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Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

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    #16
    Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

    Well, I have developed a complete rewrite of my desktop application using the WAS. It works great, albeit a bit slower. I thought that the main advantage of the WAS application that I developed is its accessibility from anywhere. But after reading this thread, I see that a desktop app can be accessible from anywhere too, and with any number of users. So I am wondering what the real advantages of the WAS version of the application are.
    Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

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      #17
      Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

      We might be just spinning our wheels here. It may against the license so we'll have to wait and see what they say.
      Up and coming Alphaholic ;)

      Comment


        #18
        Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

        Actually, I love the WAS. It may be somewhat of a steep learning curve at first, but after a while, things go very fast. I really am just curious as to the thinking behind going one way or the other. The advantages of the desktop include speed, ease of development, and richness of features. Advantages of the WAS include even greater accessiblity because it is cross platform including different operating systems, even cell phones - wherever you have access to a browser you can access the WAS application.

        But I would love to hear if there are other pros and cons of one over the other.

        Gary
        Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

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          #19
          Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

          I think you've answered your own question about the pros...
          Up and coming Alphaholic ;)

          Comment


            #20
            Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

            Two unrelated questions:

            A- Will a Web interface support the maintenance of one-to-many records where the user can 1) select a record in a parent table and then add one or more records to a child table, or 2) Create a child record, then select an associated record from a parent table via a picklist.

            B- Supposing I've developed a web app but don't want to fool with a web server or db server. Are there companies that provide this service? Can anyone recommend one? (EG, just like some providers provide .NET hosting.)

            Thanks. This has become a very interesting thread!

            -Kurt

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              #21
              Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

              Select a record in a parent table and then add one or more records to a child table
              Grid or Tabbed Grid Linker, or custom arrangement using a grid to show parent, and a link to a grid showing related child records and some fancy footwork to bounce between the two.

              Create a child record, then select an associated record from a parent table via a picklist.
              Dropdown box or a Lookup field.

              Supposing I've developed a web app but don't want to fool with a web server or db server. Are there companies that provide this service? Can anyone recommend one? (EG, just like some providers provide .NET hosting.)
              See http://www.alphasoftware.com/hosting/
              Steve Wood
              See my profile on IADN

              Comment


                #22
                Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

                I'm having a little problem with updating information.

                I have several tables. The main table has the job information and there are several other tables that are used to update the job information as certain parts of it are completed.


                I want to bring up a tabbed box like the attached desktop application. How would I get it to link up though? When I search for the job information, there won't be a job number in the update table yet...

                Do I create a grid for each one, hide the job # in the update tables, and then update the job number with the main table's job number when the submit button is pressed? Oh, and if this the way to do it, can someone please help me write the code properly?
                Up and coming Alphaholic ;)

                Comment


                  #23
                  Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

                  Elena

                  Not exactly sure of your process but a lot of the time people use a unique ID field that - as its name implies - has a unique entry for each record in the every table. I do this in all my tables - I call my field something along the lines of UIDF (see Cal Locklin's Naming Conventions for why the field ends in an F). The UID field is never shown to the users but behind the scenes it is used to link parents to children. Doing it this way you could have your child record even though the job number is not assigned yet.

                  You can check the help file for "auto-increment" (which is a way to get a unique entry for each record) or if you want a custom function to do it - I can post the one I wrote here. It uses a table to keep track of the next number for all things that increment.

                  Regards,

                  Jeff

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                    #24
                    Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

                    The job number is unique. The problem is, my update tables don't have a job number in them because nothing's been updated yet. I do have auto increment fields in all of my tables but i don't understand how I could have the child record behind the scenes and link it without an assigned job number...

                    What I'm trying to do is pull up the job number and the fields from the update tables so I can see some of the job info while I'm updating.
                    Last edited by eboughey1; 11-14-2008, 12:51 AM.
                    Up and coming Alphaholic ;)

                    Comment


                      #25
                      Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

                      I guess maybe I don't understand what your "update" tables are? Are they the job log, etc. tabs you have shown. Is there more than one update table?

                      You can have a child link to the parent based on the UID field - not the job number. As I mentioned the UID field is never shown to the user. So, you would have a UID field in the master called UID and then in the child have a field called chlduid so you can have a unique identifier for every record in the child table. How do you know exactly what child record you need to work on without a unique identifier? It is tough - you can use record number but that can change if you pack the table. If you have 5 child records and link on job number then there is nothing that uniquely identifies every child record. That is where a UID field comes in.

                      So, back to your question about how to link. You have a UID field in your parent and both a UID field and then a field called something like MstrUID(this is the field that relates to the parent UID). You can set up your set to link the child MstrUID field to the Parent UID field. Then when you are doing your "update" data entry you do not even need the job number in the child because it is already linked using the UID field.

                      Even if you are not interested in using the UID method. If the job log etc. tabs are children of some type of job master table. You can still link on job number using grids and a tabbed grid linker components.

                      Regards,

                      Jeff

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

                        What I think you mean is you bring up a Job, which already has an ID. You then want to add one or more related records to this Job and need to get the Job ID from the current job record, in to that new child record.

                        I've done this in two ways. The first method is only useful if there are only one child record for any parent record (multipel children, but only one record each, one-to-one relationships). Here I create blank child records at the same time I create the parent record, even though I won't be filling in the detail for the child record for some time. That might take place in a dialog where I a) create the parent record and let it set an autoincrement ID value, b) grab that new ID value, c) create child records using that ID as the foreign ID to the parent table.

                        The second method is to stuff the parent ID in to a session variable while displaying that record. Then when a child record is saved, include this in the BeforeValidateNewRecords event:

                        Code:
                        function BeforeValidateNewRecords as v (DataSubmitted as P, Args as p, PageVariables as p)
                        with PageVariables
                        	DataSubmitted.job_id = session.job_id
                        end with
                        end function
                        I know I should revisit, but I have never used a grid linker in any application. But I think you can use that method to ensure your child additions include the linking value to the parent.
                        Steve Wood
                        See my profile on IADN

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Re: Any new tools for migrating desktop to web?

                          I love how a thread or e-mail title become nothing at all about the last batch of posts. Not really - it drives me nuts that new concepts are not re-started with appropriate titling and some how related to a question that a person might actually search.

                          Anyway - back to the original question. Before I became a convert to A5, I was using Filemaker9 Pro. Not saying it would be the most sophisticated web app you could build, but it got the job done, the pages loaded fast, and they looked like the desktop app. So why did I convert? Licensing cost! The ownership costs vs users budget, FM9 was pricing itself out of the running, even with their "educational" versions. So the answer is, in my opinion, yes, there is a migrating tool, but you'll need to do some research to see if it fits your (clients) particular need and budget. Also, a developer at work informs me that Access now plays well with SharePoint, if you want to stay in the Microsoft camp. Works on intranet, hooked to LDAP and all.

                          Dave
                          David Shaw
                          Manager of Media Services and User Support
                          Cleveland Museum of Art
                          Cleveland, Ohio

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