Windows Forms

24-Apr-07 5:07

I'm musing over my development strategy for a very simple app for a client. They basically need a single form for edit and display of records from a single table. They also need a search on fields from that form.

Now I've never done this small an app for a client, so I have always gone the whole hog with data access layer etc., custom business objects etc. but I think for this app I would like to go with the RAD features VS provides out of the box (data binding etc.). I realise that later on we may need to expand the capabilities of the app, but I think even then the simplicity of the general business requirements will still allow this.

I'm just curious whether there are any serious caveats in taking this approach?

kubben25-Apr-07 2:09

kubben

25-Apr-07 2:09

I have two comments. First if the Company has an intranet and a web server I would think seriously of making a web app. Makes it easy for anyone in the company to use the app. You might need to add some login stuff if they only want certain users to be able to access or edit the data. With a web app you don't have any deployment or update issues.

Ok second, if you still need to build the windows app if you have a data access layer that is a component or project you can easily add to the windows project solution I would just add it. I don't think there is any issue leaving out the business layer in this case since the app is just a simple editor. If you data layer isn't easy to port to other apps, then you probably have a different problem. In general it is nice to be consistant with data access across projects.

Ben

Dave Sexton25-Apr-07 20:45

25-Apr-07 20:45

I reckon I'd start with the datasource, create the dataset & a mini data access layer, then work on the UI. Simple and deliverable in a few hours (sans testing/documentation).

I'd choose this approach as it's an app for a client & this is a familiar way of doing things for me hence less likely to screw up & deliver buggy software.

I know you'd like to use the RAD features on this but perhaps the "learning curve" here is better suited to a personal project for now? My opinion only.

Brady Kelly25-Apr-07 20:54

25-Apr-07 20:54

Could you give me some hint as to how you would do the DAL and dataset? I would normally do entities and a data access service for reading and writing entities to the database.

Maybe you're right about the learning curve, I could always repeat the project with the RAD features as an RnD project once its delivered. I will have lots of iteration on this, so if I come up to speed on the RAD project I could swap it out.

Dave Sexton25-Apr-07 23:48

25-Apr-07 23:48

It depends on the context to a fairly large degree IMO. As I understand it, it's a one table database/source with a single form. Depending on how much data needs to be worked with, how it needs to be interpreted & whether it needs to be shared across a LAN, etc. I'd decided on whether to use a database or an XML file. These and other decisions can really only be made in the context of the project's scope.

Here are my assumptions - it's a single client appliaction that needs to use a single table database, must be searchable, filtered, sorted, etc. My approach would most likely be

1. Create a test plan. Using a "test first" approach works really well for RAD. Personally I find that it tends to cut out the "extra features" bull that we as developers all too often add on & allows you to concentrate on delivering core functionality & what the client REALLY wants. Doesn't have to be a massive testing framework, just an accurate guide that you will stick to.
2. Create database & populate with sample data.
3. Create a dataset outside of the form (not as part of the single form) that'll be used for accessing/manipulating data.
4. Create a class (or set of classes depending on requirements) that will contain the core functionality of the app. Remember to still use your test plan.
5. Hook the UI up to the aforementioned class(es) using as simplistic an approach as possible. Create new controls only if absolutely necessary as this will extend your time to delivery.
6. Pass it on to the client for evaluation, & the usual story thereafter.

That help any?

Brady Kelly25-Apr-07 23:58

25-Apr-07 23:58

Yes and no. Your reply confirms my initial strategy (and I'm a big TDD fan), but I was considering doing a 'no-code' type implementation, using VS wizards etc.

Forgoing that and using a properly coded DAL seems the generally preferred method, as well as being my preferred method, so I will be going with that. And it allows me to test first!

Dave Sexton26-Apr-07 0:38

26-Apr-07 0:38

My mistake in interpretation, sorry.

I've done some of the "no code" approach in ASP.NET & found that to be pretty easy and efficient but it feels clumsy when applied to winforms apps (at least to me it does), which is why I tend to avoid it and go the "old faithful" route. Smile | :)

Brady Kelly26-Apr-07 0:48

26-Apr-07 0:48

I've also found it clumsy, but I suspect it's from lack of familiarity. Anyway, I said I'd deliver a 'draft' by Friday, and didn't know Friday was a holiday, so it's a quick sprint with what's familiar later today.

Dave Sexton26-Apr-07 0:56

How to identify the changes made to the form data?

26-Apr-07 0:56

Good luck.

Subrahmanyam K24-Apr-07 3:41

Subrahmanyam K

24-Apr-07 3:41

Hi,

I have the following requirement (Windows Forms in C#).

I have a form with data populated for differnet types of controls (say textbox, checkbox, grid etc).
If the user makes some changes to the state of any controls (say edit the values from the textboxes, change chekbox state, Radio button state etc) and now then the user tries to close the form without saving the changes made to the form (By clicking the SAVE or OK button on that form).
In that case, I should warn/remind the user that some changes have been made to the form data and were not saved/committed.

How could I achieve the above requirement without having to implement the follng ways?

1. Take a member variable and to update it whenever some changes were made to the controls using their all possible event handlers.
2. Looping through all the controls to find the changes.

Thanks in advance for some suggestions.

Subrahmanyam K

Re: How to identify the changes made to the form data?

roel_v24-Apr-07 20:11

roel_v

24-Apr-07 20:11

If your controls are bound to an underlying business object, you could use a IsDirty property on that business object. In all the set {} accessors of each property of your business object you then set the m_dirty member variable to true, like:

public string MyProperty
{
get { return m_myProperty; }
set
{
if (m_myProperty != value)
{
m_myProperty = value;
m_isDirty = true;
}
}

Then, to save the data, you can just call the Save() method on your business object and let the business object figure out whether anything needs to be persisted to the database.

Roel

Re: How to identify the changes made to the form data?

Subrahmanyam K25-Apr-07 0:04

Subrahmanyam K

25-Apr-07 0:04

Thank You very much Roel.

I'm using Typed datasets in my Application.
I think the HasChanges() method of the dataset can be used to find for any changes and then commit them to the database.

Thanks.

Subrahmanyam K

System Tray Time Interval Notify

Shoot2ill24-Apr-07 2:43

Shoot2ill

24-Apr-07 2:43

Hello all. I am brand spanking new to this forum, and would just like to start out by requesting a program to be made that would assist my fellow employees and I at our Academic Computing Help Desk at the University of South Florida.

I am a Computer Engineering major and was looking for some detailed advice/assistance on how to design a non-obtrusive program that would reside in the system tray.

Program duties:
-starts with Windows
-resides in System Tray
-displays a balloon notification with customizable text
-pop-up balloon display at 15 minute intervals (i.e. 12:15, 12:30, 12:45, 1:00...etc.)

We use an incident reporting program called RightNow that refreshes incidents every 15 minutes.
I am SO tired of having to look at the system tray clock every split-second to see whether or not I need to refresh RightNow.

Please feel free to e-mail me @ Shoot2ill@aim.com with any feedback.

Also, if this is not the correct board to be posting requests like this, please let me know where I should go.

Thanks! Big Grin | :-D

Dave Sexton24-Apr-07 4:05

24-Apr-07 4:05

What are you offering to pay me? Bear in mind that this ain't Rent-A-Coder[^].

Shoot2ill24-Apr-07 4:22

Shoot2ill

24-Apr-07 4:22

$30? I really have no idea what the going rate is.

Dave Sexton24-Apr-07 4:35

24-Apr-07 4:35

Make it $50 & you got a deal. Will meet specs in OP. Smile | :)

Shoot2ill24-Apr-07 4:56

Shoot2ill

24-Apr-07 4:56

Nah I don't want it that bad, lol. But thanks for the offer.