1. IS4401 Project Technology Issues

2. Introduction This seminar covers Databases When to use a Database What Database to use Development Tools Visual Studio 2005

3. Databases When to use a database What database to use

4. When to use a database Reasons for using a database Large amount of data Complex data Customer requires it Data must be shared with other applications Data integrity is an issue Data are easily organised into tabular form Saves you the bother of designing your own data storage mechanism

5. When to use a database Reasons not to use a database Application not dependent on data storage Very small amount of data Unstructured or unusually structured data Proof of concept with limited data storage requirements But see slide on hosted databases if it’s a website Alternatives to databases Text files Structured (CSV) text files Serialised object files Can be implemented in Java, C# and VB.NET You can define complex and unusual data structures (eg video)

6. I need a database: Now what? Database Management Systems (DBMSs) Provide environment to create, operate and manage databases Choices typically open to 4 th years are: Oracle 10g SQL Server 2000 SQL Server 2005 Express (NEW this year) MS Access Also consider: MySQL 5.0 Each DBMS has its own advantages and disadvantages You need to consider these before making your choice

7. Database Management Systems (DBMSs) How to choose a DBMS Depends on Project Type Customer’s Environment Proof of Concept projects Main decision here is if you need a DBMS at all Depends entirely on project If you decide to use a DBMS, then Oracle 10g, SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005 are the preferred choices Available on BIS network Industry standard Plenty of documentation Provide better integrity and robustness than MS Access

8. Database Management Systems (DBMSs) How to choose a DBMS Full System Implementations Application installed at customer site Does the customer already have a DBMS? YES: Then use the customer’s DBMS if possible, especially if it’s Oracle or SQL Server. Use MS Access if the customer insists and if you are satisfied that MS Access will fulfil the data integrity and performance requirements of your project. NO: Customer is unlikely to want to spend money on a DBMS. In this case, MySQL or SQL Server 2005 Express may be your best options because they’re free. MS Access may also be an option if the customer is willing to buy it and they want a clear upgrade path to SQL Server. Do NOT assume customer has MS Access if they have MS Office! Check!

9. Database Management Systems (DBMSs) How to choose a DBMS Full System Implementations Web sites Where is the website to be hosted? It should not be on Corvus when the system goes live! Hosting services provide database as well as web hosting Find out what your intended hosting service provides Likely to be Oracle, SQL Server or MySQL Use the same DBMS for your development system Note! Need to identify hosting requirements early in project Need to plan for migration from development system to hosted system

10. DBMS Choices: The Pros and Cons Oracle 10g and SQL Server 2000 Pros: Industry standard DBMSs with lots of advanced features Either will deliver excellent performance and data integrity Choice really depends on Personal preference Programming knowledge Customer environment Hosting environment Cons: Expensive Time-consuming to install Customer unlikely to buy one of these DBMSs for your project if they don’t have one already

11. DBMS Choices: The Pros and Cons MS Access Pros: It’s almost everywhere – bundled with some versions of MS Office Reasonably easy to use Familiar API Well integrated with MS Office Clear upgrade path to SQL Server Cons: Not suitable for large projects Not suitable for web applications Limits on database size and number of users Prone to error if performance limits approached

12. DBMS Choices: Access or SQL Server? Microsoft issues with Access 2Gb maximum size File sharing architecture will not handle very large queries Unsuitable for web applications Large databases may become corrupt Can’t recover/rollback from network problems Theoretically max 255 users, in practice 20 Imposes heavy load on client computer Does not scale well on multi-CPU platforms Databases frequently badly designed

13. DBMS Choices: Access or SQL Server? Table taken from: When to Migrate from Microsoft Access to Microsoft SQL Server SQL Server Technical Article Writers: Luke Chung and Dan Haught Published: February 2005

14. DBMS Choices: Pros and Cons MySQL 5.0 Pros Enterprise-level DBMS Very fast Free Well documented Easy to install Cons Not currently installed on BIS network Installation of appropriate drivers and patches can be confusing and must be carefully considered Need to be careful with security setup

15. DBMS Choices: MySQL 5.0 Why consider MySQL? Free Fast Scaleable Enterprise-grade Runs on all platforms Much more robust than MS Access Very comprehensively documented So what’s the catch? Does things a little differently from Oracle and SQL Server But these differences are also well documented

16. DBMS Choices: MySQL 5.0 What is MySQL? Originally designed to work with medium size databases (10-100 million rows, or about 100MB per table) on small computer systems. Today MySQL Server handles terabyte- size databases The code can also be compiled in a reduced version suitable for hand-held and embedded devices.

17. DBMS Choices: MySQL 5.0 Differences with other DBMSs Lots of small differences SQL implementation is slightly different Philosophy is to standardise MySQL as much as possible without sacrificing performance MySQL has extensions to SQL that enhance performance Differences not likely to matter in a 4 th year project context

18. DBMS Choices: SQL Server 2005 Express Bundled with Visual Studio 2005 Can also be downloaded separately Advantages Alternative to Access Almost the same as SQL Server 2005 Scaleable Clear upgrade path Disadvantages Size limited – this is not likely to be an issue with smaller businesses

19. Free database downloads The following DBMSes can be downloaded FREE: Oracle 10g Express Edition http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/database/xe/index.html http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/database/xe/index.html MySQL 5.0 Community Edition http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html SQL Server 2005 Express http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/sql/download/ http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/sql/download/

20. Free database downloads A final caveat on licenses As a rule, these databases are free for non- commercial use Commercial use may require purchase of a license Check the license terms carefully!

21. Development Tools Visual Studio 2005 NetBeans 5.5

22. Visual Studio 2005 Languages Supported VB.NET C# J# Technologies.NET 2.0, ASP.NET 2.0, ADO.NET 2.0.NET for mobile devices

23. Features of Visual Studio 2005 Integrated Development Server Deployment Tools Partial Classes Designer Code For Windows Forms For Web Pages And lots more

24. Visual Studio 2005 Layout

25. Practical Intro to Visual Studio 2005 Getting started Configuring for use with C# Saving to the H: drive Create and Build a Web Page Deploy Web page to an external hosting service