Getting Started

Requirements

• .NET 2.0 Framework
• Visual Studio 2005
• MS SQL Database

TurnObjects is written using the .NET 2.0 Framework from Microsoft. The framework is free from Microsoft.

The majority of applications developed using TurnObjects are web based. The examples included in the TurnObjectsLight download are all web applications which require a web server. The development server inside Visual Studio 2005 can be used to run the examples.

Data captured from the applications need a MS SQL database for storage. SQL Server 2005 Express is a free download from Microsoft.

TurnObjects Technical Overview

Code Creation and Compilation

TurnObjects generates code by reading an XML file that describes a system. Systems are primarily made up of schemas that describe objects. The system creates two C# files for each schema. One file for interacting with a single object and another for interacting with a collection of those objects. The code for the entire generated schema is then compiled by the system as an assembly and is ready for use. The only thing the developer needs to worry about is creating the XML system file. The code creation and compilation is handled by the system at the time the system is first used.

Interaction with Compiled TurnObjects

Interacting with a compiled system can be done in the traditional method of adding the generated assembly to the reference of a project. This is similar to traditional code generators. The power and flexibility comes from using the methods inside the system for dynamically interacting with the new object. There are built in grids, forms and display controls that understand the TurnObjects system and know how to present themselves. The only thing the developer needs to do is tell the control which object to use.

Deployment

The TurnObjects development system consists of a single assembly. This assembly contains all the methods to create and run the system. This, along with the XML file describing the system is all that's needed for deploying the system with an application. The folder that contains the system file will need read/write access and the ability to compile code. In most cases this requires a web server with full trust.