3-tier architecture in C#

By Rahman Mahmoodi, 27 Jul 2005

Introduction
This article discusses and implements 3-tier architecture using C# and a dummy customer using MS Access database. In this article I am trying to implement a small reusable component that maintains customers in 3-tier architecture. It shows how to add, update and find customer details.

Background
To begin with I would like to discuss a little about the theoretical aspects of 3-tier architecture. I'll briefly go through what 3-tier architecture is and what are its advantages. What is a 3-tier architecture? Three-tier (layer) is a client-server architecture in which the user interface, business process (business rules) and data storage and data access are developed and maintained as independent modules or most often on separate platforms. Basically, there are 3 layers, tier 1 (presentation tier, GUI tier), tier 2 (business objects, business logic tier) and tier 3 (data access tier). These tiers can be developed and tested separately. What is the need for dividing the code in 3-tiers? Separation of the user interface from business logic and database access has many advantages. Some of the advantages are as follows:

Reusability of the business logic component results in quick development. Let's say we have a module that handles adding, updating, deleting and finding customers in the system. As this component is developed and tested, we can use it in any other project that might involve maintaining customers. Transformation of the system is easy. Since the business logic is separate from the data access layer, changing the data access layer wont affect the business logic module much. Let's say if we are moving from SQL Server data storage to Oracle there shouldnt be any changes required in the business layer component and in the GUI component. Change management of the system is easy. Let's say if there is a minor change in the business logic, we dont have to install the entire system in individual users PCs. E.g. if GST (TAX) is changed from 10% to 15% we only need to update the business logic component without affecting the users and without any downtime. Having separate functionality servers allows for parallel development of individual tiers by application specialists. Provides more flexible resource allocation. Can reduce the network traffic by having the functionality servers strip data to the precise structure needed before sending it to the clients.

Using the code

This component has 3 tiers. Tier 1 or GUI tier with a form will be called FrmGUI, tier 2 or business logic will be called BOCustomer short for Bussniess Object Customer and finally the tier 3 or the data tier will be called DACustomer short for Data Access Customer. I have compiled all the 3 tiers in the same project for ease of work. I am including all the source code along with the MS Access database that is used to test this project in the included zip file. User Interface tier This is a chunk of code from the user interface. I am only including the functions that are used to call the middle tier or the business logic layer. I am keeping a reference to business logic layer as BOCustomer.
//This function get the details from the user via GUI //tier and calls the Add method of business logic layer. private void cmdAdd_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { try { cus = new BOCustomer(); cus.cusID=txtID.Text.ToString(); cus.LName = txtLName.Text.ToString(); cus.FName = txtFName.Text.ToString(); cus.Tel= txtTel.Text.ToString(); cus.Address = txtAddress.Text.ToString(); cus.Add(); } catch(Exception err) { MessageBox.Show(err.Message.ToString()); } } //This function gets the ID from the user and finds the //customer details and return the details in the form of //a dataset via busniss object layer. Then it loops through //the content of the dataset and fills the controls. private void cmdFind_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { try { String cusID = txtID.Text.ToString(); BOCustomer thisCus = new BOCustomer(); DataSet ds = thisCus.Find(cusID); DataRow row; row = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]; //via looping foreach(DataRow rows in ds.Tables[0].Rows ) { txtFName.Text = rows["CUS_F_NAME"].ToString(); txtLName.Text = rows["CUS_L_NAME"].ToString(); txtAddress.Text = rows["CUS_ADDRESS"].ToString(); txtTel.Text = rows["CUS_TEL"].ToString(); } } catch (Exception err) { MessageBox.Show(err.Message.ToString()); } } //this function used to update the customer details.

private void cmdUpdate_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { try { cus = new BOCustomer(); cus.cusID=txtID.Text.ToString(); cus.LName = txtLName.Text.ToString(); cus.FName = txtFName.Text.ToString(); cus.Tel= txtTel.Text.ToString(); cus.Address = txtAddress.Text.ToString(); cus.Update(); } catch(Exception err) { MessageBox.Show(err.Message.ToString()); } }

Business Logic layer Here, I am including all the code for this tier. Basically it has properties that are needed to define the customer object. But as I mentioned it is just a dummy customer and many other properties can be added if required. It also has all the methods including Add, update, find that are required to maintain customer details. This is the middle tier and acts between the GUI and the Data access layer. It keeps a reference to the data access tier as cusData = new DACustomer(). It also has a reference to System.Data namespace as sometimes it returns details in the form of DataSet to the GUI tier.
using System; using System.Data; namespace { /// /// /// _3tierarchitecture <SUMMARY> Summary description for BOCustomer. </SUMMARY>

public class BOCustomer { //Customer properties private String fName; private String lName; private String cusId; private String address; private String tel; private DACustomer cusData; public BOCustomer() { //An instance of the Data access layer! cusData = new DACustomer(); }

/// <SUMMARY> /// Property FirstName (String) /// </SUMMARY> public String FName { get { return this.fName;

} set { try { this.fName = value; if (this.fName == "") { throw new Exception( "Please provide first name ..."); } } catch(Exception e) { throw new Exception(e.Message.ToString()); } } } /// <SUMMARY> /// Property LastName (String) /// </SUMMARY> public String LName { get { return this.lName; } set { //could be more checkings here eg revmove ' chars //change to proper case //blah blah this.lName = value; if (this.LName == "") { throw new Exception("Please provide name ..."); } } } /// <SUMMARY> /// Property Customer ID (String) /// </SUMMARY> public String cusID { get { return this.cusId; } set { this.cusId = value; if (this.cusID == "") { throw new Exception("Please provide ID ..."); } } } /// <SUMMARY> /// Property Address (String) /// </SUMMARY> public String Address { get { return this.address; } set {

this.address = value; if (this.Address == "") { throw new Exception("Please provide address ..."); } } } /// <SUMMARY> /// Property Telephone (String) /// </SUMMARY> public String Tel { get { return this.tel; } set { this.tel = value; if (this.Tel == "") { throw new Exception("Please provide Tel ..."); } } } /// <SUMMARY> /// Function Add new customer. Calls /// the function in Data layer. /// </SUMMARY> public void Add() { cusData.Add(this); } /// <SUMMARY> /// Function Update customer details. /// Calls the function in Data layer. /// </SUMMARY> public void Update() { cusData.Update(this); } /// <SUMMARY> /// Function Find customer. Calls the /// function in Data layer. /// It returns the details of the customer using /// customer ID via a Dataset to GUI tier. /// </SUMMARY> public DataSet Find(String str) { if (str == "") throw new Exception("Please provide ID to search"); DataSet data = null; data = cusData.Find(str); return data; } } }

Data Access Layer

The data tier has details to manipulate an MS Access database. However, all these details are transparent and do not affect the business logic layer. This module has a reference to the business logic layer as BOCustomer cus. To make the usage easier and be supported by any other database I have created some constants including the database name and field name that need to be changed as per the customer table details. This is an usable module for any database after making these changes.
using System; using System.Data.OleDb; using System.Data; namespace _3tierarchitecture { /// <SUMMARY> /// Summary description for DACustomer. /// </SUMMARY> public class DACustomer { private OleDbConnection cnn; //change connection string as per the //folder you unzip the files private const string CnnStr = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data " + "Source= D:\\Rahman_Backup\\Programming\\" + "Csharp\\3tierarchitecture\\customer.mdb;"; //local private private private private variables String strTable=""; String strFields=""; String strValues=""; String insertStr="";

//this needs to be changed based on customer //table fields' Name of the database! private const String thisTable = "tblCustomer"; private const String cus_ID = "CUS_ID"; private const String cus_LName = "CUS_L_NAME"; private const String cus_FName = "CUS_F_NAME"; private const String cus_Tel = "CUS_TEL"; private const String cus_Address = "CUS_ADDRESS";

public DACustomer() { } public DACustomer(BOCustomer cus) { // A reference of the business object class } //standard dataset function that adds a new customer public void Add(BOCustomer cus) { String str = BuildAddString(cus); OpenCnn(); //Open command option - cnn parameter is imporant OleDbCommand cmd = new OleDbCommand(str,cnn);

//execute connection cmd.ExecuteNonQuery(); // close connection

CloseCnn(); } //standard dataset function that updates //details of a customer based on ID public void Update(BOCustomer cus) { OpenCnn(); String selectStr = "UPDATE " + thisTable + " set " + cus_LName + " = '" + cus.LName + "'" + ", " + cus_FName + " = '" + cus.FName + "'" + ", " + cus_Address + " = '" + cus.Address + "'" + ", " + cus_Tel + " = '" + cus.Tel + "'" + " where cus_ID = '" + cus.cusID + "'"; OleDbCommand cmd = new OleDbCommand(selectStr,cnn); cmd.ExecuteNonQuery(); CloseCnn(); } //standard dataset function that finds and //return the detail of a customer in a dataset public DataSet Find(String argStr) { DataSet ds=null; try { OpenCnn(); String selectStr = "select * from " + thisTable + " where cus_ID = '" + argStr + "'"; OleDbDataAdapter da = new OleDbDataAdapter(selectStr,cnn); ds = new DataSet(); da.Fill(ds,thisTable); CloseCnn();

} catch(Exception e) { String Str = e.Message; } return ds; } private void OpenCnn() { // initialise connection String cnnStr = CnnStr; cnn = new OleDbConnection(cnnStr); // open connection cnn.Open(); } private void CloseCnn() { // 5- step five cnn.Close(); } // just a supporting function that builds // and return the insert string for dataset. private String BuildAddString(BOCustomer cus) {

// these are the constants as // set in the top of this module. strTable="Insert into " + thisTable; strFields=" (" + cus_ID + "," + cus_LName + "," + cus_FName + "," + cus_Address + "," + cus_Tel + ")"; //these are the attributes of the //customer business object. strValues= " Values ( '" + cus.cusID + "' , '" + cus.LName + "' , '" + cus.FName + "' , '" + cus.Address + "' , '" + cus.Tel + "' )"; insertStr = strTable + strFields + strValues; return insertStr; } } }

Possible enhancements
This code is very simple and shows the basic usage of 3-tier architecture. A lot of enhancements including complete details of a client, error handling and many more are possible.

History
I wrote this paper just before my recent visit to South East Asia on 10/06/05 but didn't find the time to post it.

License
This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below. A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

Rahman Mahmoodi Software Developer Australia Member

Rahman has worked in different areas of Software System Development Life Cycle. He started working as Tester and then moved to application programming and web application programming. At the moment his area of interest are .Net including ASP.Net/2, VB.net, C# and object oriented design using UML.