Some Questions...

Stefan Zehner — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:41:29 GMT

Hi Forum,

I go on in programming with Strataframe, an meanwhile I'm going to plan a real world application. For that I have several questions, wich I hope are not to stupid to post...

1. Application frame

I'm not sure if it is the right phrase for my question, but I try to explain... In DotNET an Application starts with a form. I think that form is the form wich I would use as a Main form like we have had in Visual FoxPro, the FoxPro-Window, where we place our menu, Main-Toolbar and use it as a background for our application. Is there in Strataframe a similar way to develop applications? Is there a tamplate for it, or have I to create that "Mainwindow" on my own?

2. Strataframe forms, messages etc.

To localize my app I want to use the build in localization tool. But what is with all the Strataframe forms, like the form what is directing the enduser to its database? How can I translate these texts? I can't find these texts within the Localization and Messaging Editor.

3. Datapath

You know in VFP we usually have our database in a folder located under our project folder and VFP is working with relative paths during runtime. DotNET is working with static paths. What is your favorite solution to enable a free installation location for data ( I want to use VFP tables) as well as for the localizations xml files?

I think thats all for the moment. Thanks in advance

Stefan

RE: Some Questions...

Trent L. Taylor — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:41:29 GMT

[quote]

I'm not sure if it is the right phrase for my question, but I try to explain... In DotNET an Application starts with a form. I think that form is the form wich I would use as a Main form like we have had in Visual FoxPro, the FoxPro-Window, where we place our menu, Main-Toolbar and use it as a background for our application. Is there in Strataframe a similar way to develop applications? Is there a tamplate for it, or have I to create that "Mainwindow" on my own?

[/quote]

You bet...you can really turn any .NET form, include an SF window, into an MDI window, which is what VFP ultimately used. StrataFrame does come with a template called an SF Main Form which already has the MDI environment set. You may instead want to use an MDICLient class and then add it to a form which turns it into a MainForm as well. We generally take the MDIClient approach because you have more control...for example changing the background color. To manually add an MDIClient to a form, just create the class and add it to the controls collection:

[codesnippet]Dim myMdiClient As New MDIClient()

MyMdiClient.Backcolor = Colors.White

MyForm.Controls.Add(myMdiClient)[/codesnippet]

or you can just use the SF template:

[quote]To localize my app I want to use the build in localization tool. But what is with all the Strataframe forms, like the form what is directing the enduser to its database? How can I translate these texts? I can't find these texts within the Localization and Messaging Editor.[/quote]

The Connection String Wizard just hasn't been localized. The reason is because most people usually take a different route and manually set the connection strings in their application. As you learn, most end-users just have an issue with setting a connection string. So you may do this during an install or have a single location that is referenced on a network drive that contains the connection information and manually set the datasource. Or you can create your own localized connection form that is shown to the end-user and set the connection manually.

[codesnippet]Databasics.DataSources.Add(New SqlDataSourceItem("","MyConnectionString"))[/codesnippet]

If you are really wanting to use the Connection String Wizard, then we can talk about localizing that form as well (it would be embedded within the framework).

[quote]

You know in VFP we usually have our database in a folder located under our project folder and VFP is working with relative paths during runtime. DotNET is working with static paths. What is your favorite solution to enable a free installation location for data ( I want to use VFP tables) as well as for the localizations xml files?

[/quote]

During your installation, you will just want to allow the end-user to set the "shared" or "network" folder to which the VFP and XML tables will be loaded. You will want to write this to a registry value so that when you start your application, you can pull the shared folder location from the registry and then setup your VFP connection:

[codesnippet]DataBasics.DataSources.Add(New VfpDataSourceItem("VFP","provider=VFPOLEDB;datasource=" & MyRegistryPath & "MyDatabase.dbc"))[/codesnippet]

StrataFrame Forum » StrataFrame Application Framework - V1 » WinForms (How do I?) » Some Questions...

Some Questions...

RE: Some Questions...