It's a library that can generate a C# wrapper class for any stored procedure in a MS SQL Server database. Internally the library uses T4 templates to generate the wrapper code. Generation of the wrappers in the client project is also controlled by T4 templates.
Main goal of the library is use C# compiler to track changes in the database layer & detect problems related to compatibility of the C# code with the database public interface. For example, if you have a stored procedure and have used it for some time and then, suddenly, number/types/names of the procedure parameters changes C# compiler should generate an error and point you to the problem. As a bonus Visual Studio intellisense is immediately aware of the stored procedure names, parameters and their data types.
jOOQ (http://www.jooq.org/) from Java world is conceptually very similar to this library. Unlike the prototype, DbWrap supports only MSSQL server and can generate wrappers only for stored procedures. While obviously a limitation, those constraints make the library very simple, easy to manage and tend to enforce a good encapsulation of the core database objects.
- add DbWrap project to your solution
- reference the project in your application
- add a new .tt file to the project; in that file you'll invoke dbwrap.dll to generate C# wrapper classes for any stored proc you need in the project; template for the file is shown below:
<#@ template debug="false" hostspecific="false" language="C#" #>
<#@ assembly name="System.Core" #>
<#@ assembly name="$(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)DbWrap.dll" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Linq" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Text" #>
<#@ import namespace="DbWrap.Generate" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Collections.Generic" #>
<#@ output extension=".cs" #>
namespace MyDatabase {
}
- to generate a wrapper for a new stored procedure just add a new line in the following format <#=StoredProc.Generate("connection-string"), "schema.prodedure-name")#> to the file, for example:
<#@ template debug="false" hostspecific="false" language="C#" #>
<#@ assembly name="System.Core" #>
<#@ assembly name="$(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)DbWrap.dll" #>
<#@ assembly name="$(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)FSLib.dll" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Linq" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Text" #>
<#@ import namespace="DbWrap.Generate" #>
<#@ import namespace="FocalScope" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Collections.Generic" #>
<#@ output extension=".cs" #>
namespace MyDatabase {
<#=StoredProc.Generate("data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;initial catalog=master;integrated security=True;"), "sys.sp_addrole")#>
}
- after you save the file Visual Studio will execute the template and generate wrapper classes for all stored procedures listed in it
- if you need to regenerate the wrappers manually use [BUILD/Transform All T4 Templates] command in Visual Studio main menu