Chapter 1. Object/relational persistence in .NET
This chapter covers
- .NET persistence and relational databases
- Layering .NET applications
- Approaches to implementing persistence in .NET
- How NHibernate solves persistence of objects in relational databases
- Advanced persistence features
Software development is an ever-changing discipline in which new techniques and technologies are constantly emerging. As software developers, we have an enormous array of tools and practices available, and picking the right ones can often make or break a project. One choice that is thought to be particularly critical is how to manage persistent data—or, more simply, how to load and save data.
Almost endless options are available. You can store data in binary or text files on a disk. You can choose a format such as CSV, XML, JSON, YAML, or SOAP, or invent your own format. Alternatively, you can send data over the network to another application or service, such as a relational database, an Active Directory server, or a message queue. You may even need to store data in several places, or combine all these options within a single application.