Hi Strataframe experts,

Does StrataFrame allow of customize the database table's field during runtime? For example changing the datatype, Something which is similar to the Database Development Toolkit. The purpose of these, is to allow our customer to customize the fields themeselve without re-coding and re-compilation of the codes. Therefore we developers could save up plenty of time for the customization.

Kindly advise and welcome for any kind of comments
Thank You.

If you have a Databae Deployment Toolkit package you can programmatically deploy structures when and how you like.  So in this case, I would recommend that my customers purchase a copy of the DDT just to maniupate their structures, then you can programmatically produce the DDT package and deploy it.  This would be the simplest approach to take advantage of dynamic structures in the field.

Sorry, I wasn't quite sure with your reply. Does this mean that, a single user can change their database structure on the fly during the runtime. Will there be any problem towards the application, for example if a user change the existing field type of string into integer? My main concern is that, I do not need to re-program my application in order to support the datatype as given in the example. Are the DDT able to achieve this goal?

Kindly Advise.
Thanks.

If someone makes a change to the data structure from a string to an integer...you have problems.  Since your application is expecting a string, once this is changed to an integer your application (as well as the BOs) will be expecting a string and in essence be trying to cast an integer as a string.  If there were any characters other than numbers, then an expection would be thrown.

I am not sure what type of application you are developing, but aside from creating a query tool or report writing engine, I do not see how this would work (but I have been narrow minded more than once in my life...and I am sure that my wife would testify to that for me ).

So in short, if you make a change to a data structure to a data type outside of what the application expects, then yes, your app is going to have some problems.

Hi Jim,

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of application are you working on that will allow end users to change field types? and why?

I have seen several commercial applications like QuickBooks, MS Outlook and others that will allow the end user to add/modify custom fields, but in fact there is no real adding, those custom fields are pre-created in the database as Varchar fields (at least in the case of QuickBooks) and there are only 15 fields available, for those the end user can change only the field caption and I would only imagine that the QB developers are using some sort of Cast or "of Generic" to properly evaluate and display the fields value based on where they are used.  See the attached image for a QB sample form.

By customize field, if you are referring to their captions, I believe you could use the Multilingual capabilities of SF to allow end user change the caption of those controls or use a similar approach as QuickBooks. 

At any rate we will need you to provide more detail on your intended customization in order to provide better approach with SF.

Edhy Rijo

Hey thanks Edhy Rijo and Trent L. Taylor.

I'm are building a business solution whereby some of our customers might want to change certain fields base on their requirements.

I've attached two print screen of our exisiting application which built on-top of VPM (Visual ProMatrix), where having a tools call data manager that able to achieve such goal.

However since this is the case as what Trent said, then I might need to seek for a better solution. Of course it will be great if SF able to so.

Jimmy, I don't know if you are aware, but I am a VPM MVP Life, and Visual ProMatrix is the framework I use for my VFP projects.

I am sorry, but still you have not describe in detail your real needs, I gave u a couple of scenarios in my previous message and you did not acknowleage any of them.

The images you attached are from an old version of the VPM Data Builder (not your application) and the VPM Data Builder is not designed for an End User use.  That is a developer tool and when used in a compiled VPM application it will have some limitations imposed by VFP runtimes.

StrataFrame has a tool named Database Developer Toolkit (DDT) which does not really compares with the VPM Data Builder, DDT compares more with Stonefield Database Toolkit in the majority of the functionality.

Like I said before, without you letting us know exactly what you want to do, you will get a somewhat inconclusive answer.

Edhy Rijo

Jimmy,

Just to echo what Edhy and Trent have already said: Yes, you can have your customers purchase the DDT themselves and impliment the package creation and deployment portions within your application. As Edhy already mentioned, this would be akin to having them buy stonefield toolkit and using that to customize their structures in VFP.

However, doing so will not dynamically modify your application to account for these changes. I'm not really aware of any framework or system out there that does that type of thing and, like Trent and Edhy, and having some trouble coming up with a scenario where that level of end-user customization would be necessary (let alone desirable.) 

Could you expand on why your customers need that? Some more controled customization (like the custom fileds Edhy mentioned in quick books) might suffice, without opening up pandora's box quite so much .

Thanks!

Dustin

Hey guys,

 

Once again, thanks for the comments. My needs is easy, I want it to be easy for me and my customer to do the customizations, and I don't wants to keep different set of BO Rules with me.

 

The scenarios is simple, for example Customer A would like to have field Country and Branch to be mandatory, while Customer B would like to have field Branch and Division to be mandatory instead. Furthermore some customer would like to have their own comments on each field and they want it through out 1000+ of fields. This process of customization would be hazardous for me to complete, because I have 100+ of customers, and is nearly impossible for me to maintain different set of BOs.

Thanks

Though I still don't understand how you would implement this in a sense of producing a UI, you could still come up with a solution for this on the BO/DAL side of things.  It sounds like you want to have an application that your end-users highly customize the forms, data, etc.  In a sense, it sounds as though your end-users need a bit of development experience as well.

We have created an environment for some of our reporting to allow our end-users to create queries and data sources that are not distributed with the software by default.  This allows them to create custom reports and queries without ever having to tallk with us...so we both win.  However, if all of this had to translate into user input and dialogs, well, it would become far more complicated.  Past just creating a grid and teling them to "get after it," you are going to have a difficult time with the UI having to be so flexible as well...at least from my perspective.

So the answer is, yes, with some work you can definitely create this type of environment.  But clearly this is not going to be the norm for most development environments past reporting.  I hope that at least gives you an idea of what you are looking for here.