Let’s be clear from the outset. It is possible to create real .Net web applications that require no hand coding with Iron Speed. My company has created many such web applications to support internal processes for ourselves and our clients. Admittedly the apps err of the simplistic side but are by no means simple. They all hook up to SQL Server databases that provide valuable information in a quick, simple and reliable fashion. And when I say quick I mean 30 minutes from initial generation to live roll out.
From the 30 minute app things start to get more complex as requirements get more demanding and require more thought and more planning. What Iron Speed does for you is to take away the drudgery of hand coding the same old data access, plumbing and user interface code over and over, it does it in an instant and what’s more it’s reliable. The code works time after time and is consistent and predictable.
Of course the database design that Iron Speed takes as its starting point is crucial for an efficient code generation process, getting the database design right will pay dividends in the long run – more on that later.
If you decide you want additional functionality in your design or need to add some custom coding then you are starting from a well known and established platform. Remember Iron speed applications are just .Net web applications at the end of the day using aspx pages, custom controls etc etc so you will be going with the flow not against it.
To save time and money we want to keep hand coding to a minimum. My aim is just that with this project, to make use of the functionality out of the box and only use custom code where needed.