I'm looking to break my access applications out into their component pieces so that I can use some version of source control with it. I currently have separated the front end and back end database. However I would like to go one step further and separate out the front end logic in the forms into their component files. If someone could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
Access for about 20 years has supported the standard source code control interface.
The fact that the project is stored in one file is MOOT since Access can “logically” view each individual item (forms, reports, query, code etc.) as a separate object. So don’t confuse a logical view of the application vs that of physical.
There are quite a few posts on SO that outline this, and this post here gives some more information:
Version control for VBA file
When you use SCC with Access, then you see this:
if using Visual Source safe, you see this:
If using Team foundation server, you see this:
And the UI inside of Access shows the status of such objects. eg this:
There also add ins for git hub etc.
Keep in mind that Access 2010 was/is the last version to support SCC. If using 2013, then you have to use the noted "save-as-text" to send out each part and code as a standard text file which then of course can be used by any standard source code provider/control system.
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I created a small LabVIEW VI which prompts for some database connection details and then returns a .net object which has methods to access data stored in the database. This works fine so far. But now I want to use this as a Sub-VI and thus I need to pass out the created database connector object as an output.
Everything I found when searching was to hook up an output control (text or numeric) to the "wiring panel" (I don't know what the English name for this is, in my German version it is called "Anschlussfeld"), but obviously, this only works for text, numbers and the like.
Is it only possible to output these types, or can I also output .net references, and if so, how do I do this?
Use a .NET Refnum control, on the Controls » Ref Num palette.
For example, open the Task Monitor Using .NET Objects example VI: from the Help menu, select Find Examples, then double-click Communicating with External Applications, and then double-click on .NET. Change one of the constructor nodes into a subVI and inspect the new VI's front panel and connector pane.
Here's an illustration:
My small collection of document-specific macros and quickpart building blocks is growing! I'm starting to share these with employees, and am looking to be able to set up each remote computer once only. From there on, update collections on a network path. And because each computer looks to the shared location, everyone should always be working with up to date macros and quickparts etc.
So. What I already know:
- Required macros are saved in a separate module, ready to be shared/exported.
- Macros themselves occasionally reference local paths on my computer.
- I will need to reference paths with generic code or use Environ variables.
- Building blocks and quickparts are saved in a separate template file (currently located in Appdata, along with default building block file).
What I dont know:
a) How to point Word to a network path to retrieve macros from custom macro files. (Would I just have to import a fresh macro file at every important update, on each PC?)
b) What's the best way to load a building block item from a CUSTOM path?
My custom BuildingBlock template file is not loaded properly on occasion:
Dim objTemplate As Template
Dim objBB As BuildingBlock
'set template to store the building block
Set objTemplate = Templates("C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft_
\Document Building Blocks\1033\CustomBBlocks.dotx")
Set objBB = objTemplate.BuildingBlockEntries.Item("[EntryName]")
I know this because the code spits out a 'CollectionDoesntExist' error unless I click the Quickparts gallery prior to running the code for the first time. So it's like Word cant be bothered to open the template file and look inside unless I do it from the UI first.
Of course, if I first open the Quickparts gallery from the UI, prior to running my code, Word seems to figure it out, and inserts the correct Building Block entry without any issue.
In the past I've worked on a product that allows building blocks for Word too. Some sites have hundreds of templates and maybe 1.000 elements (see Composition). The approach we've taken was successful and was different.
You are trying to deploy software elements (macros) across a large number of workstations. You can try to get it working using the possibilities of Microsoft Word and Windows, but it will be sensitive to problems when things change. For instance, switching to Office 2013, splitting a domain into two, work at home without VPN, etc.
Option 1 - DIY deployment: Better put the macros and other stuff behind a webpage, webservice or alike. Deploy on each workstation a generic program that pulls in everything and deploys it locally. You might want to hand over some parameters to the webpage being called to restrict the amount of data. You might want to cache things locally.
Option 2 - Use ClickOnce: write a clickonce deployment script, include the necessary references and put it on a shared network drive or http address. ClickOnce automagically upgrades your software when it finds a new version. It even works across the internet. And it does nothing when there is no new version.
Option 3 - Database: put the elements centrally in a database, allowing end users to change building blocks through forms. Have Microsoft Word in combination with a ClickOnce program pull them in.
For Composition we've used option 2 and 3.
I am in the process of building a completely fresh version of an application that has been in existence for a good many years. I can look back with horror now at some of the things I had done, but the whole point of life is to learn as we go along. The nice thing now is that I have a clean slate from which to work, and it's because of that that I thought that I would seek some advice from you all.
User settings are great for those things that each individual user would naturally want to and ought to be able to change, a theme or visual style for example. Application settings should quite obviously apply to the entire application irrespective of whoever uses it.
Somewhere in the middle though are a set of settings that I would like to give the system administrator the opportunity to change (default work periods, appointment time slots, the currency the company wants to use as its main trading one etc etc). These can't be user settings because individual users should not be able to change them, nor should they be application settings because I as the developer have no idea what the end user (or to be more exact the senior end user) would want to set them to.
Many years ago I might have considered writing such settings to the registry, or an ini file. I could perhaps (as this is an application that is tightly integrated with its own custom database) create a one off settings table, and read in the relevant settings at program startup. I could perhaps opt for a separate 'universal settings' xml configuration file stored in the all users directory. Clearly a number of options.
What I would like to try and establish though is the most efficient way to approach this. What is the best trade off between file read and write operations as against reading everything into a set of public constants at application start-up? These are not going to be settings that will only be referred to occasionally so efficiency is going to be key.
Just so that there is no ambiguity as to what the application will be. Traditional winforms, using vs 2012 as the development ide and vb.net as the code base based on .net4.5 and ef 5.0. Backend data to be stored in either sql express or full sql server. Target operating system for end users will be windows 7 or above (so due respect for the uac will be required).
I'd welcome any suggestions that you might have.
What is the process to access data from a SQL data source and have it fill in a list box control so that the user may select one of the values?
I have been given the name of the database and server, the login ID and password.
Code samples would really be appreciated as I have never done any SQL coding.
The latest Extension Library on OpenNTF ( extlib.openntf.org ) has a whole bunch of Relational Database extensions.
You'll need to get the JDBC drivers for whatever SQL server your going to be accessing and then take a look at the ExtLib demo application on how to create the JDBC connector from your application. Once the connector is in place you can then just the new controls in ExtLib to easily create a view pane etc.
You will also need more then the SQL server, username and password, you'll need to find out the different tables that you'll be accessing so that you can reference them from your Xpages application.
I've created a video showing JDBC access from XPages: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6oRCsTsVqc
Wait for the book that will e released soon about the extlib. I know Jeremy hodge wrote the chapter so you might be able to get some info from him.
From an answer I gave earlier: you might want to check out the blog post announcing the JDBC support . It has an excellent video explanation and a link to a slide deck.
Also, take a look at Xpages101 lesson 61. It's paid-for content, but well worth it if you're serious about Xpages development.
If you want to combine Upgrade Pack 1 (UP1) with the Extension Library JDBC parts, then make sure to use the Extension Library that matches exactly the UP1 version. This is version 853-20111215 of the Extension Library. Then you can use the update site method to only deploy the experimental parts of the Extension Library (com.ibm.xsp.extlibx.feature_8.5.3.20111215-0914.jar).
For newer releases of Extension Library things might (will) have changed so that UP1 and Extension Library can not work together.
When UP2 is released, you need to remove the Extension Library package and deploy UP2. At that point in time UP2 might contain the JDBC support.
Roy,
As the previous posters put the ext library stuff will make it a little more "Drag and Drop", but you can use regular JDBC connection to get the data you want, Its pretty simple, but a lot more code than using Domino as a backend. You might want to look at this John Mackey blog post about doing a very similar thing...http://www.jmackey.net/groupwareinc/johnblog/johnblog.nsf/d6plinks/GROC-7G9GT4
Keep in mind that you need the actual ext. library for this. The upgrade pack does not contain the JDBC stuff.
Edit:
Keep in mind that if you don't need "LIVE" data access, and the information you want is fairly static you could always just use a lotusscript agent to pull the data down into Notes Documents. Run that once a day or whatever. No fancy XPages stuff needed. That's fairly common coding and practices with examples available.
Then just have the list box pull from the documents you brought down.
Can file operations, like creation of a file, be done in ABAP?
Yes it can be done.
You can code in ABAP by using 'open dataset' / 'transfer' / 'close dataset' statements to create files on the Application Server.
You can also create your file directly to a certain application for e.g. MS Excel like so.
Also there are several function modules and classes that can simplify certain tasks like gathering your report output, putting your file on the AS (such as 'GUI_UPLOAD' / 'GUI_DOWNLOAD' / 'WS_DOWNLOAD' / 'SAP_CONVERT_TO_CSV_FORMAT' / etc.) ...
Bear in mind that certain functions modules were built for foreground tasks so they won't work in background job scheduling ...
Yes, it's possible, as nict said before. You should start reading here - that's the official documentation, it covers pretty much everything, including working with files on both the application and the presentation server. It also explains how to use platform-independent filenames - always remember, someday you might encounter an application server running on OS/400 that will not let you write stuff to C:\Temp\MyExport.csv. One more hint: Be careful about the function modules nict mentioned, some of them are not safe to use when unicode content is involved. Always use the methods of class CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES to be on the safe side.
You can use CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES class or GUI_DOWNLOAD function. Here is a link
You may use CL_GUI_FRONTEND_SERVICES class. But this services only work on front end. Or you can use some function modules like GUI_DOWNLOAD, GUI_UPLOAD etc.
we can create a flat file with data entered into it, with tabs-separated.
Now, that dota corresponds to the sap tables-fields, where the tables are related to an application, like say, material master.
Now we can use the standard FMs to upload the data to the internal tables of the program and followed by updating the database.
So, uploading flat-file data can be done.