Methodology Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Henry Zektser
  • Start date Start date
H

Henry Zektser

Hello all,
I'm trying to figure out an effective way to do a database navigation tool,
and I'm coming up with nothing. I have a huge (300+ tables) legacy database
that I need to create a query tool for. Effectively, two lists and a grid.
One list provides available 'views', selecting one view fills the grid with
the data, and the other list with 'links'. Links being child tables, PK
linked tables, etc. Selecting a row in the grid and clicking on a link
updates the view to the linked view, and the process recycles.

The question is, how do I do this? Preferably without writing every sql
query by hand, but even if I have to do that, how do I code it so its still
manageable?

I have ERWin models of the database if those help, theyre complete with
physical and logical names and relationships, it'd be nice to just generate
code there, but any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Henry
 
Hello all,
I'm trying to figure out an effective way to do a database navigation
tool, and I'm coming up with nothing. I have a huge (300+ tables)
legacy database that I need to create a query tool for. Effectively,
two lists and a grid. One list provides available 'views', selecting
one view fills the grid with the data, and the other list with
'links'. Links being child tables, PK linked tables, etc. Selecting a
row in the grid and clicking on a link updates the view to the linked
view, and the process recycles.

The question is, how do I do this? Preferably without writing every
sql query by hand, but even if I have to do that, how do I code it so
its still manageable?

I have ERWin models of the database if those help, theyre complete
with physical and logical names and relationships, it'd be nice to
just generate code there, but any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Henry
Click to expand...

Use a code generator. With any generator you should write your own code
templates. Basically you write your application for one table, and then
replace the table specific name and field names with whatever flags to
the generator you are using requires. All the generators I've seen have
at least one set of default templates, which is good for testing the
generator against your database and for getting some good general data
access ideas. But rarely will these templates be EXACTLY what you need.
There is no one superior way to write a database application for all
situations.

There are a number of generators that you can use. Each has varying
levels of features, default templates, and price. I've seen
announcements for a few of them in this group over the last month.

Off the top of my head I know of three.
1) mine. see my signature
2) RapTier (http://www.2lkit.com)
3) LLBLGen (http://www.llblgen.com)

--
Michael Lang, MCSD
See my .NET open source projects
http://sourceforge.net/projects/colcodegen (simple code generator)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dbobjecter (database app code generator)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/genadonet ("generic" ADO.NET)
 
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