GenericApplication and GenericEndPoint
Hi,
I'm using Beta2 and while going over the Application Designer I found the feature set very limited with the GenericApplication / GenericEndPoint.
Why I can not implement a GenericApplication? You could use ConsoleApplication, Windows Service, or even a Class Library project template to realize that.
Why I can not define operations on a GenericEndPoint? You could eventually generate an interface out of this.
Those feature are great for Web type of projet and very interessing to use. Let say for example I want to use .NET Remoting or MSMQ for client / server communication, I'm very limited with the current designer. I can not define the operation related to those end points. And what about EnterpriseServices?
You should consider at lest having .NET Remoting and MSMQ type of end points.
Is there a way for me to define those items my self?
Thanks in advance.
JF
Hi JF,
I agree that the web services bias of Application Designer makes it appear rather limited when in comes to modeling .NET remoting etc.
However, I understand the purpose of Generic Application to be precisely so that you can model non-implementable applications -- for example non-Microsoft-technology applications, or third party applications that you need to show but have responsibility to implement. Furthermore, such applications may not understand any RPC-style communication at all so defining operations makes no sense.
For example, one of my .NET applications might communicate with a third-party IBMS CICS application or might interact with a UNIX application via simple file transfer.
I know that doesn't help much but I wonder if this will help a little:
1) Did you know that to implement a Console Application you can paste a WindowsApplication onto the surface and use the Properties window to change its implementation Template to Console Application, Windows Service, or Custom Template?
2) Did you know that in the Settings and Constraints window you can right-click Custom within Application Settings and choose Add Custom Settings? There you can define your own settings as name-value pairs, so for example you could define an "RPCstyle" setting which you could set to ".NET Remoting" or "COM".
Well I hope that's of some use.
Tony.
"Professional Visual Studio 2005 Team System"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764584367
http://www.lotontech.com
Thanks for the information this was helpful.I don't know why but I was focusing WinForms application while looking at WindowsApplication... My mistake, now I see fewer limitations 
.
I still have to use a GenericEndPoint to connect two WindowsApplication together and the case where I don't use WebServices.
Basically I'm trying to do a SOA application without using WebServices, maybe this is my first mistake.
I'm coming from a Rational Rose / UML mindset and I'm wonder if I can decompose, into components, an WindowsApplication with the VS Team tools? Or I have to see components as applications in my modeling?
Thanks
JF
Actually, you can design your own endpoints and relationships using SDM SDK from
http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/teamsystem/workshop/sdm/ . This is the SDM portal where you can get info and downloads. This way you will have an endpoint that can talk between WindowsApps (or any other apps for which communication definition is defined).
The benefit of a custom endpoint is the ability to persist settings and constraints, whereas custom settings are per instance.
If using the SDM SDK sounds too much like hard work then you could:
1) define a custom setting on an endpoint "instance" as I suggested
2) right-click that endpoint and choose Add To Toolbox, giving it a name such as "Reusable COM EndPoint"
3) drag that "prototype" endpoint on to other applications
That might be a happy compromise between my and Dimitriy's suggestions.
Tony.
"Professional Visual Studio 2005 Team System"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764584367
