RE: Re: Resort back to RPG? -- WEB400

Hi Nathan,

It's difficult to answer your questions since this is a project still in
development, but I'll do my best...

> The number of:
> - database tables and views

I have about 30 files in our database, each one is fully encapsulated in
it's own wrapper class.  All access is handled through these classes:
selecting, updating, deleting, and inserting each have their own methods
with their own SQL statements.  Every variable is accounted for complete
with it's own getter and setter methods.  All the nitty gritty JDBC stuff is
handled in a single class called DBAccess.  Any class that wants to connect
to the current database simply instantiates DBAccess and retrieves it's
connection for use with it's SQL statements.

To me the Views issue is no big deal thanks to the magic of method
overloading.  You could have a method for the standard view and/or a method
that accepts a String that is the "ORDER BY" parameter, and then use it like
so where VMADDR1 is the field name to order by...

MyDBFileObject object = new MyDBFileObject();
object.select( "VMADDR1" );

The next step would be to define each of the database field names as a
constant in the wrapper class and then refer to that constant name:

public static final String ADDRESS = "VMADDR1" ;
...

MyDBFileObject object = new MyDBFileObject();
object.select( MyDBFileObject.ADDRESS );

Now the user does not need to know the actual Database Field name to order
by, just a Constant descriptor.

Want multiple selection?  No problem... overload the method again to accept
an array of Strings.
Now when you build the SQL statement, simply read through the array and add
each ORDER BY parameter.

Simply, easy, flexible file views!



> - database maintenance screens
> - database inquiry screens

This is an interesting question, one I'm not sure exactly how to answer.  I
consider it apples and oranges between a typical green screen program and
the potential of a full GUI.  I have one GUI shell program.  Inside it I
create and display different components depending on current user action.
They can be seen simultaneously, overlapping, independently, or what have
you.  With the current design I'm building, components are created that
contain each logical part of the database.  Sometimes that may only be one
file, sometimes it may be several, but the user sees one unified display.
I'm having trouble expressing what I'm thinking, but I hope this gets it
across...



> The number of printed reports available, and how they're generated?

I'm still learning about printing: remember, this is a work in progress :-)

I have several options here.  I can design and deliver output as pure text
files, which I think is analogous to a standard SPLF.  I can output HTML
complete with graphics and images.  I can draw to a BufferedImage with
anything you could do graphics or layout wise.  I can probably get real
techie and write directly to the printer itself (not that I have any clue
HOW to!) but there are a whole slew of standard classes available to help
with Printer output and Jobs.


Sorry I can't write more right now...

Joel R. Cochran
Director of Internet Services
VamaNet.com
(800)480-8810
mailto:webmaster@vamanet.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nathan M. Andelin [mailto:nandelin@RELATIONAL-DATA.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 8:14 PM
> To: web400@midrange.com
> Subject: Re: [WEB400] Re: Resort back to RPG?
>
>
> > From: "Joel R. Cochran" <jrc@masi-brac.com>
> > Maybe I'm just not substantial :-)
>
> Joel,
>
> Would you mind describing the type of transactions that must
> be entered by
> users of your software?
>
> The number of:
> - database tables and views
> - database maintenance screens
> - database inquiry screens
>
> contained in your application?
>
> The number of printed reports available, and how they're generated?
>
> It may give us a feel for what's possible in a cross-platform Java
> application.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nathan M. Andelin
> www.relational-data.com
>
>
>
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