Provider Factories

[Guest]

We are moving our software to the web using ASP.NET 2.0 and are researching
ways to enable our software to connect to multiple databases, specifically
Oracle, SQL Server, and ASA. We have used ODBC in a client-server environment
in the past, but have now stumbled upon Provider Factories in .NET 2.0. Could
you please provide us with the pros and cons of using provider factories?

 

[Cowboy \(Gregory A. Beamer\)]

The con, as with most patterns is two-fold:

1. Learning curve
2. Initial time to set up architecture

The pros

1. Tried and true pattern for abstracting physical from logical
implementation
2. Ability to switch from one provider to another declaratively (no
additional coding other than creating additional provider)
3. Much of the coding already completed by another party (in this case MS
through the Enterprise Library)

--
Gregory A. Beamer
MVP; MCP: +I, SE, SD, DBA

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