This document covers the following topics:
Application Designer provides a simple but flexible way to develop typical reporting pages for querying the contents of a relational database. There is a set of database (DB) controls for creating queries. DB controls can be divided into two types:
Filter Criteria Controls (DBSELECTOPTION, DBFIELD, DBCOMBO,
DBRADIOBUTTON and DBCHECKBOX)
These are controls representing/covering a single filter criterion of
a query. The controls provide for value help (except DBCHECKBOX and
DBRADIOBUTTON), a check whether the user input is valid (again except
DBCHECKBOX and DBRADIOBUTTON) and a conversion of the user input to a string to
be added to the SQL string. The following screen shot shows (from top to
bottom) a DBCHECKBOX, DBCOMBO, DBFIELD, DBRADIOBUTTON and DBSELECTOPTION
control.
As with the "corresponding" controls (CHECKBOX, COMBODYN, FIELD, RADIOBUTTON) you have a high degree of freedom when placing the DB controls into the layout of the report.
DBQUERY Control
This control represents an entire database query. It covers filter
criteria, the query execution, the result area, output formats such as PDF and
query variants - with a minimum of programming effort on server side. The
following screenshot shows one DBQUERY control.
The DBQUERY control has various properties in order to adapt the layout to your needs - but you are not as free as with the above mentioned DB controls.
Use the filter criteria controls in the following case:
The page layout of the report is of high importance and the DBQUERY control cannot be adapted to match your needs.
Use the DBQUERY control in the following cases:
If you want to create a report in a very efficient way (in respect to creating the page layout as well as to the programming effort on the server side).
If you do not want to care about report variants and PDF conversion