C# Software Architecture, ADO.NET, Windows Forms, and Version Control

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering multilayered architecture, FileHandler patterns, ADO.NET object models, stored procedures, software design patterns, Git/GitHub version control, and Windows Forms controls.

Layers

The logical division and grouping of software components and functionality within an application or service.

Tiers

The physical distribution of software components and functionality across separate physical machines, servers, or hardware environments.

Presentation Layer

The topmost layer in an application that manages user interaction and presents content to the end user through a Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Business Logic Layer (BLL)

The middle tier of layered architecture that implements the core functionality and encapsulates the business rules laid down by an organization.

Data Layer (DAL)

The lowest tier of layered architecture, responsible for the storage and retrieval of application data from databases or file servers and exposing it through an API.

FileHandler

A dedicated class created to house file input/output methods (such as reading and writing text files), preventing code clutter in the Main() method and promoting loose coupling.

ADO.NET

An object-oriented set of classes organized in the System.Data namespace of the Microsoft .NET Framework that enables applications to interact with data sources like databases and XML files.

Scalability

The ability of an application to handle an increasing number of simultaneous clients without a noticeable degradation of performance.

Disconnected Data Architecture

A data architecture model where applications connect to the database only while retrieving or updating data, caching it locally in memory and immediately closing the connection to conserve server resources.

Data Provider

A library set of specialized ADO.NET components—including Connection, Command, DataReader, and DataAdapter—tailored for interacting with a specific type of data source.

System.Data.SqlClient

The .NET namespace that contains the specialized SQL Server provider classes used to connect to and interact with Microsoft SQL Server databases.

SqlConnection

An ADO.NET object that manages a connection and unique session to a SQL Server database using a connection string.

Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI)

A Windows security package mechanism used in connection strings (Integrated Security = SSPI) to enable secure authentication using Windows single sign-on credentials.

SqlCommand

An ADO.NET object that specifies the Transact-SQL statement or stored procedure to be executed against a data source.

SqlDataReader

An ADO.NET object that provides a fast, read-only, forward-only stream of data rows fetched directly from a database.

ExecuteReader()

A method of the SqlCommand object used to execute SELECT queries and return a SqlDataReader object.

ExecuteNonQuery()

A method of the SqlCommand object used for executing catalog operations or INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements, returning the number of rows affected.

ExecuteScalar()

A method of the SqlCommand object used to execute queries that return a single aggregate value (such as a COUNT, SUM, or AVG) as an object type.

DataTable

An in-memory representation of a single relational database table consisting of DataColumn, DataRow, and Constraint objects.

DataSet

An in-memory data cache that can hold multiple DataTable and DataRelation objects along with relational integrity constraints, functioning independently of any active database connection.

System.Data Namespace

The fundamental .NET namespace providing access to disconnected data classes, including DataSet, DataTable, DataColumn, DataRow, Constraint, ForeignKeyConstraint, UniqueConstraint, and DataRelation.

SqlDataAdapter

An ADO.NET class that acts as a bridge between a DataSet or DataTable and the database, managing connections to automatically open, execute Fill or Update operations, and close connections.

Fill() Method

A SqlDataAdapter method that automatically opens the database connection, populates a specified DataSet or DataTable with query results, and promptly closes the connection.

Stored Procedure

A precompiled group of Transact-SQL statements stored within the database server that can take parameters, execute business logic, and return data while optimizing performance and security.

CommandType.StoredProcedure

An ADO.NET property setting on a SqlCommand object that instructs the provider to interpret the CommandText as the name of a stored procedure rather than an inline SQL string.

Design Pattern

A general, repeatable, and proven solution or template to a commonly occurring problem in software design within a specified context.

Gang of Four (GoF)

The group of four authors—Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides—who cataloged 23 classic software design patterns in their 1995 book.

Creational Design Patterns

Design patterns that deal with object creation mechanisms to instantiate objects in the best possible way for specific situations (e.g., Factory, Abstract Factory, Singleton, Prototype, Builder).

Structural Design Patterns

Design patterns that provide ways to organize class and object structures, using inheritance and composition to create large objects from smaller objects (e.g., Adapter, Facade, Decorator).

Behavioral Design Patterns

Design patterns that provide solutions for better interaction and communication between objects, offering loose coupling and flexible extensibility (e.g., Observer, Strategy, Command).

Singleton Pattern

A creational design pattern that restricts the instantiation of a class to exactly one single instance, typically implemented using a private constructor.

Factory Pattern

A creational design pattern that provides an interface for creating objects without exposing the instantiation logic to the client, referring to created objects via a common interface.

Version Control System (VCS)

Software that manages and records changes to documents, programs, or project files over time, enabling developers to recall specific versions and collaborate efficiently.

Distributed Version Control System (DVCS)

A peer-to-peer version control architecture where every developer has a complete local clone of the entire repository history, avoiding a single point of failure.

Git

A free and open-source distributed version control system developed by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to track changes in source code and support non-linear development.

GitHub

A cloud-hosted platform for Git repositories that enables developers to store, manage, track, and collaborate on code projects remotely.

Commit (Git)

A Git command and record that permanently saves a snapshot of staged changes into the local repository history accompanied by a descriptive message.

Staging Area (Git)

An intermediate area in Git that holds changed or newly tracked files prepared to be included in the next commit.

Branching (Git)

The mechanism that allows developers to create isolated lines of development off the main branch to work on features or fixes without affecting the production code.

Team Explorer

A tool window in Visual Studio used to manage Git repository connections, synchronization, commits, branches, and remote publishing.

InitializeComponent()

A method automatically created and maintained by the Windows Forms designer inside form.designer.cs that defines and initializes all form controls and layout properties.

Program.cs (Windows Forms)

The entry point file of a Windows Forms application containing the static Main() method and the Application.Run(new Form1()) statement.

Form1.cs

The code-behind file of a Windows Form where programmers write the event-handling logic, user methods, and interactions for the form.

Properties Window

An IDE window in Visual Studio that displays and allows configuration of properties and events for selected controls or components on a form.

DataGridView

A flexible, customizable Windows Forms control designed to display tabular data in grid format from various data sources like DataTables, DataSets, or object lists.

ListView

A Windows Forms control that displays items in different views (such as Details), requiring column headers and ListViewItems with SubItems for tabular data display.

BindingSource

An intermediate component in Windows Forms that encapsulates data source management and currency/positioning when binding data to controls like DataGridView.