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FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

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    #1

    FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

    I have produced many desktop apps and a few Web Apps using Alpha. I am making the move to web development full time and I will be slowly moving my current apps to the web.

    With V10 around the corner, if you haven't moved to the web, you probably will shortly.

    Before I start recreating all of my desktop field rules in the grid builders I need to make sure I have to. If I have an Alpha database with field rules, do I have to recreate those field rules again in the Web Project builders. I spend ALOT, I mean ALOT of time with field rules to make sure I reduce GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) as much as possible.

    At first I was planning on creating HYBRID apps, but I moved away from that idea because of the double work involved in field rules. Or am I doing something wrong?

    I have tried creating a grid and then placing bad data in a field with a field rule. The WAS seems to accept the bad data because I don't have a field rule in the WAS. When I recreate the field rule in the builder, the bad data is not allowed. Is there a flag I have to set somewhere to use the databases field rules?

    Also, I have only used Alpha to view SQL tables. If I create editable grids going against SQL data, do I also have to recreate the SQL tables field rules? The SQL data I currently go against is a vertical market application which a client uses for payroll purposes. The reporting in that application is AWFUL so I use ALPHA as a report generator for that data. I have been afraid to edit the data for fear of corrupting the data.

    Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Barry Kucher
    http://www.411tech.org
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

    No if you put rules in a SQL database, these should get honoured (such as primary key and not null etc.) in the grid. I do seem to recall something about field rules on WAS being a possibility for v10 but can't remember where I read or heard that....

    Comment

      #3
      Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

      The WAS currently does not support dbf field rules - except for engine level field rules: autoinc & calc fields.
      Peter
      AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

       [email protected]
      https://www.alphabasesolutions.com

      Comment

        #4
        Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

        Is this true only for v9 or will v10 be the same? My field rule calculates the person's full name...(salutation + first_name+MI+Last_Name+suffix) but it doesn't work for the web.

        I'm learning Alpha and MySql (and loosing hair at the same time)...but I can't figure out where to put it for the web app. Would be nice if I didn't have to do all of the field rules over again for the web.
        Never take a ride to the edge of your mind unless you've got a ticket back - Jon Oliva - Savatage.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

          As far as I know, and from working with the BETA, V10 requires that you create the field rules within the page builders even if you created field rules in the ALPHA DBF.

          I have asked for this to be incorporated into the alpha Web designer, but apparently it was not high enough on the requests list.

          Since I am trying to move all work to the web, this shouldn't be such a problem except if you have the same field on many pages. You will have to recreate the same field rule on EVERY page that field is on, even in a grid!

          That's why the idea of the field rule at the DBF level makes so much sense. What drives me crazy is that supposedly, field rules from SQL databases are enforced on the web, but not ALPHA dbf's.

          When I say alpha dbf's, I really mean XBASE tables, because it really is only that. But the container, the DATABASE has the field rules, so they should be able to enforce them.
          ---------------------------------------------------
          Barry Kucher
          http://www.411tech.org

          Comment

            #6
            Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

            FIELD RULES ARE ENFORCED IN V10. I just received an email from Selwyn. DBF field rules that are set in the database are enforced on the V10 App Server.

            So far I have been able to test this with basic field rules such as field length validation and it works. Also, the validation seems to work once you try to submit the data.

            In the desktop version you can have the field rule performed when the user tries to leave the field. This is a GREAT first step. I understand why it works when you submit, and not when you leave the field.

            I am sorry I ever doubted the great programmers at Alpha...Great Job!!!
            ---------------------------------------------------
            Barry Kucher
            http://www.411tech.org

            Comment

              #7
              Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

              Originally posted by 411tech View Post
              FIELD RULES ARE ENFORCED IN V10. I just received an email from Selwyn. DBF field rules that are set in the database are enforced on the V10 App Server.
              Can anyone from Alpha (or otherwise) expound on this a bit? I'm new to Alpha and SQL but trying to avoid learning and building things in SQL that I can do in Alpha or learning and building things in v9 that will be included/easier in v10.

              I'm also trying to create as many validations, masks etc that I can to ensure good data input but was also surpirsed at the apparent need to recreate field rules on every component built off of a table. The above sounds like a great dbf feature, but (in v10) will I be able to set up field rules through an active-link SQL table and those rules be enforced on a web app against that table? That would be ideal (perhaps too ideal?)

              Generally, any assistance reducing the need to repliate filed rules for the same filed in multiple components is welcomed.

              Thanks all.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

                In version 10, any field "VALIDATION" rule you define in a DBF, will now be enforced on the web app server. They even went a step further by utilizing AJAX to display the error message.

                Again, I am just starting to test this feature. The main difference between the desktop field validation and the web validation is that the validation is not done at the field level. What I mean to say is let's say you have a field rule of a required field in a grid. The user skips the field and goes to the next field. On the desktop, an error is displayed immediately. On the web, the error is not caught until the user tries to commit the data. Totally understandable and acceptable due to the traffic required to validate each field.

                One thing that doesn't come across is if you use a simple list for a lookup. The list is not displayed and probably has to be recreated in the grid builder. Since I rarely use this feature, it's not so terrible. I have not tested with a lookup table yet. I doubt that it will use it also. Validations are enforced, but I don't think rules are. In fact, in the table I created a default value for a field and when I used the grid, the field was empty.

                Again this is a BETA of V10 and they might add more, but I would expect validations and transformations to work, the other rules might.

                I have waited since version 8 for this feature. This is great news.

                I want to say that the app server respects SQL field rules also. When you try to commit to a SQL table, if the data does not meet the criteria of the SQL table, the table is rolled back.
                ---------------------------------------------------
                Barry Kucher
                http://www.411tech.org

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: FIELD RULES in Alpha DBF's & SQL Tables

                  This is from Alpha's blog just now:

                  http://www.screencast.com/users/Alph...2-07b8616b6f9f

                  Field rules are enforced for DBF tables. Not SQL tables (apart from auto incrementing in most).

                  But this feature alone is priceless compared to what I have seen on other web frameworks...
                  This will save so much development time and effort!

                  Comment

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