Blog: Posts from July, 2012

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Posts from July, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012PrintSubscribe
Tooltips

Tooltips, also called hints, are commonly used to clarify application element functions to the end user.

Let’s apply a tooltip to the Unit Price data field in the New Order Details form.

Start the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Controllers tab and double-click on OrderDetails / Views / createForm1 / c1 – New Order Details / UnitPrice data field node.

UnitPrice data field in createForm1 of OrderDetails controller in the Project Explorer.

Change the Tooltip property:

Property New Value
Tooltip Please specify the agreed upon price per unit in this order.

Press OK to save the data field. On the toolbar, press Browse.

Navigate to the Order Details page, and create a new order detail. Mouse over the Unit Price input, and the specified tooltip will appear.

Specified tooltip displayed when user mouses over Unit Price input box.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012PrintSubscribe
FileName Action

Actions Export to Spreadsheet, Download, and Report will produce a file when executed on the server. The file name is a concatenation of the data controller and the view.

Customers generated report file named after the controller and view.

Let’s create a business rule that will assign custom names to the output files.

First, enable shared business rules and regenerate the project. Start the Project Designer and click Develop on the toolbar to open the project in Visual Studio.

In the Solution Explorer, double-click on ~\App_Code\Rules\SharedBusinessRules.cs(vb) file.

SharedBusinessRules file in the Solution Explorer.

Replace the default code with the following:

C#:

using System;
using MyCompany.Data;
using System.IO;

namespace MyCompany.Rules
{
    public partial class SharedBusinessRules : MyCompany.Data.BusinessRules
    {

        public SharedBusinessRules()
        {
        }

        // 1. "Actions | Export to Spreadsheet" in any controller
        [ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ExportRowset")]
        public void AssignFileNameToExportSpreadsheet(string fileName)
        {
            UpdateFieldValue("FileName", String.Format("Live {0} Data Link.iqy", 
                ControllerName));
        }

        // 2. "Actions | Download" in 'Suppliers' controller
        [ControllerAction("Suppliers", "FileName", "ExportCsv")]
        public void AssignFileNameToDownloadCsv(string fileName)
        {
            UpdateFieldValue("FileName", String.Format("{0:yyyy-MM-dd} Supplier List.csv", 
                DateTime.Now));
        }

        // 3. "Report |.." in any data controller
        [ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "Report")]
        [ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsPdf")]
        [ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsExcel")]
        [ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsWord")]
        [ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsImage")]
        public void FormatReportFileName(string fileName)
        {
            UpdateFieldValue("FileName", String.Format("{0:yyyy-MM-dd} {1}{2}",
                DateTime.Now,
                Arguments.Controller,
                Path.GetExtension(fileName)));
        }
    }
}

Visual Basic:

Imports MyCompany.Data
Imports System
Imports System.IO

Namespace MyCompany.Rules

    Partial Public Class SharedBusinessRules
        Inherits MyCompany.Data.BusinessRules

        Public Sub New()
            MyBase.New()
        End Sub

        ' 1. "Actions | Export to Spreadsheet" in any controller
        <ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ExportRowset")>
        Public Sub AssignFileNameToExportSpreadsheet(fileName As String)
            UpdateFieldValue("FileName", String.Format("Live {0} Data Link.iqy",
                                                       ControllerName))
        End Sub

        ' 2. "Actions | Download" in 'Suppliers' controller
        <ControllerAction("Suppliers", "FileName", "ExportCsv")>
        Public Sub AssignFileNameToDownloadCsv(fileName As String)
            UpdateFieldValue("FileName", String.Format("{0:yyyy-MM-dd} SupplierList.csv",
                                                       DateTime.Now))
        End Sub

        ' 3. "Report |.." in any data controller
        <ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "Report")>
        <ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsPdf")>
        <ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsExcel")>
        <ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsWord")>
        <ControllerAction(".", "FileName", "ReportAsImage")>
        Public Sub FormatReportFileName(fileName As String)
            UpdateFieldValue("FileName", String.Format("{0:yyyy-MM-dd} {1}{2}",
                                                       DateTime.Now,
                                                       Arguments.Controller,
                                                       Path.GetExtension(fileName)))
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Save the file.

The implementation handles FileName action with arguments equal to the action command names that require an output file. For example, Export to Spreadsheet action has it’s command set to “ExportRowset”. The application framework will try to obtain a custom filename from the business rules by raising an internal action with command name of “FileName” and argument of “ExportRowset”. If the business rules are updating the filename, then the new name will be assigned to the output file.

Press Ctrl+F5 keyboard shortcut to run the web application. Navigate to the Suppliers page. On the action bar, click Actions | Download.

Download action in the suppliers grid view.

The name of the file will be the current date followed by “Supplier List”.

Download action produced a file with a custom name.

Report action file output will be named with the date and controller name.

PDF Report produced a file with a custom name.

The Export to Spreadsheet action will name the file “Live Suppliers Data Link”.

Export action also produces a file with a custom name.

Monday, July 23, 2012PrintSubscribe
Custom Modal Forms with SQL Business Rules

Custom modal forms can be used to collect parameters from the user and pass them to business rules for processing.

A custom data controller without a command can define fields, presentation views, and actions. Such controllers may be used as confirmations for actions for the purpose of collecting input parameters.

Let’s consider the steps involved in the creation of a confirmation data controller using a Northwind sample application.

Child views in a master/detail relationship will automatically hide the foreign key field to prevent duplicate display of the field value. This means that the Supplier Company Name field in the list of supplier products controller is hidden.

Suppliers page with Products child view. Products view does not display the foreign key field.

However, sometimes the user may want to change the foreign key of a child record. This may occur if a product is incorrectly associated with a supplier. One solution is to navigate to the standalone Products page where the supplier lookup is visible. A better alternative would be to create a custom action displaying a modal form that will allow the user to change the foreign key field in the child list of products.

Start the Project Designer. In the Project Explorer, switch to the Controllers tab. On the toolbar, press New Controller icon.

New Controller icon on the Project Explorer toolbar.

Give this controller the following name:

Property Value
Name SupplierSelector

Press OK to save the controller. In the Project Explorer, right-click on SupplierSelector / Fields node, and select New Field option.

New Field context menu option for Fields node in the Project Explorer.

Give this field the following properties:

Property Value
Name ProductName
Type String
Length 40
Label Product
Values of this field cannot be edited True

Press OK to save. Create another field:

Property Value
Name SupplierCompanyName
Type String
Length 40
Label Supplier
Values of this field cannot be edited True

Save this field, and create one more.

Property Value
Name SupplierID
Type int32
Label New Supplier
Items Style Lookup
Items Data Controller Suppliers
Items Value Field SupplierID
Items Text Field CompanyName

Save the field. Right-click on SupplierSelector / Business Rules node, and select New Business Rule option.

New Business Rule context menu option in the Project Explorer.

Give this business rule the following properties:

Property Value
Type SQL
Command Name New
Phase Execute
Script
set @ProductName = @Context_ProductName
set @SupplierCompanyName = @Context_SupplierCompanyName

Press OK to save.

SQL Business Rule handling New action in SupplierSelector data controller.

In the Project Explorer, right-click on Products / Actions / ag1 (Grid) node and select New Action option.

New Action context menu option in the Project Explorer.

Give this action the following properties:

Property Value
Command Name Custom
Command Argument CustomModalForm
Header Text Change Supplier
Confirmation

_controller=SupplierSelector
_title=Select a New Product Supplier
_width=500

Press OK to save. Right-click on Products / Business Rules node, and select New Business Rule option.

New Business Rule context menu option for Products controller.

Use the following properties:

Property Value
Type SQL
Command Name Custom
Command Argument CustomModalForm
Phase Execute
Script
--update the product supplier
update Products
set SupplierID = @Parameters_SupplierID
where ProductID = @ProductID
--'forget' the previously selected product
set @ProductID = null
--force the data view to refresh
set @Result_Refresh = 1

Press OK to save.

SQL business rule processing custom action for Products controller in Code On Time Project Explorer.

On the toolbar, press Browse.

Navigate to the Suppliers page, and select a supplier. In the context menu of a product, select Change Supplier.

Change Supplier context menu action in the list of products.

A custom modal form will open, displaying the current Product and Supplier.

Custom modal form allowing user to select a new product supplier.

Use the lookup to select a new supplier.

Suppliers lookup.

Press OK to confirm, and the supplier of the product will change to the new supplier.

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