Background

• A close-to-the-metal option to execute any sql - basic SqlHelper like functionality. This would allow us to replace SqlHelper with a PetaPocoHelper class, which we have done in the core.
• Fetch (retrieve) methods that can take a parameterized SQL snippet as a parameter e.g.. “WHERE PortalID = @0”, thus reducing the overhead of creating and managing stored procedures.
• Page methods that can auto-generate the sql required to return a page of data from the database.
• Simple methods to Insert, Update and Delete “objects” in the database, with no need to write any sql.
• An IMapper interface which, while it doesn’t support cross-table mapping, will support things like an object qualifier (or table prefix)
• Transaction support
  

Components of the DAL 2

• A Data Context. The Data Context represents the entry point for most developers. Developers can create a Data Context based on the default connection string or on a named connection string, and all the features of the DAL 2 are available regardless of database used.
• A Repository. Probably the most important part of the DAL 2 is the built in repository that allows developers to work with objects without writing any SQL at all.
• An IMapper interface that uses custom mapping attributes to control how the object's properties are mapped to the columns in the database table.
  

• A PetaPocoHelper class - this class represents the PetaPoco equivalent of the SqlHelper class which has traditionally been used to execute database calls in DotNetNuke
  

Example Modules

• DNN FAQ
• DNN Chat
• DNN Annoucements
• Southern Fried Restaurant module
  

Development help

• Chris Hammonds Module development templates
• MVP Based DAL2 templates
• A new data layer for a new decade - Video by Charles Nurse
• DotNetNuke 7 Module Programming 101 - Southern Fried DNN Conference training day
• Embrace The DAL2 and PetaPoco In DNN - covers stored procedures, joins, transactions and advanced joins
  

References

• DAL 2 - A New DotNetNuke Data Layer for a New Decade(temp. working link)
• DAL 2 - Using the new Repository to Persist Objects - CBO on steroids (temp. working link)
• DAL 2 - Caching, Scoping and Custom Mappings ( temp. working link)
• DAL 2 - Working Close to the Metal (temp. working link)
• DAL 2 - Controlling your Mappings (temp. working link)
• PetaPoco website
• DAL 2 DataContext deep dive (temp. working link)
• DAL 2 Repository deep dive (temp. working link)
• Using DAL2 in a real world module
• getting SQL Data into Razor for DNN using SQL, PetaPoco, 2sxc