Admin application, design dilemma...

Im have been given the wonderful task of designing an admin app for a database... there are about 40 tables that are editable, all with different number of columns and types. I want to make this app as polymorphic as possible...

All that really differs is the sql statements needed to perform the CRUD operations, the visuals and the GUI is the same...

Just how generic can I make it? I have already designed the classes for each of the 40 tables, with CRUD(create, read, update, delete) methods...


All I need is a polymorphic GUI (datagrid) because if there is a change in the GUI, I don't feel like changing áll 40 datagrids (for example if the paging should change from 10 to 20)


HOW can I do this? Im pretty good with OO in vb.net but unsure how to apply this to the GUI...

Any guru or MCAD who favours OO solutions and who can solve my dilemma?

kind regards
Henrik

I feel your pain. I am looking to do the same thing, but haven't developed anything mind blowing yet. Binding to the datagrid using it to autopopulate columns is a good start, but just that a start.

I found some asp.net code generators out there that do this. It might be beneficial to get one of those...who knows.

Could you not write an inherited class, using 4 public properties that set the commands?

VB Code:

Public Property UpdateCommand() As String
..
End Property

It isn't the updating and saving that is the problem, the problem is not having to design a seperate page for each table.

So you are wanting a datagrid that would adapt to any table structure it was bound to?

Yes, in a way. But we need editing, updating and deleting as well.

Not asking for much huh...lol.

well, I already have the first part, but I do my editing, updating, etc.. as a hyperlink column that passes the unique records ID to another page.

You can also write your own template classes... that may get you there as well..

http://www.devx.com/vb2themax/Article/19908/0/page/3

Thank you, thank you I will look into this!

I must ask you fellow developers this.. as I understand it some of you work at software developer companies... how is your time planned? When do you have time to try out new technologies (new controls, like infragistics, microsoft app blocks etc)

Where I work we developers are planned so tight that we get just enough time to finish the given task with the current level of knowledge and techniques, so exploring new techniques and new knowledge is something I have to do on my off hours...

testing new things is a rare commodity here, what about at your companies? Does your boss mind if you spend a few between projects testing new technology...

We had one great guy here, and MCAD and on every meeting he always had something new to show, like infragistics charts, all kinds of auto generating stuff... too bad he left us... but I can't blame him :) I can see myself ending the same way, since I also like to explore new things...


woops, the thread went off track here.. :)

kind regards
Henrik

I work at a small company, only five people, two programmers. Like you, exploring new things usually happens off-hours, however, we do kill time periodically while on company time, when we are spent coding for the day. Some days you accomplish so much, the last 2 hours you just have to 'unwind' .....

Other days, we just do investigations, but they are of course, related to finishing the project.

For example, we spent 3 days investigating SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services, before deciding to drop Crystal.

And we spent a good month writing/testing our own controls, since not even Infragistics could offer what we wanted.