Introduction
The purpose of this article is to show readers how to create N-Tier applications to build real-world business applications
.NET framework and Visual Studio present many choices for choosing the right architecture, from placing the data access code directly in the UI through datasets and data source controls, to creating a data access layer that talks to the database, all the way to creating an n-tier architecture approach that consists of multiple layers, and use data-transfer objects to pass data back and forth.
What is a Layer?
A layer is a reusable portion of code that performs a specific function.
In the .NET environment, a layer is usually setup as a project that represents this specific function. This specific layer is in charge of working with other layers to perform some specific goal
Let’s briefly look at the latter situation first.
Data Layer:
DAL contains methods that helps business layer to connect the data and perform required action, might be returning data or manipulating data (insert, update, delete etc).
Business Layer:
BAL contains business logic, validations or calculations related with the data,
Though a web site could talk to the data access layer directly, it usually goes through another layer called the business layer. The business layer is vital in that it validates the input conditions before calling a method from the data layer. This ensures the data input is correct before proceeding, and can often ensure that the outputs are correct as well. This validation of input is called business rules, meaning the rules that the business layer uses to make “judgments” about the data.
Presentation Layer:
Presentation layer contains pages like .aspx or windows form where data is presented to the user or input is taken from the user. The ASP.NET web site or windows forms application (the UI for the project) is called the presentation layer. The presentation layer is the most important layer simply because it’s the one that everyone sees and uses. Even with a well structured business and data layer, if the presentation layer is designed poorly, this gives the users a poor view of the system.
You may download sample application for more detail.
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Screen shot of Sample Application |
