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Asked: 2026-05-11T18:09:00+00:00

Which approach is better: 1) to use a third-party ORM system or 2) manually

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Which approach is better: 1) to use a third-party ORM system or 2) manually write DAL and BLL code to work with the database?

1) In one of our projects, we decided using the DevExpress XPO ORM system, and we ran across lots of slight problems that wasted a lot of our time. Amd still from time to time we encounter problems and exceptions that come from this ORM, and we do not have full understanding and control of this “black box”.

2) In another project, we decided to write the DAL and BLL from scratch. Although this implied writing boring code many, many times, but this approach proved to be more versatile and flexible: we had full control over the way data was held in the database, how it was obtained from it, etc. And all the bugs could be fixed in a direct and easy way.

Which approach is generally better? Maybe the problem is just with the ORM that we used (DevExpress XPO), and maybe other ORMs are better (such as NHibernate)?

Is it worth using ADO Entiry Framework?

I found that the DotNetNuke CMS uses its own DAL and BLL code. What about other projects?

I would like to get info on your personal experience: which approach do you use in your projects, which is preferable?

Thank you.

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    Perhaps a little of both is the right fit. You could use a product like SubSonic. That way, you can design your database, generate your DAL code (removing all that boring stuff), use partial classes to extend it with your own code, use Stored Procedures if you want to, and generally get more stuff done.

    That’s what I do. I find it’s the right balance between automation and control.

    I’d also point out that I think you’re on the right path by trying out different approaches and seeing what works best for you. I think that’s ultimately the source for your answer.

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