Building the Best Visual Building the Best Visual Studio Database Studio Database ApplicationsApplications

George F. Goley IVGeorge F. Goley IVSenior PartnerSenior PartnerMicro Endeavors Inc.Micro Endeavors Inc.WWW.MicroEndeavors.ComWWW.MicroEndeavors.Com

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OverviewOverview

Review the Keynote Fox Tennis Review the Keynote Fox Tennis Club ProjectClub Project Review of specs and codeReview of specs and code

Visual FoxPro in a world of Visual FoxPro in a world of componentscomponents When is FoxPro alone not enough?When is FoxPro alone not enough? When is FoxPro needed?When is FoxPro needed?

Roles of the members of Visual Roles of the members of Visual Studio Studio

The Fox Tennis Club ProjectThe Fox Tennis Club Project

PremisePremise replace paper systemreplace paper system enhance existing fox systemenhance existing fox system add to existing c/s systemadd to existing c/s system

Players want to make Players want to make reservations:reservations: on the webon the web in person, or on the phonein person, or on the phone

Staff need “view” of courtsStaff need “view” of courts

Which tools were used?Which tools were used?

Visual Basic 5Visual Basic 5 Visual FoxPro 5Visual FoxPro 5 Visual InterDev 1Visual InterDev 1 IIS and ASP pagesIIS and ASP pages SQL ServerSQL Server Internet ExplorerInternet Explorer

What’s running whereWhat’s running where

In tran et Us erV F P ap p exeV B ap p exe

A c tiveX D oc O b jec t

M id d le Tie rV F P S erverV F P D B C

In te rn e t Us erA n y F orm cap ab le B row ser

S erverM S S Q L S erver

IIS

What code runs where?What code runs where?

Internet UserInternet User Any browser that supports formsAny browser that supports forms

Intranet UserIntranet User ClubFoxApp.exe or ClubFoxApp.exe or

ClubVBApp.exeClubVBApp.exe Clireg32 pointer to foxkeymid Clireg32 pointer to foxkeymid

clubfoxsvrclubfoxsvr IE3 or 4 pointing to IE3 or 4 pointing to

foxkeysvr/pClubAxDoc.htmfoxkeysvr/pClubAxDoc.htm pclub.ocx(udcCourts2.ctl)pclub.ocx(udcCourts2.ctl)

What code runs where?What code runs where?

FoxKeyMidFoxKeyMid clubfoxsvr.execlubfoxsvr.exe club.dbc, reservations.dbfclub.dbc, reservations.dbf

foxkeysvrfoxkeysvr SQL Server members tableSQL Server members table IIS club.asp & ActiveX DocumentIIS club.asp & ActiveX Document

WhyWhy did you do did you do that?!that?!

Some corporate data in Some corporate data in SQLServer = not File/ServerSQLServer = not File/Server

Server is busy = low Server useServer is busy = low Server use Real-time requests= Visual Real-time requests= Visual

FoxPro FoxPro SPEED!SPEED! Business rules complex and Business rules complex and

TSQL is obscureTSQL is obscure Error messages need to be usefulError messages need to be useful Visual FoxPro very flexible/familiarVisual FoxPro very flexible/familiar

WhyWhy did you do did you do that?!that?!

Internet = no connectionInternet = no connection One or 2 tier solution won’t workOne or 2 tier solution won’t work

Intranet = Different front endsIntranet = Different front ends Depends on “Corporate standard Depends on “Corporate standard

du jour”du jour” Visual Basic and Visual FoxPro Visual Basic and Visual FoxPro

apps in officeapps in office Some users want browser-based Some users want browser-based

ActiveX DocumentsActiveX Documents

WhyWhy did you do did you do that?!that?!

ActiveX Control ActiveX Control for multiple front endsfor multiple front ends

Visual FoxPro serverVisual FoxPro server easy business rule codeeasy business rule code high speed, especially filteredhigh speed, especially filtered access to SQL Server access to SQL Server available to all front endsavailable to all front ends

ASP pagesASP pages pure html for Internetpure html for Internet

CensusCensus How many use How many use

Fox in a 1 tier solution??Fox in a 1 tier solution?? VB in a 1 tier solution?VB in a 1 tier solution? Microsoft SQL Server or other Microsoft SQL Server or other

C/S?C/S? Visual C++?Visual C++? Visual J++ ?Visual J++ ? Visual InterDev / ASP pages / IISVisual InterDev / ASP pages / IIS

Intranet SpecsIntranet Specs

Present staff with view of courtsPresent staff with view of courts Use colors for availabilityUse colors for availability Scrollable, resizable, matrixScrollable, resizable, matrix View any dayView any day DblClick to scheduleDblClick to schedule

ActiveX Control for CourtsActiveX Control for Courts

Written in Visual Basic 5Written in Visual Basic 5 Can be hosted by almost anythingCan be hosted by almost anything RaiseEvent to allow various hosts to:RaiseEvent to allow various hosts to:

evGetData = populate the grid with evGetData = populate the grid with reservationsreservations

evMakeReservation = attempt to reserve evMakeReservation = attempt to reserve a courta court

Review udcCourts2Review udcCourts2

Hosts for udcCourts2Hosts for udcCourts2

Visual FoxPro exe (clubfoxapp)Visual FoxPro exe (clubfoxapp) Visual Basic exe (clubvbapp)Visual Basic exe (clubvbapp) ActiveX Document ActiveX Document

(docclubaxdoc.vbd)(docclubaxdoc.vbd)

Visual FoxPro Middle TierVisual FoxPro Middle Tier

Business rulesBusiness rules DBFs and remote viewsDBFs and remote views Review of clubfoxsvr Review of clubfoxsvr

(easysvr.udcdatagiver)(easysvr.udcdatagiver) club.dbcclub.dbc mGetDatamGetData

Fwrite vs. concatenating varsFwrite vs. concatenating vars mRequestReservationmRequestReservation

Web Front-end SpecsWeb Front-end Specs

Must run on all popular Must run on all popular browsersbrowsers

Must interact with Intranet data Must interact with Intranet data and applicationsand applications

Present user with list of available Present user with list of available courts for a specific datecourts for a specific date

User selects dateUser selects date User enters names and IdUser enters names and Id User chooses from open courtsUser chooses from open courts

Web ImplementationWeb Implementation

ASP page to produce “pure” ASP page to produce “pure” HTML to run on all browsersHTML to run on all browsers

Visual FoxPro Server produce Visual FoxPro Server produce list of available courts for a datelist of available courts for a date

Visual FoxPro Server process Visual FoxPro Server process reservation requestsreservation requests

All business logic in Visual All business logic in Visual FoxPro serverFoxPro server

Web ASP codeWeb ASP code

Visual InterDev to produce aspVisual InterDev to produce asp Review clubAsp2.aspReview clubAsp2.asp

George F. Goley, IV:

George F. Goley, IV:

When is n-tier a good idea?When is n-tier a good idea?

Low-bandwidth connectionLow-bandwidth connection InternetInternet RASRAS WANWAN

Over-loaded serverOver-loaded server Multi-step processing of dataMulti-step processing of data

especially heterogeneous dataespecially heterogeneous data

Under-powered work stationsUnder-powered work stations

Why use Visual Studio Why use Visual Studio

Build ActiveX Controls Build ActiveX Controls Build ASP pages Build ASP pages Visual Database ToolsVisual Database Tools Anomaly Tracking SystemAnomaly Tracking System

Why use Visual FoxProWhy use Visual FoxPro

Currently, the best Microsoft tool Currently, the best Microsoft tool for building database for building database applicationsapplications

Great middle tier serverGreat middle tier server Great interactive DBMS toolGreat interactive DBMS tool DBC and ODBC make for fast DBC and ODBC make for fast

local data storelocal data store

When use Visual StudioWhen use Visual Studio

Other languages in useOther languages in use Moving Visual FoxPro to webMoving Visual FoxPro to web Improving your resumeImproving your resume

When use Visual FoxProWhen use Visual FoxPro

Record oriented data Record oriented data smashingsmashing Fast, Fast, heterogeneousheterogeneous data access data access Filtered access to large tables Filtered access to large tables Single record retrieval from large Single record retrieval from large

tablestables Complex, changing business Complex, changing business

rulesrules Any one or two tier database Any one or two tier database

applicationapplication

Notes:Notes: ScalabilityScalability

Number of copies of Visual FoxPro Number of copies of Visual FoxPro Servers that “fit” on one machineServers that “fit” on one machine

Individual tables limited to 2 Individual tables limited to 2 gigabytesgigabytes

SecuritySecurity Handled by MTSHandled by MTS

Roles for Visual Studio MembersRoles for Visual Studio Members

Visual FoxPro 6.0Visual FoxPro 6.0 Visual Basic 6.0Visual Basic 6.0 Visual C++ Visual C++ Visual J++Visual J++ Visual InterDevVisual InterDev

Visual FoxPro 6 RoleVisual FoxPro 6 Role

Build all-in-one apps using high-Build all-in-one apps using high-speed DBFsspeed DBFs

Front-end to 2-tier applications (Off-Front-end to 2-tier applications (Off-line views)line views)

Middle tier for data warehousing and Middle tier for data warehousing and data manipulationdata manipulation

Server for Visual Basic and Browser-Server for Visual Basic and Browser-based front-ends (Database based front-ends (Database container)container)

““Father” of ADO/RDOFather” of ADO/RDO

Visual Basic 6 RoleVisual Basic 6 Role Build Front ends to run in NT/95/98Build Front ends to run in NT/95/98 Build ActiveX Controls components Build ActiveX Controls components

for other applicationsfor other applications Build ActiveX Documents and Build ActiveX Documents and

ActiveX Controls for Browser-hosted ActiveX Controls for Browser-hosted front endsfront ends

Build DLLs for business and Build DLLs for business and processing logic in middle tier for processing logic in middle tier for MTS and DCOMMTS and DCOM

Create all-in-one apps with MDBs or Create all-in-one apps with MDBs or VFPODBC-hosted DBFsVFPODBC-hosted DBFs

Visual C++ RoleVisual C++ Role

Build fast system-level Build fast system-level componentscomponents

Build small ActiveX Controls for Build small ActiveX Controls for web and Visual Basic web and Visual Basic

Build database apps using Build database apps using OLEDBOLEDB

Faster, smaller, DLLs, OCXs, Faster, smaller, DLLs, OCXs, EXEsEXEs

Visual J++ Role TodayVisual J++ Role Today

Cross-platform, Browser-hosted Cross-platform, Browser-hosted appsapps

Run-time apps without browsersRun-time apps without browsers Database support through:Database support through:

wrapped COM and ActiveX Controlswrapped COM and ActiveX Controls Callbacks through sockets Callbacks through sockets

““Safe” applets for browsersSafe” applets for browsers

Visual J++ Role in futureVisual J++ Role in future Front end Front end Middle tierMiddle tier No “native” database accessNo “native” database access No inherent performance benefitsNo inherent performance benefits Fits COM model for building Fits COM model for building

componentscomponents

Visual InterDev RoleVisual InterDev Role

Create ASP, DHTML, and HTML Create ASP, DHTML, and HTML pagespages Server and Client-side scriptingServer and Client-side scripting Script Wizard, ActiveX wizardsScript Wizard, ActiveX wizards HTML layoutsHTML layouts Visual InterDev not required for Visual InterDev not required for

ASP and HTML, but does make it ASP and HTML, but does make it easiereasier

Deploy browser-based Deploy browser-based applicationsapplications

QuestionsQuestions

www.microsoft.com/vfoxprowww.microsoft.com/vfoxpro www.microsoft.com/vstudiowww.microsoft.com/vstudio www.microendeavors.comwww.microendeavors.com

Visual FoxPro trainingVisual FoxPro training Visual FoxPro DevelopmentVisual FoxPro Development Microsoft ATEC (Visual Studio)Microsoft ATEC (Visual Studio)

George@microendeavors.comGeorge@microendeavors.com