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  3. Code First, do you like it?

Code First, do you like it?

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  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

    I generally start with the Sitdown First approach myself.

    Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

    W Offline
    W Offline
    WiganLatics
    wrote on last edited by
    #4

    BaconSandwichFirst

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    • S Slacker007

      We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

      J Offline
      J Offline
      Jacquers
      wrote on last edited by
      #5

      I still prefer to design the database the traditional way, but the migrations that code first uses are pretty cool.

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      • S Slacker007

        We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

        V Offline
        V Offline
        Vark111
        wrote on last edited by
        #6

        Neither. I prefer to hand create both. Call me old school, but I don't trust auto created databases or entity layers. Too many times someone makes a "minor" tweak to one or the other and then forgets to regenerate, then you're hosed.

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        • R RUs123

          I'm more of a coffee first developer.

          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriff
          wrote on last edited by
          #7

          Which I drink sitting down... :laugh:

          Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

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          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            Which I drink sitting down... :laugh:

            Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

            R Offline
            R Offline
            RUs123
            wrote on last edited by
            #8

            Depends..if someone stops me on the way back to my desk before I had my coffee, I may have to drink a bit of it before I answer their question. :-D

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            • S Slacker007

              We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

              D Offline
              D Offline
              Duncan Edwards Jones
              wrote on last edited by
              #9

              Not really, no. It feels better to start with but when you have a decent size model you basically have no way to visualise it except turning it into a database and then looking at that.

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              • S Slacker007

                We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

                L Offline
                L Offline
                Lost User
                wrote on last edited by
                #10

                I wouldn't know how to normalize a code-first model :)

                Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

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                • S Slacker007

                  We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

                  H Offline
                  H Offline
                  HobbyProggy
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #11

                  For my limited experience, what i can tell either way you got to adjust the side you started first. Even with a virtual Database you'll reach the point where you just transferred it and finished the db, then someone is asking for another field. Or at what point you say the app is ready and you can start to set up the Database? I started DB first, adjusted the programm, then the db, then both and so on. Seems like somethings never "finish".

                  Rules for the FOSW ![^]

                  if(this.signature != "")
                  {
                  MessageBox.Show("This is my signature: " + Environment.NewLine + signature);
                  }
                  else
                  {
                  MessageBox.Show("404-Signature not found");
                  }

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                  • V Vark111

                    Neither. I prefer to hand create both. Call me old school, but I don't trust auto created databases or entity layers. Too many times someone makes a "minor" tweak to one or the other and then forgets to regenerate, then you're hosed.

                    Z Offline
                    Z Offline
                    ZurdoDev
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #12

                    Vark111 wrote:

                    I don't trust auto created databases or entity layers.

                    :thumbsup:

                    There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • R RUs123

                      Depends..if someone stops me on the way back to my desk before I had my coffee, I may have to drink a bit of it before I answer their question. :-D

                      L Offline
                      L Offline
                      Lost User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #13

                      If you ever meet me: You won't like me before I had three mugs of strong coffee that day. Just see my signature.. :)

                      Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

                      S R 2 Replies Last reply
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                      • S Slacker007

                        We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

                        A Offline
                        A Offline
                        Amarnath S
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #14

                        Spec First, before any of these :-)

                        S 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • V Vark111

                          Neither. I prefer to hand create both. Call me old school, but I don't trust auto created databases or entity layers. Too many times someone makes a "minor" tweak to one or the other and then forgets to regenerate, then you're hosed.

                          S Offline
                          S Offline
                          Slacker007
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #15

                          Vark111 wrote:

                          Too many times someone makes a "minor" tweak to one or the other and then forgets to regenerate, then you're hosed.

                          I have read, and heard, many stories about this. It is one of our concerns.

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                          • S Slacker007

                            We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

                            M Offline
                            M Offline
                            Marc Clifton
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #16

                            Programmers rarely think correctly in terms of relationships between objects when they do code first. They're usually thinking in terms of denormalized data. Certainly, I do, because it's the denormalized data that I usually want to display to the user. So, that's the first problem with code first. Programmers are typically not very good at figuring out normalization and the nuances of left joins, right joins, one-to-many and many-to-many relationships, at least as to how you'd implement them in a DB. Sure, the code first stuff *should* be able to generate the lookup tables if you define the relationship ordinality correctly, but as others have written, I'd rather have direct control. Even DB people make a mess of relationships. Lastly, there's a weird reality that I can define a decent normalized database, but when I go to use it in the code, I realize that I screwed up understanding some relationship that I thought I understood when creating the DB, but I realize I got wrong when I go actually trying to use it based on the requirements. It's weird that that can happen, but it does, at least in my experience. [tldr:] Neither code first nor database first is the correct approach. It needs to be "code and database together." And code first does NOT get you there. Marc

                            Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!

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                            • L Lost User

                              I wouldn't know how to normalize a code-first model :)

                              Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

                              S Offline
                              S Offline
                              Slacker007
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #17

                              Just saw a demo online a few days ago, and the "demo guys" were having trouble with some areas with code first, and they were the "experts". So far, I am not entirely convinced that it is a development strategy worth using for the long term. We shall see, I guess.

                              L S 2 Replies Last reply
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                              • S Slacker007

                                We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

                                F Offline
                                F Offline
                                Foothill
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #18

                                For me, it depends on database use. If the database is going to be highly transactional, I would start with the database as the Entity framework won't optimize table structures and indexes like building it by hand would. If it is just a data store, then start with the app first so you can focus on the presentation layer.

                                if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); }

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • M Marc Clifton

                                  Programmers rarely think correctly in terms of relationships between objects when they do code first. They're usually thinking in terms of denormalized data. Certainly, I do, because it's the denormalized data that I usually want to display to the user. So, that's the first problem with code first. Programmers are typically not very good at figuring out normalization and the nuances of left joins, right joins, one-to-many and many-to-many relationships, at least as to how you'd implement them in a DB. Sure, the code first stuff *should* be able to generate the lookup tables if you define the relationship ordinality correctly, but as others have written, I'd rather have direct control. Even DB people make a mess of relationships. Lastly, there's a weird reality that I can define a decent normalized database, but when I go to use it in the code, I realize that I screwed up understanding some relationship that I thought I understood when creating the DB, but I realize I got wrong when I go actually trying to use it based on the requirements. It's weird that that can happen, but it does, at least in my experience. [tldr:] Neither code first nor database first is the correct approach. It needs to be "code and database together." And code first does NOT get you there. Marc

                                  Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!

                                  S Offline
                                  S Offline
                                  Slacker007
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #19

                                  Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it. :thumbsup:

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • L Lost User

                                    If you ever meet me: You won't like me before I had three mugs of strong coffee that day. Just see my signature.. :)

                                    Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!

                                    S Offline
                                    S Offline
                                    Slacker007
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #20

                                    Light roast (mild flavor), has more caffeine than manly, dark roast. Just saying. :-D Although, I prefer the flavor of a medium roast to a Sumatra, etc..

                                    F 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • S Slacker007

                                      Just saw a demo online a few days ago, and the "demo guys" were having trouble with some areas with code first, and they were the "experts". So far, I am not entirely convinced that it is a development strategy worth using for the long term. We shall see, I guess.

                                      L Offline
                                      L Offline
                                      Lost User
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #21

                                      Slacker007 wrote:

                                      Just saw a demo online a few days ago

                                      Still got the link?

                                      Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

                                      S 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • V Vark111

                                        Neither. I prefer to hand create both. Call me old school, but I don't trust auto created databases or entity layers. Too many times someone makes a "minor" tweak to one or the other and then forgets to regenerate, then you're hosed.

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #22

                                        I agree :thumbsup:

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • S Slacker007

                                          We are thinking about moving from database first, to code first, with our new projects.

                                          T Offline
                                          T Offline
                                          Tom Deketelaere
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #23

                                          Never liked the code first approach. I'm currently working on a project where it used to be code first, so the database was created by code. (due to external factors we now have database first, but that's to long to explain) Whoever did it messed up royally. - Many to many relationships where there should be one to many. - Tables that just don't make sense. - Overly complicated structures. - Datatypes that just don't make sense. - Missing foreign keys. - ... It's a major pain to work with it now (even with database first) due to those things, unfortunately the database can't be changed anymore so I'm stuck with it (some things I can still fix but most I can't, not without rewriting a major part off the code). About 30% of the tables in that db shouldn't even exist so... If you'r going code first make sure you have a good handle on it because if done wrong it can be a nightmare to work with.

                                          Tom

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