Visual report Writer released
EDUC
Exploring Visual Dataflex
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A new year, and already new releases are coming from Data Access
Visual Report Writer
VRW will be released by early March. For more details of this brand new product from Data Access, see below. And, take note, as a reward to "early adopters", there is a 50% discount if you purchase this month!
Discovering Visual DataFlex for Windows
We have reviewed this book before, and this new revision, right up to date with VDF 15.1 continues the high standard of previous editions.
However, it was undeniably expensive. Data Access Europe have now been able to reduce their production costs, resulting in a new price of £107 + £13.50 p&p.
Still not cheap, but this is the material from the full 5 day VDF training course, and viewed that way, it is a bargain!
More below
EDUC 2010
EDUC in 2010 is a 2-day conference, held on March 4 & 5 in Seefeld, in the Austrian Tirol. The Wetterstein Hotel there has been reserved exclusively for this event.
As always, technical lectures about Data Access products, including programming tips & tricks will be given, and there are plenty of other topics scheduled to be presented by experienced and innovative VDF developers.
Out of hours, there will be time to explore the leisure, relaxation and sports activities that Seefeld as a snow resort can offer. Several training sessions are also available, just prior to the main event.
Data Access have found an environment, accommodation and ambiance of very high quality, but are keeping the costs down to the "affordable" category. Combined with the recent improvement in the £/€ exchange rate, this is your best EDUC opportunity for some time!
For the preliminary agenda, which includes a look at the up-coming VDF v16 go to http://www.educ2010.com/
Register for the conference here
While continuing to evolve as a Windows Application development system, with the release of V2 of the VDF AJAX Library, Visual DataFlex has also become a hugely capable web application development tool. With Web Applications becoming more and more in demand, this course is designed to give you all that you need to get started in what is a relatively new area for many Visual DataFlex developers.
As this is getting close, make sure you register now!
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Visual Report Writer
Background
For some time now Crystal Reports has presented OEMs like Data Access with problems in keeping up with the details of the the interfaces to the DataFlex embedded database, and also in providing facilities for embedding and controlling reports in Visual DataFlex applications.
Very commendably, Data Access decided to create a brand new Visual Report Writer, actually written with Visual Dataflex. Initially primarily for the VDF community, Data Access have a definite intent to extend this into a report writing tool that will compete in the general market place. The developer edition is expected to release in March 2010, and is now available as the first Release Candidate.
Visual Report Writer Features
For stand-alone (end-user) report building, the ’Report Creation Wizard’ takes you through the process of creating a report. Starting with selecting data sources it continues all the way through grouping, filtering, summarizing and sorting the data, culminating in a visual, drag & drop design interface.
At this level the end-user has full control over designing and programming functionality within the Visual Report Writer product. The language used for creating functions will be familiar as a VB-Like script-language.
For developers, the Visual Report Writer Developer Edition offers seamless integration with the Visual DataFlex development environment.
When installing Visual Report Writer Developer Edition, an integration wizard is automatically installed in Visual DataFlex Studio and a Visual Report Writer library workspace is created. Deploying integrated reports in a Visual DataFlex Windows applications is very simple and only requires the installation of an OCX and two DLL’s. Distribution is royalty-free when the Developer Edition of Visual Report Writer is used.
The embedded DataFlex database system is supported with no need for extra connectivity kits. Also, any database that is accessible via ODBC can be used as a data source, for example Microsoft SQL Server, Pervasive.SQL, Oracle, etc, again with no extra connectivity kit complication. Similarly, access to MS Excel and MS Access is possible as well.
Developer Edition specific features.
The Developer Edition offers the full report design capabilities. Additionally, the Developer Edition supports the following:
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Integration capabilities with Visual DataFlex Studio.
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Royalty-free distribution of integrated reports. For deployment, the developer can distribute and install the OCX for viewing reports in a Visual DataFlex application at no additional runtime cost.
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Developers can lock a report with the serial-number of the license of the developer. This will exclude an end-user from opening the report in Visual Report Writer. They cannot look into the logic of a locked report and they cannot change the report.
Cost
Developer Edition - £560
Early Bird Discounts
- If you buy in February - £280
- If you by in March - £336
- If you buy in April - £392
Plus the usual £15 order charge, and these are prices for cheque/EFT payment
How to Buy
Download a copy of this summary and fax back order form
Call us on 0845 2707747
How to get hold of the Visual Report Writer Release Candidate
Download the install package which will run as a 60 day evaluation, and which may also be registered with the Release Candicate registration provided there.
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Exploring Visual Dataflex for Windows
Developing great looking applications with Visual DataFlex is easy!
Thousands of programmers worldwide use Visual DataFlex for creating very diverse database applications using many different database formats.
While applications written with the Visual DataFlex programming language can of course access the embedded DataFlex database, any popular database, including Microsoft SQL Server, Pervasive.SQL, Oracle, IBM DB2 and others can be used as the data store for your applications. Use of another database platform can often achieved without recompilation of the applications.
Visual DataFlex comes with an object oriented framework which enables you to rapidly build fast and reliable business software solutions. This language and framework are easy to learn.
Novices can easily drag and drop their first application together, while professionals appreciate the flexibility and architecture of the extensive libraries that support their daily work.
 About the book
"Discovering Visual DataFlex for Windows" is the first book in a series about developing applications with Visual DataFlex.
Based on revision 2009/15.1 of Visual DataFlex, this is the latest version at the time of publishing. The contents of this book are your first step in getting a broad and clear overview of the Visual DataFlex Studio and programming language. Work right through the book and learn how to build a full scale medium level Windows application based on 9 database tables.
Along the way, each chapter smoothly leads you into understanding more and more of the details. You will gain knowledge at your own pace, and you can always turn back pages to re-read parts as needed. This book includes examples, exercises and software.
Is this the book For you?
This Discovering Visual DataFlex book does not require any prior knowledge of DataFlex or Visual DataFlex. However, to benefit from the full capabilities of the Visual DataFlex development Studio, it is helpful to have had training in programming or experience with other languages such as Visual Basic, Delphi, C# or similar.
The Visual DataFlex Personal Edition
This makes it an ideal acquisition for anyone who has downloaded the free Visual DataFlex Personal Edition, as All the concepts and lessons taught in this book can be tackled with Visual DataFlex Personal which has no technical restrictions placed upon it.
If you are reading this and do not own a commercial Visual DataFlex development license, you can use the free Visual DataFlex Personal - simply go to www.dataaccess.eu/vdf to download your own personal copy of Visual DataFlex. This book is sure to contain material that you didn’t know about! It will give you ideas, show you how to do things you didn’t know how to do (or even that they could be done!) and who knows, perhaps even show you better ways of doing things that you do know how to do.
Already a VDF Developer?
This book is sure to contain material that you didn’t know about! It will give you ideas, show you how to do things you didn’t know how to do (or even that they could be done!) and who knows, perhaps even show you better ways of doing things that you do know how to do.
Cost
£120.50 including direct delivery from Data Access. (£126.74 if paying by credit card) Call us on 0845 2707747 or email sales@asckey.com in order to purchase a copy.
 About the author
Vincent Oorsprong is the manager of Training & Support at Data Access Europe B.V. Vincent started with DataFlex in 1985 (DataFlex 2.1), and since then he has been an important contributor to a large, international community of developers.
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Client Focus - BaseBuild Software
Data Aware Graphics in Data Entry
Base Build Software Solutions has had a neat estimating system for estimating building costs for Conservatory bases since 2003, built with Visual Basic and Access.
Of late, problems with controlling the installation on end user PCs that could be at very different patch levels for the Microsoft components involved lead to a search for a new platform. After lot of research and talking to people, Base Build decided to go for Visual DataFlex and commissioned a redevelopment using Visual DataFlex v15. Basically, the existing system was handed to a programmer to use as a template for the new VDF based system.
With the first release of this now completed, Base Build v4.2 is now available to new and existing users.
User Friendly Graphics
So far, so unremarkable as a development story! What makes the Base Build system distinctive is its use of images within the data entry facilities. This screen shot shows how the details of the construction are very realistically represented within the Base Build system.
This is very neat, but it gets better! The next screen shot shows how the image changes according to the selections made and the data - thicknesses etc - entered.
That is not the only use of "data aware" images. This image shows how the actual layout of the conservatory is also visualised, allowing for instant adjustment to both the site dimensions and customer preference.
Derek Appleby, who runs Base Build says
"We estimate that to work out a conservatory base including all materials labour and costs will take at least 2.5 hours. Base Build V4.2 will take no more than 10 minutes depending on how fast the user can enter the sizes. If they are charging £20.00 an hour that’s a saving of £10,000.00 per year. That’s a massive saving!
However Base Build is not something for the office staff alone. Customers don’t understand numbers, but they understand pictures, and being able to see exactly what the numbers mean can be a deal clincher, particularly as the changes to materials and costs are immediately available every time the layout and other specifications change."
Future Plans
Derek now intends to push on with the next phase of development, an extra module that will calculate all work outside the conservatory (walls, steps, paths, patios, paving slabs, block paving, tarmac, labour, over-site & footing dig & disposal of waste, etc.) using the same graphical presentation to make the design process easy for the customer to understand and for office staff to use.
A web page version of this is on our Visual DataFlex web site
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 With Visual DataFlex continuing to grow in scope and features, we hope to see you at the VDF sig or other events through 2010.
If you need any advice on what VDF can do, just call us, that’s what we are there for.
If you would like to suggest training subjects for us to provide as we go into the Autumn, please let us know - 0845 2707747, or email enquiries@asckey.com
e-News from Visual DataFlex in the UK is provided by Asckey Data Services Ltd.
Your individuality drives our excellence.
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