P.S. The second image illustrates a problem with browse dialogs that I mentioned about the DevExpress wrapped one...it appears it is doing the same thing with the StrataFrame one. Not sure if the problem is related.

The first test would be to create a new form with a new browsedialog to see if all of the settings "stick" then start to work backwards to see what is the catalist in your environment.

First I created a SF Maintenance form and the only thing I dropped on it was a SF Browse dialog. I set the Search Field to LocationID and then setup the BO using the LocationsBO. I clicked Ok until I was back to the form.... saved it and went back in and the List Population Settings came up blank.

Secondly, I did the same thing with just a standard SF Form... didnt know if there might have been something different between a maintenance form and a standard form.

Hmmm....

I cannot reproduce your behavior as much as I am really trying to.  If you create a new project, create a BO, drop on a browse dialog, and try to go through the same steps do you get the same results?  Also, are you dropping the browse dialog directly on the form or is this an inherited browse dialog?  Is the browse dialog dropped on a user control?  Last, could you create a simple project that reproduces the behavior so I can test it on this side?  Thanks.

1. Close down Visual Studio
2. Drag the DLL into the c:\windows\assembly folder (GAC)
3. Copy the DLL and XML file to c:\program files\common files\microfour\strataframe
4. Re-open Visual Studio and you should be good to go!

What is also interesting is that I didnt have an Extensibility xml file in Common Files\StrataFrame until i added the one you gave me.

I replaced the extensibility dll you just gave me with the original one and the Search Fields Criteria dialog came right up... what am  i doing wrong?

When I run my app and bring up a browse dialog... i have a combo box in the search fields criteria that represents locations... when i choose a location from the combo box and then click search is when I get the error...

If i just click search and not choose a location it works fine. I'll include my stack dump just to help out.

The given key was not present in the dictionary.
 
  Exception (KeyNotFoundException): Source="mscorlib"; Target=null; Tag=null;
    Message = "The given key was not present in the dictionary."
 
  Environment:  ThreadIdentity="" DateTime=["2007-04-23 12:44:25.723"] ThreadName=null WindowsIdentity="STRUSS\MMurphy" ThreadId="11" DemoVersion="True" DomainName="STI.vshost.exe" OSVersion=["Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2"] MachineName="1LPMMURPHY2" UserName="MMurphy"
 
    Remaining Stack Trace
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowKeyNotFoundException()
    at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2.getItem(TKey key)
    at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BrowseDialogwindow.BuildWhereElement(SearchFieldItem SearchField)
    at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BrowseDialogwindow.BuildWhereElement(Int32 ParameterIndex)
    at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BrowseDialogwindow.BuildSearchWhereClause()
    at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BrowseDialogwindow.Search()
    at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BrowseDialogwindow.ExecuteSearch()
    at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BrowseDialogwindow.tsiSearchClick(Object sender, EventArgs e)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripButton.OnClick(EventArgs e)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEventInteractive(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.FireEvent(EventArgs e, ToolStripItemEventType met)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
    at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
    at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
    at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
    at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativewindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
    at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativewindow.WndProc(Message& m)
    at System.Windows.Forms.Nativewindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Hope this helps.

Looking at the code, the only dictionary referenced is the FieldDbTypes dictionary on the dictionary.  Check the BO at runtime and make sure that it contains a definition for every field that is contained within the search fields for the browse dialog.

Can I not base a search field on a custom property in a BO?

   ''' <summary>
   ''' LocationID
   ''' </summary>
   ''' <remarks></remarks>
   <Browsable(False), _
    BusinessFieldDisplayInEditor(), _
    Description("LocationID"), _
    DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Hidden)> _
   Public ReadOnly Property [LocationID]() As System.Int32
      Get
         Try
            Using loBo As New DivisionsBO
               loBo.FillByDivisionID(Me.DivisionID)
               Return loBo.LocationID
            End Using
         Catch ex As Exception
            MessageForm.ShowMessageByKey("Ems.DefaultErrorMessage", ex.Message)
            Ems.HandleException(Me, ex)
            Throw
         End Try
      End Get
   End Property

No, you cannot search off of a custom property.  The problem is that the browse dialog dynamically creates an SQL statement to retrieve records.  When a search field is added to the browse dialog, the browse dialog thinks that the field is a valid field in the DB and it can be included in the WHERE of the created SQL statement.  Since a custom property does not have a valid backing column in the database, it can't be included in the query.

I have a question about your post:

I have no idea about your question on if a Custom column can be used in a search, but one comment about how you're getting the LocationID. I'd use a scalar method to return the custom field. I.e. I wouldn't fill the BO, the return the property, I'd have a method just for this that used ExecuteScalar() to get the field. I.e. in DivisionsBO I'd have a method something like GetLocationByDivision(divisionID as Integer). Inside that method I'd do something like (code not tested, just typed here from memory...don't be surprised if it's not quite 100% ):

Public Function GetLocationByDivision(divisionID as Integer) As Integer
  Dim id As Integer
  Using cmd As New SqlCommand
    ' Using the appropriate column and table names of course...
    cmd.CommandText = "Select LocationID From DivisionTable Where DivisionID = @divisionID"
    cmd.Parameters.Add("@divisionID",int)
    cmd.Parameters("@divisionID").Value = divisionID
    Dim ret As Object = cmd.ExecuteScalar(cmd)
    If ret Is DBNull.Value Then
      id = 0
    Else
      id = CType(ret,Integer)
    End If
  End Using
  Return id
End Function

This has a few advantages:
- ExecuteScalar() is a lot faster.
- The method handles dealing with a NULL being returned from the DB. A zero is returned in this case. It makes error checking a bit easier.
- You can use this other places if needed.

Just something I picked up somewhere in the forum from Trent or Ben and thought I'd pass it one.

After I create this method in my BO...I'll still have to instantiate the BO in order to call the function, right? Isn't instantiation where I'll take a performance hit so it wouldnt matter if I filled the BO or just called this scalar function?

On a side note, be careful of the ExecuteScalar method.  It does not always return a value.  For instance, if you try to execute this: "Select LocationID From DivisionTable Where 1=0" it will not return DBNull.Value; instead, it will return Nothing (or null in C#).  Now, if you cast Nothing as an integer, you'll get a 0 (since 0 is the default value for the integer value type), but if you're using ExecuteScalar() to retrieve a string, be careful of the difference between a DBNull.Value returned and a Nothing returned.