ASP.NET Banking Website Help!

[igglepiggle]

I've recently completed a college course in VB applications, it's really interested me and to try and extend my knowledge I'm now trying to teach myself ASP.NET.

One of the applications I wrote replicated basic banking functions, a front screen prompted for a card number and PIN with a button to continue. Once correct details were entered it moved on to a form providing opportunity to view balance, withdraw money, see a mini-statement or cancel. A third form showed the mini statement, all other functions were visible from the previous form.

This is probably the most complex of the applications I wrote, I'm now hoping to develop the application into a website to replicate online banking of the same functions. I've started with a front screen, labels and text boxes prompting for the card number and PIN, but where do I go from there?

The data is stored in a local SQL database, I'm aware of SqlDataSources and commands, readers etc but unsure where to use them. The simplest of advice would be much appreciated.

 

[jbenson001]

First don't use the DataSource controls.

Second, web forms work differently than windows forms. You have to decide on how you want to present the data and how you want the user to naviagate your site. In this case, I would use the MultiView control with links in each view to point to the other possible views the user can see.

 

[igglepiggle]

Thanks for this, it seems to be the way I'm now going with it I've set up forms in preparation for each of the views.

I think I'll be OK what I've read into the other areas, where I'm now really struggling is authenticating the username and password entered with the SQL database, any ideas? In my Windows application this was a dataset validated against input, what's the asp.net equivalent of doing this?

 

[jbenson001]

It is the same. ASP.NET uses the .NET framework as does VB.NET, C#.NET, etc. So, the data access is the same. There is a login control that uses providers that can help with authentication. I would simiply write a stored procedure that uses the UserName and PassWord you pass in and validates the user by passing an output parameter.

 

[jmeckley]

I would recommend learning the .net framework before you learn webforms or asp.net.

I would also not waist any time learning webforms. Instead dive into MS MVC, FUBU MVC or Monorail. These frameworks provide multiple extension points. separate concerns cleaner than webforms and are step in promoting better coding practices.

I would also recommend learning the SOLID design principles. This will help you structure your code for maintainability and adaptability.

Jason Meckley
Programmer
Specialty Bakers, Inc.