Creating a dasboard-esque page for viewing data - sql

I'm currently working on a web app using .NET Core and Razor pages.
So after getting the CRUD elements pretty much sorted, the final part for me is to create a page so they can view their main data.
At the moment, their requirements for searching data would be by person and / or by project.
My initial plan is to give them two drop downs containing each of these data. And when they're happy to start the search, press a button and a SP will retrieve the data from the data base.
The bit I need help with is displaying the data. Before I was using fairly standard HTML tables in the page.
However now that the data will be refreshed and will be different based on the search parameters I'm not too sure on how to implement this.
The only way I can think of doing this is to create a API to get the data back from the DB in a JSON format and then use JavaScript functions, possibly including the data tables plugin.
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thank you

Related

I'm a new CDS/Dataverse user and am wondering why there are so many columns in new tables?

I'm new to CDS/Dataverse, coming from the SQL Server world. I created a new Dataverse table and there are over a dozen columns in my "new" table (e.g. "status", "version number"). Apparently these are added automatically. Why is this?
Also, there doesn't seem to be a way to view a grid of data (like I can with SQL Server) for quick review/modification of the data. Is there a way to view data visually like this?
Any tips for a new user, coming from SQL Server, would be appreciated. Thanks.
Edit: clarified the main question with examples (column names). (thanks David)
I am also new to CDS/Dataverse, so the following is a limited understanding from what I have explored so far.
The idea behind Dataverse is that it gives you a pre-built schema that follows best-practice for you build off of, so that you spend less time worrying about building a comprehensive data schema, creating tables, and how to relate them all together, and more time building applications in Power Apps.
For example, amongst the several dozen tables it generates from the get-go is Account and Contact. The former is for organisational entities and the latter is for single-person entities. You can go straight into adding your user records in one of these tables and take advantage of bits of Power Apps functionality already hooked up to these tables. You do not have to spend time thinking up column names, creating the table, making sure it hooks up to all the other Dataverse tables, testing whether the Power Apps functionality works with it correctly etc.
It is much the same story with the automatically generated columns for new tables: they are all there to maintain a best-practice schema and functionality for Power Apps. For example, the extra columns give you good auditing with the data you add, including when a row was created, modified, who created the row etc. The important thing is to start from what you want to build, and not get too caught up in the extra tables/columns. After a bit of research, you'll probably find you can utilise some more tables/columns in your design.
Viewing and adding data is very tedious -- it seems to take 5 clicks and several seconds to load the bit of data you want, which is eons in comparison to doing it in SQL Server. I believe it is how it is due to Microsoft's attempt to make it "user friendly".
Anyhow, the standard way to view data, starting from the main Power Apps view is:
From the right-hand side pane, click Data
Click Tables
From the list of tables, click your table
Along the top row, click Data
There is an alternative method that allows you to view the Dataverse tables in SSMS – see link below:
https://www.strategy365.co.uk/using-sql-to-query-the-common-data-service/
To import data in bulk:
Click on Data from the top drop-down menu > Get data.
Importing data from Excel is free. To import from other sources, including SQL Server, I believe is a paid service (although I think you may be able to do this on the free Community Plan).

Access Database - Create a table using data from two different sources

I am a new grad and my programming/database skills are very rudimentary. I was tasked with creating a database and ran into this one issue that I can't solve. I have to create a report that shows some testing results. There are two types of tests - custom tests and core test. All custom tests have a core attached to them. So I have two test IDs - Core ID and Custom ID. The Custom ID always has a Core ID that it can be tracked back to.
So I can't find a way to consolidate both custom and core results in one place and use that as a record source for my report. I tried making a temp table to get custom and core but then I can't consolidate that data that overlaps when I have a custom result that has a core id attached to it as well. Should I look into using VBA? I've tried using update, union, append query etc. but I can't reach a solution.
How can I create a table that extracts data from two different sources? and removes the duplicates. I've used union (tried UNION and UNION ALL as well) query but it omits data that has a core and custom. Some guidance will be greatly appreciated
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So I've attached a picture and this is where i get into troubles. The Custom is related to core and the data i need to fetch is in the core table. I have a table that links the custom to a specific core but then how do I tell Access to go to the core to fetch more details from the core table. Like I am having issues putting that logic in.

Xcode iOS phone directory app. core data, sql lite, or

as part of an application I am trying to create, I am looking to data storage solutions. However, I have found many solutions that I can not quite directly apply to the position I am in.
Basically, I want to display in my app, a directory of the staff of my organization. About 100 or so individuals. I want to have generic attributes such as name, email, office#, etc.
However, my goal is to not end up with a static representation of the staff here! (people come and go, switch offices,etc.)
I am looking for the best way (if possible) to maintain a small database that I can administer, and if perhaps, something were to change to someone here, I can make the change and the change will be reflected accordingly.
Please help! I tried submitting my first app but got rejected because I relied on a webview to accomplish this task. This is an internship opportunity and my first real chance at development. Any help will be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks!!!!!
The iPhone directory app can be used to store data in any format you want (xml, json or a proprietary format), because all you do is save a file. But if you choose to use the iPhone app directory to store data you have to write code to read the file (very simple to do) and parse the information (not so simple because the dificulty scales based on the information complexity).
SQLite is a tool to store structured data, providing you a set of tools to access and use the information. You don't need to parse the information, because SQLite does it for you by using transact sql queries.
By now, because you have a list of individuals, and these people are relationed to offices, I think you should use SQLite.
The Code Data is a object graph management, it's a tool to give you more options over data manipulation, and can make your life very easy if you have a lot of data and very complex data models. I don't think you need that for your particular problem, but I think you should learn it at some point.
UPDATE 1
You application will have something like:
A core database (sql server, oracle, my sql, etc) will hold your individuals information (your cloud database).
A web page (php, asp.net, etc) will display the core database information in json or xml format (your api).
A iphone app will download the information from the web page and store it in the local SQLite. (you have to decide when you will update the local sql lite, like when is opened, once a week, once a moth, twice a day, etc) (your local storage method).
Display the local SQLite individuals information in the app.

does core data create a database for you?

does core data create a database table for you? I am new to core data and iphone programming and all the tutorials that I see bring in a pre populated database. I am trying to create an app that saves data (i.e. Dates and times) and I don't need to use a prepopulated database. I was wondering when you check the box to use core data, does it create an empty database for you or do you have to create a database table with all the empty fields you need and bring in that sqlite file? This probably sounds like a newb question but I appreciate any help you can give me.
Yes, it creates a table for you. You don't need to mess with such these things.
Here is the best starting tutorial: Core Data Programming Guide
When you know these informations, then you can head and learn more from other tutorials. You will have a different look at them.
You specify a filename. If the file doesn't exist (typical first time your app is run on a device) an empty database is created. If the file exists it will be loaded. You wouldn't really want to try to prepopulate some data in there using SQL. The database has to have a specific, unpublished format for Core Data. If it doesn't match there would be an error.

Create ASP.net 3.5 web form application derived from Excel Workbook

Good Afternoon,
A customer has provided me with a spreadsheet file his team uses to provide quotes for a product. The spreadsheet has extensive data in underlying sheets and calls those sheets as part of the numerous formulas on the quote sheet.
I've been tasked with web-enabling this tool such that the quotes can be generated on the client's website, hosted in a shared environment, running ASP.net 3.5 webforms. The quote web form will be in a Restricted portion of the website controlled by ASP.net membership API.
Are there 3rd party tools that do well with this sort of thing?
Thanks,
Sid
I've once been asked to do something similar. I refused. Someone else tried this and it became a complete failure. That's because your design is based upon the structure of a spreadsheet.
When I was called back to help on this project, I kicked the previous code into a large bin, which will stay closed until Hell freezes over! I then started analysing the Excel sheets, extracting the business logic and writing them down as documentation. This allowed me to create a good design to set up the first version of a new project, which wasn't based upon the Excel sheet, just on the business logic in the sheet.
Don't be tempted to fall into this trap! It sounds too easy but in reality, it's way too expensive as a solution because of all the problems that you will encounter!If your customer really needs to have something to use real fast, start with .NET (VS2008 with latest service packs or better) and SQL Server. First create a simple database structure to contain the quotes. Add as many relations as needed. Then, using VS2008, create a new project based on the "Dynamic Data Entities Web Application" which will use the Entity Framework to connect to the database. Make sure the entity framework is connected to your database and all data is provided to it. (By adding an "ADO.NET Entity Data Model" to it.) Compile it, put it on the web server and version 0.1 should be ready. It will allow your customer to continue data entry, although in a bit primitive way, while maintaining the data integrity of it all. It still isn't good enough to expose to the outside World but it makes it easier to get rid of the data part of the Excel spreadsheet. (And technically, it should be possible to also add a RESTful service around the entity model within an hour to allow Excel to read data from a web service instead.)
When this start page has been created, your customer can get used to data entry through web pages while you have some time to analyse their spreadsheet a bit more to optimize the data model and to create custom logic and better pages for data entry.
Basically, this is the approach that I used. My customer had data in Excel sheets which was exported to an Access database which was used as read-only data for users of his application. He used Excel to keep the data up-to-date. But when multiple users started to maintain the data in the same Excel sheet, he got in big trouble, losing the integrity and data of the Excel sheets multiple times.
I first created a simple data model around the Excel data with the Entity framework/DDS for easier data entry and then I could optimize the database structure while the customer just continued to modify the data. Occasionally, I'd update the database structure, adding more relations and restructuring the data to be more optimized and at one point I added the RESTful service functionality so the customer could get the data as XML through a simple web request. Now the customer has completely forgotten about the Excel sheet and is using the website full-time. He has accepted the fact that turning it into some fancy website will cost a lot of time but the current situation is quite acceptable.
This approach succeeded where previous attempts failed simply because I only focused on the data, nothing more. Now I can improve it all using little steps. But step one: analyze the Excel sheet and dump the data in a database. The Entity framework will allow you to quickly build simple sites around this without much effort.