It was almost more than one month since I started my intern as a software developer on my company. Although I have already finished my intern last 2006, I accepted the job because I want to explore the world of software development using Microsoft tools. It was a good experience. To add the fact that I still have no background on a software development team and environment. Our first day was evaluation period. Depending on user's experiences, I still don't have much experiences on web development regarding ASP.NET. I used to be using Flash, CSS, and HTMLs but not ASP.NET. In fact, I prefer Window Forms Apps because I used to be a programmer on winform apps and not web apps. But this ASP.NET interests me a lot. I'd like to learn more on Microsoft Technologies, and I am really a Microsoft passionate person. It was a kind of feeling everytime I used their technologies and provide me the passion to pursue more about my abilities and limitations at its peak. So shifting to classic HTML to ASP.NET is not a big issue and, overall, its a .NET Framework 2.0 technology. On our evaluation period, we started to create a video shop web application. Of course, I started my code on a registration page as:
//Original Code below using SQLDataSource. Code modified:
int x;
SqlDataSource1.InsertCommandType = SqlDataSourceCommandType.Text;
SqlDataSource1.InsertCommand = "INSERT INTO Customer(CustomerID, CustomerName, CustomerAddress, CustomerPhone) VALUES ('" + txtCustomerID.Text + "', '" + txtCustomerName.Text + "', '" + txtCustomerAddress.Text + "', '" + txtCustomerPhone.Text + "')";
try
{
x = SqlDataSource1.Insert();
}
catch
{
Server.Transfer("Error.aspx");
}
finally
{
SqlDataSource1 = null;
}
if (x != 1)
{
Server.Transfer("Error.aspx");
}
else
{
Server.Transfer("Success.aspx");
}
I thought, everything works fine, and they will all do the inside job. But there is one thing I never notice.....stored procedure. My leader on our development team told us to experiment about stored procedure. Why? It connects directly on a database. Just like unbound connection of objects to database. Binding source connection was pretty simple but stored procedure was much better. So the stored procedure for the above code that I did is:
public RegisterCustomer(string SQL,TextBox txtCustomerID, TextBox txtCustomerName, TextBox txtCustomerAddress, TextBox txtCustomerPhone)
{
//
// TODO: Add constructor logic here
//
string ConnString;
ConnString = @"Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;" +
@"AttachDbFilename=C:\Documents and Settings\i-wdavid\My Documents\Visual Studio 2005\WebSites\WebSite1\App_Data\Database.mdf;" +"Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True";
SqlConnection myConnection = new SqlConnection(ConnString);
myConnection.Open();
try
{
SqlCommand myCommand = new SqlCommand(SQL, myConnection);
myCommand.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
SqlParameter myParameterCustomerID = new SqlParameter("@CustomerID", DbType.Int32);
SqlParameter myParameterCustomerName = new SqlParameter("@CustomerName", DbType.String);
SqlParameter myParameterCustomerAddress = new SqlParameter("@CustomerAddress", DbType.String);SqlParameter myParameterCustomerPhone = new SqlParameter("@CustomerPhone", DbType.String);
myParameterCustomerID.Value = txtCustomerID.Text;
myParameterCustomerName.Value = txtCustomerName.Text;
myParameterCustomerAddress.Value = txtCustomerAddress.Text;
myParameterCustomerPhone.Value = txtCustomerPhone.Text;
myCommand.Parameters.Add(myParameterCustomerID);
myCommand.Parameters.Add(myParameterCustomerName);
myCommand.Parameters.Add(myParameterCustomerAddress);
myCommand.Parameters.Add(myParameterCustomerPhone);
SqlDataReader myReader;
myReader = myCommand.ExecuteReader();
// Code you want to bind to a gridview
//if (myReader.HasRows)
//{
// myGridView.DataSource = myReader;
// myGridView.DataBind();
//}
//else
//{
// Label myLabel=new Label();
// myLabel.Text="No rows to display";
//}
}
finally
{
myConnection.Close();
}
And to initialize that:
protected void Button1_Click1(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
try
{
RegisterCustomer myRegisterCustomer = new RegisterCustomer("usp_register", txtCustomerID, txtCustomerName, txtCustomerAddress, txtCustomerPhone); //usp_register is the name of our user stored procedure
}
catch
{
Server.Transfer("Error.aspx");
}
Server.Transfer("Success.aspx");
}
Where usp_register is our stored procedure.
Let's look what usp_register looks:
ALTER PROCEDURE usp_register
/*
(
@parameter1 int = 5,
@parameter2 datatype OUTPUT
)
*/
@CustomerID int,
@CustomerName char(50),
@CustomerAddress char(50),
@CustomerPhone char(50)
--@CustomerRentalCost char(50)
AS
INSERT INTO Customer(CustomerID, CustomerName, CustomerAddress, CustomerPhone) VALUES (@CustomerID, @CustomerName, @CustomerAddress, @CustomerPhone)
Well that's all for the registration page. So what do you think professionals and developers out there? Do you think I made the right code? Actually it still depends on a programmer, but basically, I want to learn much more on professionals! And it was fun to work on them! 
Microsoft Dynamics was one of the interesting business software I have ever tried up to date. Because we are on this area of training, I want to discover this huge black box that are pure knowledge and learning in my part. I have never been to business area before. I was concentrating in software development area, but fortunately, I am on the right track because we are currently improving the integrated part of software module that my company put inside Microsoft Dynamics GP. In other words, we are developing software, testing it, and at the same time, using business rules and principles. How many weeks I have been to GP? I think, almost one week yet. But despite the fact it's ONE week, I've learned a lot from it. It's pretty cool, the interface was great, and add the fact that it was integrated with outlook inside using the Home buttons, and some functionalities like the navigation buttons for sales, etc.
What is really Microsoft Dynamics GP?
Well at first, just like me, a trainee, it was quite obvious that I have no idea about that. So what was it? It's business productivity issue. In my part, when I am trying to discover it, it's a kind of registration software where you can hold all your preferences from start to finish. In our part also, my company integrated a module where, other functionalities are possible and also from the preferences of other clients who requested to add it on GP. It was a good idea that Microsoft created it which completes their quotes "Your potential, our passion". That was great! It has common menus just like in Office which makes it familiar to Windows user and the interface was design for how people on business and other areas do their work and responsibilities. Almost all were in the right place, and additional user defined preferences were added in case you want to add in a particular registration form.
What do I don't like?
Hmmm, at first, I noticed some bugs, maybe because I am only connecting to a remote SQL database. If the database was closed, then the problem persists. Second sometimes, cannot be open because of current restriction. I don't know, but when I re-open the whole software, it now works again. Others were just related above.
Eforum? What was it?
Basically, Eforum was the integrated part built by our company (Gurango Software), to achieve some of the clients request and additional functionalities and automations. It was integrated in a sense that it was already part of the software. So why do I like it? Because of programming again. The integrated part was now on the move to make it a website template as a base for tutorial who will use the software. And we are one of the developing teams for that, and I am really quite excited. We are using latest software from Microsoft like ASP.NET and C# as medium language. Wow, this is a huge amount of training and experiences! Well I am just starting!
So who will benefit Microsoft Dynamics?
Well, definitely companies that need tools for their business perspective that can tailor all their requirements which is critical for their developing corporations. This software can help all their staffs to run the software as effectively as possible from financial areas, to process managements, additional customizations, built-in tools, same window user interface, and others. It was design for people to work the way they do, to empower productivity for each person.