Pro Dynamic .NET 4.0 Applications: Data-Driven Programming for the .NET Framework

266 Pages·2010·3.51 MB·English

by  Carl Ganz

CYAN YELLOW
MAGENTA BLACK
PANTONE 123 C
BOOKS FOR PROFESSIONALS BY PROFESSIONALS® THE EXPERT’S VOICE® IN .NET
Companion
eBook
Carl Ganz, Jr., author of Available
Dynamic .NET 4.0 Applications
Pro Crystal Enterprise /
BusinessObjects XI Pro
Programming, 2006
Dear Reader,
Real World Enterprise Reports D
using VB6 and VB.NET, 2003 Applications should be as flexible and dynamic as possible; the more dynamic an
Visual Basic 5 Web Database application is, the less work will be required to maintain it, because it stores the y
user interface definitions and business rules themselves in a database. Then, when
Development, 1997 n Pro
the application executes, the user interface is dynamically generated, and the data
CA-Visual Objects Developer’s
validated by business rules compiled at runtime. a
Guide, 1995
Pro Dynamic .NET 4.0 Applications is an essential guide to building cutting-
m
edge dynamic .NET 4.0 applications that provide such flexibility and make end-
users as independent of the application’s developer as possible. This approach
Dynamic .NET 4.0
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enables users to have more control over the way that their application functions
c
whilst simultaneously reducing the frequency with which you need to issue service
patches and support updates – saving time and money for both you and the user.
.
Some applications, by their very nature, require flexibility, whereby most, if N
not all, of their functionality is generated at runtime. Constantly changing survey
applications, CRM systems, and accounting systems, whose every data element E
Applications
could never be anticipated at development time, are just a few of the applications
T
that could benefit from the data-driven techniques I cover in this book.
I provide examples based on real-world experiences of developing dynamic soft-
4
ware, covering the basics of data-driven programming; dynamic user interfaces for
WinForms, ASP.NET, and WPF; dynamic reporting; and database design for data- .
driven applications. Though the examples have been created in C# 4.0, the underly- 0
ing concepts can be applied to almost any programming language on almost any

platform. This book will save you and your users countless hours by helping you to A Data-Driven Programming for the .NET
create applications that can easily be modified without major redevelopment effort.
p

Sincerely p Framework
Carl Ganz, Jr.
l
i
c
Companion eBook THE APRESS ROADMAP
a Use data-driven programming to write flexible
Beginning ASP.NET 4.0 Pro ASP.NET 4.0 Pro Dynamic t and dynamic applications
in C# 2010 in C# 2010, Fourth Edition .NET 4.0 Applications i
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Pro C# 2010 and the WPF Recipes in C# 2010:
See last page for details Beginning C# .NET 4.0 Platform, A Problem-Solution Approach n
on $10 eBook version Fifth Edition
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Pro ASP.NET
Illustrated C# Pro WPF in C# 2010 MVC 2 Framework
G Carl Ganz, Jr.
SOURCE CODE ONLINE a
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www.apress.com ISBN 978-1-4302-2519-5 z
54999 ,
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US $49.99
Shelve in:
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User level:
9 781430 225195
Intermediate–Advanced
this print for content only—size & color not accurate 7.5 x 9.25 spine = 0.71875" 264 page count

Pro Dynamic .NET 4.0
Applications
Data-Driven Programming for the .NET
Framework

■ ■ ■
Carl Ganz, Jr.

i
Pro Dynamic .NET 4.0 Applications: Data-Driven Programming for the .NET Framework
Copyright © 2010 by Carl Ganz, Jr.
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With all paternal love, to Carl John III, Rose Veronica, and our unborn baby, either Paul
Christian or Emily Anne, whichever one you turn out to be.
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■ CONTENTS

Contents at a Glance
Contents at a Glance.......................................................................... iv
Contents ............................................................................................ v
About the Author ............................................................................... ix
About the Technical Reviewer.............................................................. x
Acknowledgments.............................................................................. xi
Introduction ..................................................................................... xii
■Chapter 1: Introducing Data-Driven Programming................................ 1
■Chapter 2: Reflection...................................................................... 29
■Chapter 3: Runtime Code Compilation .............................................. 59
■Chapter 4: Dynamic WinForms ......................................................... 77
■Chapter 5: Dynamic ASP.NET ..........................................................123
■Chapter 6: Dynamic WPF ................................................................155
■Chapter 7: Reporting .....................................................................183
■Chapter 8: Database Design ...........................................................217
■Index............................................................................................237

iv
Contents
Contents at a Glance.......................................................................... iv
Contents ............................................................................................ v
About the Author ............................................................................... ix
About the Technical Reviewer.............................................................. x
Acknowledgments.............................................................................. xi
Introduction ..................................................................................... xii
■Chapter 1: Introducing Data-Driven Programming ...............................1
Database Metadata.........................................................................................................2
SQL Server.............................................................................................................................................2
Oracle.....................................................................................................................................................4
Practical Applications.....................................................................................................6
Code Generation..............................................................................................................9
Custom Code Generators.....................................................................................................................10
Using the CodeDOM.............................................................................................................................13
Summary.......................................................................................................................28
■Chapter 2: Reflection...................................................................... 29
Instantiating Classes.....................................................................................................29
Loading Shared Assemblies.................................................................................................................31
Examining Classes...............................................................................................................................32
Drilling Down into Assembly Objects............................................................................41
Building an Object Hierarchy................................................................................................................42
Importing Control Definitions...............................................................................................................45

v
■ CONTENTS

Decompiling Source Code.............................................................................................52
Summary.......................................................................................................................57
■Chapter 3: Runtime Code Compilation .............................................. 59
System.CodeDom.Compiler Namespace.......................................................................59
Compiling the Code..............................................................................................................................61
Error Handling......................................................................................................................................63
Executing the Code..............................................................................................................................66
Referencing Controls on Forms.....................................................................................68
Adding References........................................................................................................70
Testing..........................................................................................................................75
Summary.......................................................................................................................75
■Chapter 4: Dynamic WinForms......................................................... 77
Instantiating Forms.......................................................................................................77
Wiring Events................................................................................................................81
Loading Control Definitions...........................................................................................83
Loading from XML................................................................................................................................84
Loading from a Table...........................................................................................................................86
Connecting Event Code........................................................................................................................90
Practical Solutions........................................................................................................92
Building a Filter Screen........................................................................................................................92
Saving Grid Settings.............................................................................................................................99
Data-Driven Menus............................................................................................................................103
Creating Criteria Screens............................................................................................110
Dynamic Criteria Controls..................................................................................................................110
Extracting the User Selections...........................................................................................................117
Summary.....................................................................................................................122

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■ CONTENTS

■Chapter 5: Dynamic ASP.NET......................................................... 123
Instantiating Web Controls..........................................................................................123
Understanding the Page Life Cycle....................................................................................................127
Using HTML Tables.............................................................................................................................133
ParseControl.......................................................................................................................................137
Instantiating User Controls.................................................................................................................139
Repeater Controls..............................................................................................................................143
Practical Solutions......................................................................................................147
Dynamic Criteria Controls..................................................................................................................147
Extracting the User Selections...........................................................................................................152
Summary.....................................................................................................................153
■Chapter 6: Dynamic WPF............................................................... 155
XAML...........................................................................................................................155
Layout.........................................................................................................................157
Canvas...............................................................................................................................................158
Grid.....................................................................................................................................................160
StackPanel.........................................................................................................................................162
WrapPanel..........................................................................................................................................164
DockPanel..........................................................................................................................................166
Runtime Instantiation..................................................................................................168
Accessing Child Controls....................................................................................................................171
Nested Controls..................................................................................................................................172
XamlWriter/XamlReader..............................................................................................175
Persisting Objects..............................................................................................................................176
IsAncestorOf/IsDescendantOf............................................................................................................177
Wiring Events..............................................................................................................179
Data-Driven .Menus....................................................................................................180
Summary.....................................................................................................................182

vii
■ CONTENTS

■Chapter 7: Reporting .................................................................... 183
SQL Server Extended Properties.................................................................................183
Microsoft Excel...........................................................................................................189
Syncfusion’s Essential XlsIO..............................................................................................................191
SoftArtisans’ OfficeWriter for Excel....................................................................................................194
PDF..............................................................................................................................197
iTextSharp..........................................................................................................................................197
Syncfusion’s Essential PDF................................................................................................................200
SAP/Business Objects: Crystal Reports.......................................................................202
Embedded vs. Nonembedded Reports...............................................................................................202
Dynamic Crystal Reports....................................................................................................................202
SQL Server Reporting Services...................................................................................210
Using RDL...........................................................................................................................................210
Dynamic Rdl.......................................................................................................................................212
Summary.....................................................................................................................216
■Chapter 8: Database Design .......................................................... 217
Data Storage...............................................................................................................217
Committing Data to the Database...............................................................................221
Using Inverted Tables.................................................................................................225
Structuring Inverted Data...................................................................................................................225
Extracting Inverted Data.....................................................................................................................227
Converting Inverted Data to a Normalized Structure.........................................................................229
Mixing Normalized and Inverted Tables.............................................................................................232
Summary.....................................................................................................................235
■Index........................................................................................... 237

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