Microsoft Enterprise Library Useful or Not?

Question

Hello all,

I want to know about Microsoft Enterprise Library 5.0 . Can u plz tell me that , is it good to use various modules of that Enterprise Lib rather than developing our own modules for caching,encryption,data access,logging etc?

I am a beginner to Microsoft Ent Lib and simply want to know how efficient or effective that Ent Lib is ?

If it is useful , can u plz guide me some effective link so that i can learn fast.

Thanks for paying attention over here.

Answer 1

One rule of programming is "never reinvent the wheel". So really advisable just to use the library than creating your own. Other than the library is well tested and proven to work.

Answer 2

There are not another library that are as complete as Enterprise library. But imho you can pick different open source libraries that will give you a more powerful alternative.

EL5.0 is a bit bloated and harder to use than open source alternatives. But then again, you don't have to worry about it not being supported.

Answer 3

• yes you can use each block you want.
• yes it is useful as a set of best practices
• you can learn reading its code as well.

few quotes from documantation:

The Enterprise Library includes the source code for the application blocks. This means you can modify the application blocks to merge into your existing library, or you can use parts of the Enterprise Library source code in other application blocks or applications that you build. The Enterprise Library includes documentation, QuickStart samples, and source code. This means you can use the library as a tool for learning architectural, design, and coding best practices.