Background

I have been programming using C# for ASP.NET since early 2003. I had attended some lectures and workshops at the University of Teesside (during my employment there) to make the transition from ASP & VbScript to the .NET Framework (although my previous Java certainly helped). Following this introduction I moved to a different position within the University and began to implement my first application using .NET and SQL Server. It was during this period of approx 9 months that I made much use of the forums at www.asp.net.

Experience

Moving from ADO to ADO.NET, I made full use of the elementary data access routines included in the System.Data.SqlClient namespace. Following the move to ADVANSA (formerly DuPontSA) I was introduced to DAAB (Data Access Application Block) v2.0. This library of data access functions made light of all the boilerplate code which was required to prepare / close the database connection and manage input/output parameters where applicable. Further along my development experience I have also explored slightly leftfield data access usage. An example of this is Teemu Keiski's use of delegates ensure the DAL layer is responsible for the clean-up of connections. I contacted this ASP.NET MVP to clarify the extrapolation of his code samples to business objects.

Other areas which I developed further was object modelling and making much more use of C# libraries to separate out the business logic from the presentation layer. Building on this I found that one of my strongest interests lay in the use of strongly typed business objects. I used another of Keiski's articles to help me on my way. The ObjectDataSource in ASP.NET v2.0 is one of the areas where I have further interest to pursue in making the change to a more declarative approach.

Certification

To consolidate my experience in this technology I decided to study for certification outside of normal working hours. I became a Microsoft Certified Professional for ASP.NET & Visual Studio 2003 using C# in July 2005. Upon gaining some significant experience in v2.0 I would be interested in following one or more of the new certification routes for the current evolution of the framework.

Areas of Further Interest

I would like to become better informed on the nuances of C# and also develop some truely reusable components to assist in my own and others' future ASP.NET developments.