Bookmarks user specific

Chaudhry Mohsin Ali

Vote:

Hello,

So I have added custom authentication for my 3rd party users. What I am trying to do now is that once a user logs in I will let him bookmark different pages.

User can create a folder and add bookmarks to it or just add them without any folder.

So I am thinking about creating two custom tables in DB. One with folders and other with items inside those folders.

Do you think it is the write way or should I use some block or something?

Is it not suggested to directly adding the tables into episerver database?

Looking for suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

#186369

Dec 18, 2017 17:42

Vote:

Adding your own tables to a SQL database is a good option. It could be the same database as Epi or not.
Then you can use SqlClient or Dapper or EF or whatever you're comfortable with.

If you are hosting on Azure, Table Storage could be a good cheap option. A bit pricier but with more features is Cosmos DB, previously DocumentDB.

It's good practise to use an interface to describe the storing service and make an implementation for the chosen storage service.

You could also build a separate API app that you communcate with or use a Cloud service such as Epi Social for these types of use cases.

#186378

Dec 18, 2017 23:52

Chaudhry Mohsin Ali

Vote:

Thanks a lot. Right now I am using local db as I am still in development phase.

Do you have a link to some tutorial where it is making a db queries in EP servever.

And I think I would choose to keep it is one DB using the same as EP one as I just have to make two small tables.

#186387

Dec 19, 2017 6:23

Vote:

Then it really has nothing to do with Episerver besides sharing the same connectionStringName, "EPiServerDB".

I think Dapper is a good option. More lightweight than EF and easier to map objects than using plain .NET SqlClient.

Here's some easy getting started advice: https://www.infoworld.com/article/3025784/application-development/how-to-work-with-dapper-in-c.html

#186392

Dec 19, 2017 8:37

Chaudhry Mohsin Ali

Vote:

How about using EpiServer DDS?

#186396

Dec 19, 2017 9:46

Vote:

I wouldn't use DDS for anything but that's just a personal opinion.

#186397

Dec 19, 2017 10:13

Sebastian Lundh

Vote:

I've done a bookmark function before with DDS. The pros doing it with DDS is that there's no need for new packages and no need for custom tables. However in your case the folder requirement makes it trickier.

Some considerations when doing this is just that won't be a link reference if you add reference to DDS. So if page is removed you should remove all bookmarks to this page. You will also need to check access rights specific before listing bookmarks in case they have changed.

Another thing to consider is to verify is if your requests are cached. If i remember correctly load by id is but "queries" will not be.

#186399

Dec 19, 2017 11:11

valdis

Vote:

Sebastian, your concerns are valid regardless of which storage strategy author might choose :)

DDS is elegant for simple, easy, straightforward storage when you need just to persist something and make a simple queries against that. you don't need to install anything, don't need to think about database connection management, don't need to think about schema and migrations. and also you have UI for viewing or editing saved data.

However, on the other hand EF opens up more flexibilities, might be richer query support and you can choose your model persistance schema (tables and indexes, etc) if you need to. can also workaround migrations and make them automatic.

we actually found a simple middleway - lots or things nowadays in our projects are stored in azure table/blob storage. fast, easy to work with, cheap.

#186460

Dec 20, 2017 0:43