Easier way to handle database apps creation with vb6 (simple and error free)

[Davor Geci]

Hello guys,

History
Years ago we had the challenge while building and maintaining dozens of applications with hundreds of CRUD (create, read, update and delete) Mater-Detail database forms and nonbound forms for creating parameters for reports or getting parameters for some kind of processing.
It’s not a problem when you have few forms, but when the app grows and the number of forms increases, men, then it gets messy.

This is how the Virtual Forms project was born.

So we decided to create a ActiveX control which will handle the 95% of all our database operations and for other 5% we would use the standard manual process.
The main challenges are:
* create forms without repetitive writing (copy/pasting) the same code over and over again
* forms must be reusable
* form creation must be quick
* the forms must have the options to be also used as LookUp Forms
* Master-Detail or relationships must be simple to implement (without coding) (eg.Order->OrderDetail, Order->OrderPayments,....)
* must have the ability to add new buttons with custom functions
* every control on the form must be accessible through code
* CRUD (create, read, update and delete) must be automatic
* forms can be database bound and nonbound (for creating parameters for reports or getting parameters for some kind of processing)
* must contain Events like: BeforeFormOpen, BeforeSave, AfterSave, EditChange, TextBoxValidation, TexBoxChange,.....
* Intelligent GridControl: automaticly handle sorting, filtering, formatting, summing, multi selecting
* Intelligent EditControl: some sort of responsive design, auto handling of fields types (Strings, Dates, Numeric, LookUp Form Fields)
* in the first quarter of 2017 the plan is to incorporate in the GridControl the algorithm for automatical handling of millions or even billions of rows by implementing pagination

With the experience and knowledge gathered over the years and the use of this control in a number of companies that specialize in creating applications for financial and accounting sector in the Croatian market we decided to allow others to also have the opportunity to use this control in their work.
And so the WinPIS j.d.o.o. company was born on 12. December 2012. (12.12.2012. :-).

In winter of 2016. the Beta version of Virtual Forms 32-bit edition is launched.

Why the name Virtual Forms
The forms that are created at run time doesn’t exist at design time.
There is only 1 physical form at design time that is hidden in control. When we create a Virtual form the control creates a virtual copy of this physical form. That way we can have many instances of the same form loaded.


You can download and play with it on http://www.virtual-forms.com

Here are the code and the database used in the video:

vb6 How Do I 1.zip

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Here is a video to show you some of many features of the Virtual Forms:

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Video How to create a simple Database Desktop App in vb6:

[Davor Geci]

I would be very grateful for your comments.

Thank you

Some screenshots from apps that were created with Virtual Forms:

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Main Treeview Menu where we can attach forms or functions to Nodes:

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This is a simple Virtual Form:

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Master-Detail Form - Form with Relationships InvoicesMater -> InvoicesItems, InvoicesPayments, InvoicesAccounts, InvoicesNotes,.....:

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Auto generated filter Form from GridControl:

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Sample Unbound Form for getting user input for generating report:

[Thierry69]

Just tested it within a VMware windows 7, with Excel 2010.
And I have "Runtime Error 3709"
Then "VFile (Virtual Form File) does not exist"
D:\UFO\Active\OCX\VirtualFormDesigner.vf
And of course Error 440

It seems that one of you r OCX is not registered

[Davor Geci]

Thierry69 thank you very much for taking the time to test it.

I need to create a new test environment and test it there. I will post here when I solve the problem.

:-) Once again, thank you!!
Davor

[Davor Geci]

Just tested it within a VMware windows 7, with Excel 2010.
And I have "Runtime Error 3709"
Then "VFile (Virtual Form File) does not exist"
D:\UFO\Active\OCX\VirtualFormDesigner.vf
And of course Error 440


It seems that one of you r OCX is not registered

The problem is solved and the new version 1.2.0.705 is available for download on http://www.virtual-forms.com/