Data Control

The Data control allows you to bind data from an external data source to existing controls on your form.

Client support

   Newlook Smartclient

   Newlook Server

Use

Once a connection to the external data source is established, via the ConnectionString property of the data control, then any other control bound to the data control will automatically display the specified field for the current record.

To bind an existing control to a data control, you need to set the DataSource property to the name of the Data control and the DataField property to a specific field in the data source.

The Data control performs operations on the current record and updates all controls bound to it. It provides navigation buttons to allow the user to move to the first, last, next, or previous record in the data source.

For example, if the user clicks the 'next record' button, all bound controls automatically save any changes to the data back to the database, the Data control moves to the next record and data from the current record is passed to any bound controls.

The Data control automatically handles a number of contingencies including emptying recordsets, adding new records, editing and updating existing records, and handling some types of errors. It provides automated navigation of records and support for browsing, updating and record creation without the need to write any code.

Alert!

In more sophisticated applications, you may need to trap some error conditions that the Data control cannot handle. For example, if the Microsoft Jet database engine has a problem accessing the database file, doesn't have permission, or can't execute the query as coded, a trappable error results. If the error occurs before your application procedures start or due to some internal errors, the Error event is triggered.

Material skin considerations

When the material skin is enabled in your solution, data controls will be rendered in your specified material primary color.

Material skin

Classic skin

ClosedCommon Data Control Tasks
Inserting a Data control and creating a connection to an external database
  1. Open the relevant screen in Designer () mode.
  2. Select Insert|Data () from the main menu, then use your cursor to draw the control area on the screen.
  3. With the Data control selected, specify the ConnectionString and Server properties plus any other relevant Data properties in the Properties pane.
  4. Assign a name for the Data control via the Name property. This name will be used to bind the data control to other controls on your form.
Binding controls to the Data control

The next step is to insert controls onto your form that will display the data from your external database. The types of controls that can be bound to a data source include combo box, date combo, label, text box and numeric combo controls.

There are two properties which you need to set to bind the control to your Data control: DataSource and DataField. The DataSource property should be set to the name of your data control, as specified in step 4 above. The DataField property should be set to the name of the field in the database which you want to display in the control. These properties can be set statically in Designer or dynamically via a script or macro using the SetValue method or action.

Updating a database using the Data control

When a data control opens a database in update mode, the Data control itself handles the tasks necessary to update the data.

The Data control performs all operations on the current record. If the Data control is instructed to move to a different record, all bound controls automatically pass any changes to the Data control to be saved in the database. The Data control then moves to the requested record and passes back data from the current record to the bound controls where it's displayed.

The Data control automatically handles a number of contingencies including empty recordsets, adding new records, editing and updating existing records. However, the Data control does not support deleting records.

ClosedProperties

Newlook Smartclient | Newlook Server | Deprecated | Obsolete

Name

Client

Description

BackColor

Gets or sets the background color of the object.

BOFAction

Gets or sets the action to take when the beginning of the recordset is reached.

CommandType

Gets or sets the command type in the source object (ADO only). Read-only.

ConnectionString

Returns the connection string used to establish a connection to a data source.

CssClass

Gets or sets the CSS class, or classes, for the control in Newlook Server. Server-only.

CursorLocation

Returns the location of the cursor service for a recordset (ADO only).

CursorType

Returns the cursor type for the recordset (ADO only).

Enabled

Gets or sets the enabled state of the object.

EOFAction

Gets or sets the action to take when the end of the recordset is reached.

ForeColor

Gets or sets the foreground (text) color of the control.

FormControlsCollectionIndex

Sets or returns the current control index for an object.

Height

Returns or sets the height of the object's size in pixels at default size, which is the object's size at design-time.

Left

Determines the distance, in pixels, between the left edge of the control and the left edge of its form or parent container at default size, which is the object's size at design-time.

LockType

Returns the type of lock placed on records in a Recordset during editing (ADO only).

Name

Gets or sets the name of this object.

OnBOF

Gets or sets the name of a macro or script to be run when the BOF event occurs.

OnChange

Gets or sets the name of the macro or script to be run when the Change event is triggered.

OnEOF

Gets or sets the name of a macro or script to be run when the EOF event occurs.

OnGotFocus

Gets or sets the name of the macro or script to be run when the GotFocus event is triggered. Smartclient-only property.

OnLostFocus

Gets or sets the name of the macro or script to be run when the LostFocus event is triggered. Smartclient-only property.

OnNext

Gets or sets the name of a macro to be run when the Next event occurs..

OnPrevious

Gets or sets the name of a macro to be run when the Previous event occurs.

Server

Gets or sets the Server type of the external data source.

Source

Gets or sets the name of the data source.

TabIndex

Gets or sets a value which determines the control's tab order.

TabStop

Gets or sets whether the Tab key can be used to set focus to the control.

Tag

Gets or sets user defined information for the control.

TakeFocusOnClick

Gets or sets whether the control will recieve focus when the user clicks on it. Obsolete

Top

Determines the distance, in pixels, between the top edge of the control and the top edge of its form or parent container at default size, which is the object's size at design-time.

Type

Returns a value which specifies the control's type. Read only.

Visible

Gets or sets whether the control, object or form is visible or hidden.

Width

Gets or sets the width of the object in pixels at default size, which is the object's size at design-time.

Methods

None.

See Also

DataGrid control

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