StrataFrame Forum

How to setup an SF User Control

http://forum.strataframe.net/Topic20404.aspx

By Edhy Rijo - 10/29/2008

I have several fields like Street, City, State, etc. that are named the same in several tables, so different BO will have the same field names.

I have one form where I have the need to modify the same fields above but for different BOs.  I though that this would be the case to use a User Control, so I created one base on MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.UserControl, then I implemented IBusinessBindable.  Here is where I am confuse, I need to bind several fields, so should I add a property to this user control for each field that needs to be bind?

I have been checking the PeopleLookupControl.vb in StrataFlix but in that sample only one control is basically bound and still it is not clear to me.

Here is screenshot of the user control:

Please advise if I am going in the wrong direction here.

Thanks!
By Dustin Taylor - 10/29/2008

A single field will update multiple BOs? If so, then it won't be as easy as just plugging in the binding values, you'll have to do much of it manually.

If you are going to have seperate address fields for each BO, then the binding would be more straight forward. You could even use panels to only show one set of fields at a time, if that makes sense for your requirements. 

By Greg McGuffey - 10/29/2008

This is an interesting problem. I wasn't sure how to go about it, so I ended up trying several things in a little sample project. The final solution was quite easy. The key was to NOT attempt to bind the user control, but rather pass in a BO which would get bound instead.



The user control has a BusinessObject property that is of type BusinessLayer. In the setter of that property, you set the value of the bound BO for each of the controls that are bound within the user control. Since the field names are the same and the BindingField property is a string, you can just set the name in the designer for each of the bound controls in the user control. When you drop the user control on a form, you just need to set the BusinessObject property to the appropriate instance on your form. Done.



See the attached sample. It uses a "name" control. I have two BOs, both going to the same Customers table, but because BOs isolate the db from the code, it makes no difference. Two forms use the user control, each using a different BO.



Note there are the remnants from some other tries, none of which worked well (I tried using an abstract base class and then an interface, hence the name of the project).



Hope this helps!
By Edhy Rijo - 10/29/2008

Dustin, Greg,

Thanks, I know this is not a normal stuff, and I would have finished by doing a 2nd form or using a panel as suggested by Dustin, but this is more of a challenge exercise that can be very useful in the long run.

Greg, thanks for taking the time to create the sample project, I will play with it right now.

By Edhy Rijo - 10/29/2008

Greg,

After reviewing your sample, it all was much clear to me and in fact it worked pretty well.  One thing different in my designed is that the same user control is used with 2 BOs one at a time, so I had to manage that in the form where the user control is used and assign the proper BO instance.

Of course this kind of solution may no be the easiest or the most practical, but it is always good to know how to go deep in the code to make it work.

For the sake of others, here is the final code for the User Control class:

Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports FixTrack.Business
Namespace UI.Windows.Forms
     Public Class QBCustomerInfo
#Region " Constructors "
     Public Sub New()
          Me.InitializeComponent()
     End Sub
#End Region
 
#Region " Private Fields "
     Private _BusinessObject As MicroFour.StrataFrame.Business.BusinessLayer
     Private _CustomerNameText As String
#End Region
 
#Region " Public Properties "
     ''' <summary>
     ''' Define the base business object.
     ''' </summary>
     ''' <value></value>
     ''' <returns></returns>
     ''' <remarks></remarks> 
     <Category("StrataFrame: Framework")> _
     <Description("Set the BusinessObject that will supply the name data.")> _
     Public Property BusinessObject() As MicroFour.StrataFrame.Business.BusinessLayer
          Get
               Return _BusinessObject
          End Get
          Set(ByVal value As MicroFour.StrataFrame.Business.BusinessLayer)
               _BusinessObject = value
               '-- Bind to our user controls to this BO
               If value IsNot Nothing Then
                    If value.GetType Is GetType(bizCustomers) Then
                         Me.tgbGeneralInfo.Title = "FixTrack Customer record information"
                         Me.txtCustomerName.Enabled = True
                         Me.txtCustomerName.BusinessObject = value
                         Me.txtCustomerFax.BusinessObject = value
                    Else
                         Me.tgbGeneralInfo.Title = "FixTrack Building Address record information"
                         Me.txtCustomerPhone.BindingField = "SuperPhoneNumber"
                    End If
                    Me.txtCustomerName.Enabled = False
                    Me.txtCustomerStreet.BusinessObject = value
                    Me.txtCustomerCity.BusinessObject = value
                    Me.txtCustomerZip.BusinessObject = value
                    Me.txtCustomerPhone.BusinessObject = value
                    Me.txtQB_RefID.BusinessObject = value
                    Me.txtCustomereMail.BusinessObject = value
               End If
     End Set
End Property
 
''' <summary>
''' This property is used to update the Customer Name textbox
''' </summary>
''' <value></value>
''' <returns></returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Property CustomerNameText() As String
     Get
          Return _CustomerNameText
     End Get
     Set(ByVal value As String)
          _CustomerNameText = value
          Me.txtCustomerName.Text = _CustomerNameText
      End Set
End Property
#End Region
     End Class
End Namespace

Thanks Greg!

By Greg McGuffey - 10/30/2008

Glad you got it working! BigGrin