John W. Colby
jcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Wed Feb 26 09:41:23 CST 2003
I don't use the data grid in Access. I was put off by the potential problems of users changing the columns till one disappeared (and the support calls that ensue). I can tell you that the data grid looks similar to Access' form is switched to datasheet. The biggest difference is that if you expose the column heading, you can click on the heading and it sorts on that column. Click again and it sorts in reverse order. I am not fluent enough in data grids in either technology to tell you much I'm afraid. What capabilities are you looking for? John W. Colby Colby Consulting www.ColbyConsulting.com -----Original Message----- From: dba-vb-admin at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:dba-vb-admin at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Marcus, Scott (GEAE, RHI Consulting) Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 10:32 AM To: 'dba-vb at databaseadvisors.com' Subject: RE: [dba-VB] OT: .NET - Data grid syncs to combo John, One of the issues that I know I will run into is that my clients are going to want top see all of this data (like Access does...looks very Excel like...my clients are very Excel savy) in a data grid. Previous versions of VB had limited built in data grid capabilities (I don't want to spend another $1K on 3rd party tools). If the data grid is alot closer to what Access provides that would be great. I haven't messed much with .Net since my initial "playing around" a year ago, but I do need to get heavily into it. Any input on the data grid capabilities? Scott Marcus > -----Original Message----- > From: John W. Colby [mailto:jcolby at colbyconsulting.com] > Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 9:49 AM > To: dba-vb at databaseadvisors.com > Subject: RE: [dba-VB] OT: .NET - Data grid syncs to combo > > Marcus, > > I started programming in the early 80s and in the late 80s ended up in Turbo > Pascal which went OO. It was extremely powerful (for the day) yet strongly > typed unlike the C languages of the day. I purchased all of the Borland > toolboxes, the application framework etc., bought books and really got into > the whole inheritance thing > > I worked in that until I moved to Access in the early 90s. While Access was a > huge step up in drag and drop design functionality, and radically different > (and extremely powerful) in the use of the event driven paradigm, it was a > huge step backwards on the OO side since it had nothing at all that even > remotely resembled inheritance. > > .Net is almost like old home week. It is a highly structure system, with a > huge base framework that provides instant functionality like I have never seen > before, with true inheritance, with this new XML thingy built right in, with > access to data from anywhere. The biggest problem I foresee is simply that > the vast scope makes learning it a chore. But is so incredibly powerful, it > is simply amazing. > > I was reading a tech paper last night where they built up XML docs in a word > processor, saved them to a file (just for demo purposes), then simply used a > built in property of a built in framework class to load the file and bind to > that data. But not just bind as we know it. They bound the data to > properties of the form. Any property of any control (and forms inherit from > the control class so I'm told) can be bound to data. Which makes possible > things like fore color or back color or font a property of the record. > Painless storage of size / location of forms. Painless user modification and > storage of color preferences. If you can imagine it, you can store it in a > table and drive it from there. > > But not just tables. The objects that actually load and expose the data can > use XML as easily as they can use tables. They can use arrays. The arrays > can be simple arrays of values, or arrays of objects - CLASSES for example, > and you can be binding a control property to a property of the class. > > This stuff is truly awesome. Built in collection functionality for stacks, > queues, arrays that you can just dynamically add new members to (not to > mention your simple collection). And anything can be sub classed to add your > own functionality. Not just interface inheritance, but true implementation > inheritance. Do you want a collection that stores an object, with built in > checking to prevent storing anything but that object? Just subclass the > collection class and over ride the .add method, typing the object input > parameter. Done! > > As can be seen, I am truly psyched about this thing. I did a little > programming in VB (I wish it had been more now) but it was so difficult to get > at data (and I do databases) so it just didn't offer enough to make it worth > the switch. .Net on the other hand is an order of magnitude more powerful, > and getting at data is second nature. > > And as if all that isn't enough, you can pick your language. > > Amazing stuff. > > John W. Colby > Colby Consulting > www.ColbyConsulting.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: dba-vb-admin at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:dba-vb-admin at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Marcus, Scott > (GEAE, RHI Consulting) > Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 8:10 AM > To: 'dba-vb at databaseadvisors.com' > Subject: RE: [dba-VB] OT: .NET - Data grid syncs to combo > > > John, > > Less than a year ago, I decided to convert an access application to .Net. > Within > one day, I had a working prototype in both VB.Net and C#.Net. It was extremely > easy. You are right in that the combo changes the data set which in turn > affects > all controls linked to it. Just for kicks, I also bought Borland C++ and did > the > same thing (within a day). > > My conclusion is that all the major tools these days are offering click and > create applications. It's just a matter of picking the technology you think is > most marketable. I don't think you can go wrong in learning .Net. I'm still > torn > as to what technology to pick (although the next version of .Net is coming out > in April and is just a $29 upgrade for previous .Net owners and includes the > capability to make Pocket PC.Net applications). > > I'm very interested in discussing the techniques developers are using to > convert > Access applications to .Net. > > Hoping to find intelligent useful discussion on .Net, > > Scott Marcus > > -----Original Message----- > From: John W. Colby [mailto:jcolby at colbyconsulting.com] > Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 8:32 PM > To: AccessD > Cc: AccessD - VBA > Subject: [dba-VB] OT: .NET - Data grid syncs to combo > > > I have moved my billing database BE to sql server, hooked up my existing > Access FE and continue to use that as I play with the data in .Net. > > In the meantime, in VB.Net I created a bound form last night (or I think > it's bound anyway, not positive). It was using an OLEConnection, which > tonight I switched to an SQL connection. It's supposed to be faster. The > form simply displays the state table (all fields) in a data grid. You > really can't get much simpler than that, though I suppose for something like > a state table it would suffice. > > I decided to try and figure out how to use a combo box to select a record in > the data grid. Dragged and dropped a combo to the form, hooked the > datasource property to the same data source I was using for the form / data > grid. Set the display member (the field displayed) to ST_Abrev (the 2 char > code), and the value member (the PK of the table) to ST_ID (the PK of the > table). Opened the form, selected the state in the combo and the data grid > moved the record selector to that state. > > Man was THAT easy! So the combination of everything allows the combo to > just act as a record selector without all of the code required in Access. > Not knowing exactly what is happening, I have to assume that the combo > selecting something causes a record selector pointer in the data set object > to point somewhere. Since the data grid is using the same data set object, > the data grid displays the newly selected record. > > Just a guess of course. This stuff is way over my head. > > But so easy (if I just understood what I was doing). > > Cool beans man! > > John W. Colby > Colby Consulting > www.ColbyConsulting.com > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Is email taking over your day? Manage your time with eMailBoss. > Try it free! http://www.eMailBoss.com > > > _______________________________________________ > dba-VB mailing list > dba-VB at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-vb > http://www.databaseadvisors.com > _______________________________________________ > dba-VB mailing list > dba-VB at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-vb > http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Is email taking over your day? Manage your time with eMailBoss. > Try it free! http://www.eMailBoss.com _______________________________________________ dba-VB mailing list dba-VB at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-vb http://www.databaseadvisors.com ---------------------------------------------------- Is email taking over your day? Manage your time with eMailBoss. 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