Scenario: You need to display a list of products from a database, and you want full control over the HTML markup for each product item. Which ADO.NET control would you choose, and why?

  • DataList
  • GridView
  • ListBox
  • Repeater
The Repeater control in ADO.NET would be the optimal choice for this scenario. It offers the highest level of flexibility in defining the HTML markup for each item in the list. Unlike other controls like DataList or GridView, the Repeater control does not impose any predefined structure on the output, allowing you to have full control over the generated HTML. This makes it ideal for scenarios where custom HTML markup is required, such as displaying products with specific styling or layout requirements.

Explain how Entity Framework handles database migrations and versioning.

  • Entity Framework Code First Migrations
  • Manually altering database schema
  • Using stored procedures
  • Using third-party migration tools
Entity Framework Code First Migrations is a feature that automates the process of incrementally updating the database schema to match changes in the application's data model. It tracks changes to the entity classes and generates SQL scripts to apply those changes to the database. This approach allows developers to evolve the database schema over time without losing data or disrupting the application's functionality. Manually altering the database schema can be error-prone and time-consuming, while using stored procedures for migration limits flexibility and maintainability. Third-party migration tools may offer additional functionality but may require extra setup and integration.

Scenario: You are tasked with optimizing the performance of an application that displays complex hierarchical data. What strategies and best practices related to DataRelations would you consider?

  • Avoid circular references in DataRelations
  • Reduce the number of unnecessary DataRelations
  • Use strongly typed DataRelations
  • Utilize DataRelationCollection to manage relations efficiently
When optimizing the performance of an application displaying complex hierarchical data, several strategies and best practices related to DataRelations should be considered. Firstly, reducing the number of unnecessary DataRelations helps streamline the dataset and improves performance by minimizing unnecessary relationships. Using strongly typed DataRelations enhances code clarity and compile-time checks, contributing to better maintainability and potentially improved performance. Avoiding circular references in DataRelations prevents infinite loops and potential performance issues when navigating through hierarchical data. Utilizing the DataRelationCollection effectively to manage relations efficiently can optimize memory usage and traversal speed. These strategies collectively contribute to enhancing the performance of applications dealing with complex hierarchical data.

To enable sorting or paging in the Repeater and DataList controls, developers often use _________.

  • DataPager control
  • DataGrid control
  • ObjectDataSource control
  • GridView control
The correct option is "DataPager control." The DataPager control is commonly used to enable sorting or paging in the Repeater and DataList controls. It provides functionality to handle data paging and allows users to navigate through large datasets efficiently. Unlike other options listed, the DataPager control is specifically designed for paging in data-bound controls like the Repeater and DataList.

Which method is used to advance the data reader to the next record in the result set?

  • Advance()
  • MoveNext()
  • NextRecord()
  • ReadNext()
The MoveNext() method is used to advance the data reader to the next record in the result set. This method moves the cursor to the next row, allowing access to the data in that row. It is essential for iterating through the result set and processing each record sequentially.

You have a complex inheritance hierarchy in your entity model. How can Entity Framework help you map these entities to the appropriate database tables?

  • Entity Splitting
  • Table-per-Concrete-Type (TPC)
  • Table-per-Hierarchy (TPH)
  • Table-per-Type (TPT)
Entity Framework provides support for mapping complex inheritance hierarchies to database tables using Table-per-Hierarchy (TPH) strategy. In TPH mapping, all classes in the inheritance hierarchy are mapped to a single database table, with a discriminator column used to differentiate between different types of entities. This approach simplifies the database schema by reducing the number of tables required to represent the inheritance hierarchy, making it easier to manage and query related entities.

To navigate through hierarchical data, you can use the ___________ property of a DataRow.

  • ChildRows
  • GetChildRows()
  • GetParentRow()
  • ParentRow
The ChildRows property of a DataRow allows you to access all the child rows related to the current DataRow through the specified DataRelation. This is particularly useful when working with hierarchical data structures in ADO.NET.

In a SELECT statement, what keyword is used to specify which columns to retrieve from a table?

  • FROM
  • INTO
  • SELECT
  • WHERE
In a SELECT statement, the "SELECT" keyword is used to specify which columns to retrieve from a table. It is followed by the column names or expressions that you want to retrieve data from.

When should you use parameterized queries instead of plain SQL statements?

  • When dealing with static data retrieval
  • When executing complex joins
  • When handling database schema modifications
  • When performing queries involving user input
Parameterized queries should be used when performing queries involving user input to prevent SQL injection attacks. By using parameterized queries, input values are treated as data rather than executable code, making it much harder for attackers to inject malicious SQL code into the query. This helps enhance security and protect the database from unauthorized access.

The _________ property of a SqlParameter determines whether a parameter is an input or output parameter.

  • Direction
  • Name
  • Type
  • Value
In ADO.NET, the Direction property of a SqlParameter object determines whether the parameter is an input parameter, an output parameter, or both. This property is crucial for specifying the role of the parameter in the stored procedure.