It is here and Microsoft is webcasting on it all month long. Learning how to use the app blocks could make your code better, lower development time, and overall make you more productive. Not to mention they are extensible and you get the source code.
Here is where you can get it: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnpag2/html/entlib.asp
What is it? “The patterns & practices Enterprise Library is a library of application blocks designed to assist developers with common enterprise development challenges. Application blocks are a type of guidance, provided as source code that can be used "as is," extended, or modified by developers to use on enterprise development projects. Enterprise Library features new and updated versions of application blocks that were previously available as stand-alone application blocks. All Enterprise Library application blocks have been updated with a particular focus on consistency, extensibility, ease of use, and integration.“
The application blocks that comprise the Enterprise Library are the following:
- Caching Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate a local cache in their applications.
- Configuration Application Block. This application block allows applications to read and write configuration information.
- Data Access Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate standard database functionality in their applications.
- Cryptography Application Block. This application block allows developers to include encryption and hashing functionality in their applications.
- Exception Handling Application Block. This application block allows developers and policy makers to create a consistent strategy for processing exceptions that occur throughout the architectural layers of enterprise applications.
- Logging and Instrumentation Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate standard logging and instrumentation functionality in their applications.
- Security Application Block. This application block allows developers to incorporate security functionality in their applications. Applications can use the application block in a variety of situations, such as authenticating and authorizing users against a database, retrieving role and profile information, and caching user profile information.
The webcasts give you insight into how to use them and include Hands On Labs.
Here is a link to the webcasts: http://www.pnplive.com/
Be sure to check this out.