Session Variables - Good or Bad

[Harry Simpson]

I've come from the old ASP camp where session variables were not used. When
i started using ASP.NET in 2001, I started using them again because it was
ok from what I'd read.

I've been merrily using Session variables for three years now and i'm
entering a project with my new boss who has never quite come around that
session variables are ok.

What's the concensus here. How can i convince him that they are ok in
ASP.NET. OR

Are there those out there that still think they aren't good to use?

TIA

Harry Simpson
MCSD

[Shanky]

XML bloats a dataset by 6-10 times on the average, because the structure is
made explicit and embedded into the doc. Plus, there are all those
housekeeping tags, closing tags, etc etc.

"Harry Simpson" wrote:

Sahil,

XML is ultra bloated? I thought that it was as slim as you could go....why
do you say this (if you have a second to explain)...?

Thanks!
Harry

"Sahil Malik" <co************ *****@nospam.co m> wrote in message
news:%2******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP14.phx.gbl. ..

Harry,

Datasets are serializable, but their serialization format is XML (cannot
override; atleast not easily) which is ultra bloated.
Not all objects that come with .NET are serializable by default.

Your best bet is to implement simplistic structures to represent the data
you need to store in session - but again, try and avoid using session
variables.

- Sahil Malik
You can reach me thru my blog at
http://www.dotnetjunkies.com/weblog/sahilmalik

"Harry Simpson" <hs*******@nosp amphgt.net> wrote in message
news:eb******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP10.phx.gbl...

Thanks Sahil and Girish,

The web apps are just that apps used by a limited number of concurrent
users. It's not an E-bay or Amazon deal.

dataset and other builtin datatypes are serializable from the getgo
right.
I just need to declare homegrown objects as such?

Appreciate your time and effort responding to this thread. Bottom line
is
use minimally.

One other item, I've never cleaned up after my sessions because by
definition, the variables are destroyed when the session ends
anyhoo....is
this not correct...? I haven't been bit yet by not cleaning up...

Harry

"Girish Bharadwaj" <gi*****@mvps.o rg> wrote in message
news:%2******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP15.phx.gbl. ..
> You can only get a "Contracter 's answer" for this. "It Depends".
> If you are coming from the classic ASP background, you tend to shy away
> from
> Session objects since they were wrought with issues in COM
> threading/server
> affinity et al. With ASP.NET, most of these issues have a solution.
>
> You can use Session for almost anything. Just be careful to make sure

that

> any objects you mght stuff in there are [serializable] if you ever want

to

> use StateSErver or SqlServer.
>
> With 2.0, you get more choices for session management.
>
> All in all, I dont see any reason to go out of your way to avoid

Sessions.

>
> --
> Girish Bharadwaj
> http://msmvps.com/gbvb
> "Harry Simpson" <hs*******@nosp amphgt.net> wrote in message
> news:%2******** *******@tk2msft ngp13.phx.gbl.. .
>> I've come from the old ASP camp where session variables were not used.
> When
>> i started using ASP.NET in 2001, I started using them again because it
>> was
>> ok from what I'd read.
>>
>> I've been merrily using Session variables for three years now and i'm
>> entering a project with my new boss who has never quite come around

that

>> session variables are ok.
>>
>> What's the concensus here. How can i convince him that they are ok in
>> ASP.NET. OR
>>
>> Are there those out there that still think they aren't good to use?
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Harry Simpson
>> MCSD
>>
>>
>
>

[Jon R. Helms]

I've not seen anyone say what has been my general rule, and the rule shared
by most I develop with.

Use Session for things that do not change during the session. Things like
your user name, your full name for display, etc. Same with Application level
variables (although use these VERY SPARINGLY, if at all). Just take it back
to declaring variables at the proper scope.

Beyond that if you need to get a single variable from A to B, like choosing
an item from a list to edit, just use the query string or a form post
depending on your UI.

Also, EVERY time you use a Session or Application variable be sure you
explicitly clean-up after yourself. Those I work with and I don't flog
people for using Session, but we do flog for not cleaning up after yourself.
And that goes for every level of variables not just session. So, write good
code, use intelligent practices, be consistent, and enjoy the wonders of OOP.
And remember not to take any of this too seriously, it's a job, a hobby, an
interest, and unless you are writing software that could kill a person, relax
dudez, it just isn't that big of a deal.

"Harry Simpson" wrote:

I've come from the old ASP camp where session variables were not used. When
i started using ASP.NET in 2001, I started using them again because it was
ok from what I'd read.

I've been merrily using Session variables for three years now and i'm
entering a project with my new boss who has never quite come around that
session variables are ok.

What's the concensus here. How can i convince him that they are ok in
ASP.NET. OR

Are there those out there that still think they aren't good to use?

TIA

Harry Simpson
MCSD