

Hammett has a nice post on his recent experience in Redmond with the Microsoft Team responsible for creating the soon-to-be-released ASP.NET MVC Framework. It is good to see Microsoft getting direct input and feedback from other MVC Frameworks, like Castle MonoRail, to get a feel for real world challenges and opportunities for integration and re-use. You can read Hammett's experience here.

If you missed Scott Guthrie's presentation at the ALT.NET Conference on the MVC ASP.NET Framework, it is definitely worth watching:

ASP.NET MVC Framework from Microsoft Rocks! - Scott Guthrie Presentation

The MVC ASP.NET Bits have not been released yet even though we are seeing tutorials published by a few developers. I assume that since we are seeing tutorials that the CTP will be released soon. It can get frustrating to read tutorials but not have the MVC Framework to try it.

Can't wait!

Source: David Hayden

Castle Project Release Candidate 3 Released!

Dave Hayden — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:59:00 GMT

Castle Project Release Candidate 3 Released!

David Hayden ( Florida .NET Developer ), Filed: Castle Project

It sure has taken a long time, but Castle Project Release Candidate 3 has been released. Hammett has all the details in a blog post.

The only component I have not used to date is Aspect# which appears to have been officially released in this release candidate. However, this was a project I thought was going to be killed because Windsor has nice AOP functionality and meets 99% of most people's needs. I don't see it being listed as a project on the Castle Project site, so maybe that answers my questions. Still, I think I will spend some time with Aspect# to understand it better. I would like to spend more time on DynamicProxy as well.

Anyway, I love the components and frameworks. You can download it all here. I am considering some Castle Project Screencasts on PnPGuidance now that we have this new release candidate.

David Hayden ( Florida .NET Developer ), Filed: Castle Project

Hibernating Rhinos Screencast #4 Part I - MonoRail and TDD-Friendly Domain Model Foundation

Dave Hayden — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:22:00 GMT

Hibernating Rhinos Screencast #4 Part I - MonoRail and TDD-Friendly Domain Model Foundation

by David Hayden ( Florida ASP.NET Developer ), Filed: Castle Project

Speaking of screencasts, Ayende has come out with another screencast that discusses building the framework for an application using MonoRail and a TDD-Friendly Domain Model. I am downloading it as I write this post and plan to watch it this evening.

The screencast is about 56 minutes long, which I can tell you from experience is no easy task to create. I have watched all his previous screencasts and they are awesome. I plan to do some MonoRail screencasts myself, but I am waiting for the next RC3 Release.

Download all Ayende's screencasts here.

Castle Project - Hammett Said A New Release Was Happening, But Nothing So Far

Dave Hayden — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:24:00 GMT

Castle Project - Hammett Said A New Release Was Happening, But Nothing So Far

by David Hayden ( Microsoft MVP C# ), Filed: Castle Project

Hammett got me excited about a new release of the Castle Project that was going to happen. Apparently a client was tired of waiting for another release of the Castle Project ( imagine that ) and decided to fund it. Hammett had a week to get it out, but I don't see anything. Hmmm... I wonder what happened.

I don't want to lock horns with Hammett as he gets a bit touchy whenever someone questions the release schedule and documentation of the Castle Project, but even he would have to admit that the release schedule of the Castle Project is questionable. I realize he has a day job and all that, but the Castle Project will never go mainstream unless it has more frequent releases.

Yes, I use the repository and build the stuff myself, but we are more than due for a new version. I am tired of referring to the version I am running as a build number or a particular date and time.

Using Castle Project - Share Experience Code Snippets and Full Samples

Dave Hayden — Wed, 09 May 2007 23:27:00 GMT

Using Castle Project - Share Experience Code Snippets and Full Samples

by David Hayden ( Florida ASP.NET Developer ), Filed: Castle Project

I dig the new Using.CastleProject.org area of the Castle Project website that offers a place for everyone to share experience, code snippets, and full samples :)

If you are interested in MonoRail, make sure you check out the new sample application.

Source: David Hayden ( Florida ASP.NET Developer )

Filed: Castle Project

MonoRail Screencast - Rapid and Maintainable ASP.NET Web Application Development

Dave Hayden — Sat, 05 May 2007 00:08:00 GMT

MonoRail Screencast - Rapid and Maintainable ASP.NET Web Application Development

by David Hayden ( Sarasota Web Design ), Filed: Castle

I just watched Ayende's MonoRail Screencast which provides a good comparison of Webforms vs. MonoRail as well as a good look at the capabilities of MonoRail. This screencast is a must see in my opinion. Great example of the extensibility of MonoRail as well as how it helps you write ASP.NET Web Applications that maintain a nice separation of concerns between the UI and Business Model.

He brings up a great point that although the Rapid Application Development features of Webforms help you build web applications quickly, everything is typically stuffed away in the UI and near impossible to maintain / sustain for anything more than demonstration code or very simple websites. The nice thing about MonoRail is that it gives you both the simplicity of development as well as the maintainability. He shows some simple examples of this when you want to page a DataGrid and highlight rows based on certain business specifications.

Although I think there are good reasons to use the Web Client Software Factory, MonoRail is truly much more feature-rich and easier to develop maintainable web applications. I also find that the Castle Team is a helluva lot more responsive to community needs ( because they are using MonoRail, too ), more transparent in what they are working on, quicker in turning out new features, and just much more Agile than the Web Client Software Factory Team.

I also think the Castle Team should just use Screencasts as a way of documenting their projects. I learned more in this past hour watching Ayende's screencast than I ever did/would from their website. Awesome job, Ayende. Thanks for all you do in the community!

Again, watch the screencast.

Source: David Hayden ( Sarasota Web Development )

Filed: Castle

MonoRail SmartDispatcherController Rocks - ASP.NET Rapid Application Development Goodness

Dave Hayden — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 17:02:00 GMT

Daily I like to learn new features in MonoRail and each day brings more and more ASP.NET Rapid Application Development Goodness that I would love to see in the Web Client Software Factory and ASP.NET in general. But, I have a feeling that may be the wrong attitude. Maybe I should just be using MonoRail. As I learn more and more about it, I just may do that. Let's talk about the SmartDispatcherController and DataBind Attribute Coolness...

Model-View-Controller Framework for ASP.NET Discussed at MVP Summit

Dave Hayden — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:49:00 GMT

Model-View-Controller Framework for ASP.NET Discussed at MVP Summit

by David Hayden ( Microsoft MVP C# ), Filed: Web Client Software Factory, Castle Project

Jeffrey Palermo mentions a discussion he and a few others had with Scott Guthrie on a potential Model-View-Controller Framework for ASP.NET in the future. This is one conversation I would have loved to sit in on, because much of the presentation and blog posts I have been doing recently center around developer productivity and the use of proven practices. As an ASP.NET Web Developer, much of my focus tends to be around using these proven practices within the web development environment.

One of the new software factories I have been discussing from patterns and practices is the Web Client Software Factory. One of the benefits of such a factory is the guidance and recipes to help with implementing the Model-View-Presenter Pattern. The Web Client Software Factory helps define a clear separation of business logic and the view using this pattern. Although a step in the right direction and a helpful introduction to proven practices, it is not the Model-View-Controller Pattern that was being discussed at the MVP Summit and what you can find in other solutions like MonoRail. Note I am beginning to look at MonoRail as mentioned in the following recent post: MonoRail - ASP.NET Model-View-Controller and Windsor Dependency-Injection Integration.

My interest is really peaked on this proposed Model-View-Controller Framework to be a part of ASP.NET in the future. The question is “How Far in the Future?” and exactly “How will it work?” There are a lot of cool features in both Visual Studio, C#, ASP.NET that are continually dangled out their like a carrot that seem never to be eaten right away :) We tend to have to wait for a significant release every X years to taste that carrot. The good news is that this information is coming from Scott Guthrie and he is a class act and appears very agile-oriented to me. He seems to be very much in touch with the needs of us ASP.NET Developers.

I hope to hear more information on this MVC Framework for ASP.NET so I can understand it more with respect to the Web Client Software Factory and MonoRail. A lot of things to learn here and it would be nice if we could intelligently understand the complete picture with timelines, milestones, and functionality so we know what and when to learn.

In the meantime, I will continue to discuss the Web Client Software Factory and MonoRail with regards to Model-View-Presenter and Model-View-Controller and other proven practices until I hear more.

Source: David Hayden ( Microsoft MVP C# )

Filed: Web Client Software Factory, Castle Project

MonoRail - ASP.NET Model-View-Controller and Windsor Dependency-Injection Integration

Dave Hayden — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:59:00 GMT

MonoRail - ASP.NET Model-View-Controller and Windsor Dependency-Injection Integration

by David Hayden ( Microsoft MVP ), Filed: Castle Project

The Castle Team really needs to show off the Windsor Integration in their MonoRail Getting Started Sample Download because I think it is a really sweet feature. It is in the documentation, but a far more beautiful thing to see in action :)

The fact that MonoRail will automatically inject a service in my controller when I simply add the service as a parameter to the constructor and register the service in my configuration file is a huge deal!

public class HomeController : SmartDispatcherController
{
    private IMyService _myService;
    public HomeController(IMyService myService)
    {
        _myService = myService;
    }
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
    <components>
        <component
            id="MyService"
            service="HelloWorld.Model.IMyService, HelloWorld"
            type="HelloWorld.Model.MyService, HelloWorld" />
    </components>
</configuration>

The Web Client Software Factory offers dependency injection, too, but you have to add the service programmatically in the business module or foundation module initializer class:

moduleServices.AddNew<MyService,IMyService>();

I actually wrote a tutorial on adding services and dependency injection in WCSF:

Registering and Using Business Module Services in the Web Client Software Factory

I personally like the configuration file route in MonoRail and hope WCSF has this option in the future, but that is just my preference. Of course, you can add components to Windsor programatically as well.

My jaw hit the floor when I realized that the Windsor Integration in MonoRail did setter injection. I tend to prefer constructor injection and perhaps didn't realize Windsor would also check properties. Anyway, MonoRail can automatically inject the service via the property setter as well:

public class HomeController : SmartDispatcherController
{
    private IMyService _myService;
    public IMyService MyService
    {
        set { _myService = value; }
    }
}

You gotta love that Windsor Integration!

Source: David Hayden ( Microsoft MVP )

Filed: Castle Project