StrataFrame Forum

SF DevEx form not inherited from XtraForm

http://forum.strataframe.net/Topic5105.aspx

By Andria Jensen - 12/7/2006

I was originally under the impression that when I was adding a SF DevEx Form to my application I was actually adding a form that had all of the DevExpress properties on it from the XtraForm.  This is not true, however, since the form does not carry the LookAndFeel property.  This doesn't affect most things, but it does affect the Form Skins effect.  When using a DevEx XtraForm and setting EnableFormSkins the title bar of the forms and the border of the form take on the skin.  I cannot do this with a SF DevEx form.  Is there some way that this property could be added or could we actually inherit from the SF Form and then also from the DevEx form the same way the Inherited UI controls are setup?
By Trent L. Taylor - 12/7/2006

Is there some way that this property could be added or could we actually inherit from the SF Form and then also from the DevEx form the same way the Inherited UI controls are setup?

There really isn't anything that can be done here.  This would require double inheritance and is not something that can be done in VB.NET or C#.  If you use the XtraForm, they have all of their logic within the form itself and there is also base logic in the BaseForm of StrataFrame.  Since you cannot have double inheritance, this is not possible.  This would require a major logic change to the framework in order to be implemented.  Sorry for the disappointing answer Ermm

By Andria Jensen - 12/8/2006

I realize you cannot do double inheritance, but I thought the form would be done the same way as the controls.  You inherited from the DevEx controls and then added your own SF logic.  You can't have a DevEx version of your SF base form that inherits from the XtraForm and then add the SF logic of the base form?  This doesn't seem like it would be extremely difficult.  Maybe I'm just missing the complexity of it.
By Trent L. Taylor - 12/8/2006

XtraForm and then add the SF logic of the base form?  This doesn't seem like it would be extremely difficult

This is not an interface (like the controls for a BO), this is a class.  You cannot simply implement an interface and get this functionality.  If you go look at all of the properties on the form and the functionality behind them, it goes to the BaseForm.  If you open up the BaseForm code file in the source code (it is in the Business assembly) you will see that there are 3000 lines of code in this one file alone.  If we were to have an XtraForm with this functionality, we would have to maintain two code bases.  This is not a solution for an interface because if would produce even more code.  If you want this functionality, you will have to take the BaseForm code and create your own XtraForm....but beware because if we make a change to BaseForm you will have a broken application. 

By Andria Jensen - 12/8/2006

Ok, ok...you got me.  It would be difficult w00t 

Darn users...they always want more than you give them...BigGrin

By Trent L. Taylor - 12/8/2006

Hehe I understand why you want it....it would just be a lot of work to make it happen.