Hmm... I wouldn't agree that you need to use DNN source to work with WAP? When I advise it, it's only because that gives you additional debugging help (having the source code helps you traverse your module into the DNN framework, and thus debug certain problematic scenarios easier)... You can also work without the source, and only deploy your modules to the central DNN installation for debugging and testing (my tutorial actually does that, it only uses the start kit and the source on start... but that can be avoided easily)

As for the beginners... I agree that not having to write your own data provider projects is a nice touch (actually when you've mentioned the idea some time ago on the asp.net forums it sounded really nice to me), not having to use IIS is also a nice touch... but for me things like that are of short term... simply because you start as a beginner (I did for DNN a few years ago on DNN 1.x and it was a pain to start developing.... although even then I was an experienced asp.net developer), and at that time things you mentioned are GREAT, but soon after you raise above the beginner level, those things become obsolete because you start thinking about smarter ways to write OO code, smarter ways to test the code, etc... then you come to O/R mappers, REAL code generation, real OO code practices, services, DDD design, etc... as well as wanting to have a FAST development enviroment that doesn't burden you with projects you don't need....

On the other hand, I agree that if you want to build a small solution (e.g. Guestbook) the practices you advise are quite enough, quite good, VERY easy to follow, and especially EASY to start with... that's why I am glad that there is a person like you who helps people get to a higher ground and start developing modules.

Cheers!

I would be tempted to continue this discussion here :) But I won't... I don't agree with you, and my professional experience leading teams of developers on bigger projects says differently.

However, please don't confuse my words as saying that it's not possible... sure it is, only as the project grows some things become less feasable.

If you want to continue this discussion off the forums, contact me by email.... vladan [at] strigo [dot] net

Please don't turn my words into something they are not. I gave Guestbook only as an example, not as an exact measure of possibilities nor size.

Can you answer me this:

- How many developers have worked on FotoVision (not sequentally, but parallel)?
- How much man hours was spent on the complete project?
- Which methods of architecture did you use besides standard DNN ones?
- Which additional architectural solutions did you implement in the solution?
- Which methods for testing did you use (Unit tests, TDD...)?
- What was the avreage build time of your solution?

As for the example of 10000 developers using your tutorials, I even belive this is true, and am glad that there are that much beginners in DNN ranks... that ensures that the development community will continue to grow :)