Visual Studio Capacity

[Paul Ilacqua]

I'm a lone developer using VB 2005 soon to be VS 2010.... I have a
project (application) with about 20 forms and about 50 classes, and 25
crystal reports. At what point is a project getting "too big" for a single
exe or application. When do I look to split it up, and if so what is the
preferred practice?
The compiled EXE is about a 2MB...This is a commercial application.
Thanks

Paul

 

[Mr. Arnold]

I'm a lone developer using VB 2005 soon to be VS 2010.... I have a
project (application) with about 20 forms and about 50 classes, and 25
crystal reports. At what point is a project getting "too big" for a
single exe or application. When do I look to split it up, and if so what
is the preferred practice?
The compiled EXE is about a 2MB...This is a commercial application.
Thanks

Paul

Then you should learn how to develop enterprise level applications that
implement a design pattern like Model View Presenter, which can be used
for Windows desktop applications with UI/MVP/BLL/service layer/DAL.

The exe would be light with the UI only as the UI should be as dumb as
possible, making calls to the MVP/BLL/service layer/DAL with each being
a DLL with the UI having reference to the MVP, the MVP having reference
to the BLL, the BLL having reference to the service layer, and the
service layer having reference to the DAL.

What is MVC?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model-view-controller

MVC is for Web UI's.

What is MVP?

MVP is a software pattern considered a derivative of the
Model-view-controller.

MVP can be used by Web form based UI or Windows form based UI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_View_Presenter

MODEL-VIEW-PRESENTER

http://www.polymorphicpodcast.com/

click 'Shows'

click 'Design Patterns Bootcamp: Model View * Patterns*

view parts 1-5

The shows will cover the Web and Windows form based applications.


If you want the fast track, you have the experience and expertise,
DOfactory covers it all.

<http://www.dofactory.com/Patterns/Patterns.aspx>
<http://www.dofactory.com/Framework/Framework.aspx>

You should look into using Linq-2-SQL or ADO.NET Entity Framework.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb425822.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADO.NET_Entity_Framework

I don't know if you can apply either technology with Crystal Report, but
you're binding datasets to reports, then I don't see why they wouldn't
work with Crystal Report.

 

[Jani Järvinen [MVP]]

Hello Paul,

I have a project (application) with about 20 forms and about
50 classes, and 25 crystal reports. At what point is a project
getting "too big" for a single exe or application.

There is no limit per se in Visual Studio as to how large an application you
can write. Application architecture and development comfortability are the
usual limits.

In fact, applications if the size you indicate are common, and nothing out
of ordinary. Personally, I'd call your application smallish or medium, a
large application would one with 200 forms, 500 classes, etc. Of course,
your mileage may vary.

In any case, I agree with Mr. Arnold about application architecture; if you
find your application uncomfortably large at this size, then probably
there's something you could improve in your application. MVC, MVP, and so on
are good models to investigate, the one that suits best your particular
application is difficult to say without knowing more about your application.

Good luck with your projec!

--
Regards,

Jani Järvinen
C# MVP
Vantaa, Finland
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)
Business: http://www.nimacon.net/
Personal: http://www.saunalahti.fi/janij/

 

[Paul Ilacqua]

Jani,
Thank you for the insightful reply, I'm at about 30 forms and still very
comfortable with the size. This is my 1st "larger" .Net project and I have
never seen coverage of "normal" application size. I'm wasn't sure if
performance suffers with an app with 100 forms compared to an app with 10
forms. Compile times etc. Total development directory size is about 12 mb,
with compiled program size of about 1 mb.

Thanks again

Paul (New York)

 

[Mr. Arnold]

Jani,
Thank you for the insightful reply, I'm at about 30 forms and still
very comfortable with the size. This is my 1st "larger" .Net project and
I have never seen coverage of "normal" application size. I'm wasn't sure
if performance suffers with an app with 100 forms compared to an app
with 10 forms. Compile times etc. Total development directory size is
about 12 mb, with compiled program size of about 1 mb.

LOL! I give the OP the blueprint about how to develop enterprise level
solutions, and that post is blown off. It doesn't matter how many forms
are in the solution or about execution speed of forms or the exe, if the
forms are keep dumb with no logic in them other than to pass
responsibility/processing off to the other layers.