• SDK • Scaffolding
If you are new to software development, you might have heard of CRUD operations and wondered what they are and why they are important. In this blog post, we will explain what CRUD operations are, how you can practice with a CRUD template, and how they can teach you the concept of encapsulation. Learning CRUD is a great way to scaffold your knowledge from easier steps involving coding in Visual Studio to more difficult operations.
How Can CRUD Operations Scaffold Your knowledge?
Encapsulation is one of the fundamental principles of object-oriented programming. It means that data and methods that operate on that data are bundled together in a single unit called an object (Stackify, 2023). Encapsulation helps to hide the complexity and details of how an object works from the outside world and only expose what is necessary for interaction. For example, when you use a CRUD template, you don't need to know how the database connection is established or how the SQL queries are executed.
You only need to know how to use the methods that perform CRUD operations on the data. And once you start getting the hang of it, you can really start scaling up your program. That is why learning CRUD operations are a great opportunity to learn coding on the lower level of Bloom's taxonomy (freeCodeCamp.org, 2023). That is as long as you remember to start small.
What are CRUD Operations?
CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete. These are the four basic operations that we perform. CRUD is also data-oriented and the standardized use of HTTP methods. For example, when you create an account on a website, you are performing a CRUD operation. You are creating a new record in the database with your personal information. When you log in to your account, you are reading the data from the database. When you edit your profile or change your password, you are updating the data in the database. When you delete your account, you are deleting the data from the database. See a trend?
CRUD example repo link: |
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Please open via iOS/WIN web browser, for best results of the example below:
In the above example of CRUD, notice that each letter (e.g. “D” for delete) represents a CRUD operation. Initializing the CRUD operation in loops allows you to create an interface for a user. Once the interface is created, you can start building out your CRUD operation by creating, deleting, and/or updating data.
Search the Web for Resources
There are tons of free resources out there to learn CRUD. All you need to do is set up Visual Studio which is free for learning purposes and start searching YouTube. When building your CRUD program, try to focus not only on one programing language but on one CRUD operation. Start with “Create” which is the easiest CRUD operation. “Create” involves the fewest steps when coding in C#. As soon as you create an array, you will find it easy to “read” data in your program. You will find that as you move down the letters, the CRUD operations get harder—start small.
Scaffolding is a learning technique that involves providing support and guidance to learners as they progress from easier to more difficult tasks (Educative, 2023). Scaffolding helps learners to build their confidence and competence by breaking down complex problems into manageable steps. For example, when you learn CRUD operations with Visual Studio, you can start with simple tasks such as creating a program to add a data source and generating a data model (iteration loop). Then you can move on to more challenging tasks such as creating controllers, views, and routes for performing CRUD operations on the data.
Reflection
I personally have found practicing and creating a CRUD application to be the most frustrating yet rewarding process of learning software developent. The process felt impossible until you figure out the patterns to move onto other CRUD operations. And it was frustrating because I had a difficult time, initially, learning how to build the "delete" operations. It was rewarding because once I figured out some of the CRUD operations, my program took off. I could create an exciting UI on my console program too. And I could begin the process of scaling up software by carefully planning prior to coding using mapping software–Microsoft Viso™.
Conclusion
CRUD operations are essential for web development as they allow us to manipulate data in persistent storage. By learning CRUD operations with a CRUD template and Visual Studio, we can practice our coding skills, learn the concept of encapsulation, and scaffold our knowledge from easier steps. By understanding CRUD operations and APIs, developers can build powerful web applications that can store and retrieve data from databases quickly and easily. And learning CRUD is a great opportunity to learn coding on the lower level of Bloom's taxonomy, which is the cognitive process of remembering facts and concepts.
Sources as of: 5/13/2023
Stackify. (2023). What are CRUD Operations? Examples, Tutorials & More. Retrieved from https://stackify.com/what-are-crud-operations/
Educative. (2023). CRUD operations explained: Create, read, update, and delete. Retrieved from https://www.educative.io/blog/crud-operations
freeCodeCamp.org. (2023). CRUD Operations – What is CRUD? Retrieved from https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/crud-operations-explained/.
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