News Bulletin January 2010
In this edition ::
> WPF and DBI component software
> recently released
> Windows 7 readiness upgrade promotion :: save up to 40%
> tech tip 1 - DBI product manager and subscription updates
> tech tip 2 - LINQ to objects and LINQ to SQL
> document summarization
> component services
> staff - scheduler
> code snippets
> tech tip library
> retired product
With DBI's latest component product releases, whether you're using the ActiveX controls or the WinForms controls, either can be styled with the latest of WPF presentations in mind. Studio Controls and Solutions Schedule offer a great benefit when giving enterprise software a current visual make-over along with new end-user functionality. DBI's component software offers a low cost, high benefit return on invested development hours. As we work with the evolving WPF environment, there are resources available in WinForms that just aren't available in WPF and vice versa. The rich, interactive nature of DBI's Scheduling controls for instance are becoming increasingly of more interest and for those projects now being developed with WPF, being able to consume current code bases makes sense - Microsoft has provided a bridging option.
For instance, DBI's current WinForms component product offerings, with their WPF styling capabilities can be consumed in WPF centric applications. Built into the .NET Framework 3.5 and exercised through Visual Studio 2008, composite WinForms controls can be consumed in Windows Presentation Foundation applications. Microsoft has gone the extra mile offering yet another method for Windows developers to leverage their investments in component software and their own code bases. Look for this article in the MSDN library :: "Walkthrough: Hosting a Windows Forms Composite Control in Windows Presentation Foundation" http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms750944.aspx.
Other resources that might help ...
"Developing WPF-applications is fun but migrating existing WinForms-projects to WPF means a lot of work and effort. Think of a control-library based on WinForms with many special controls. Wouldn't it be nice to reuse them in a WPF-application. For that use-case, Microsoft offers a control to host WinForms-controls: The WindowsFormsHost. You can place this control with the designer of VS 2008 Beta 2 to your WPF-Window and host your existing WinForms-controls in it." For more on this please see:
http://www.codegod.de/webappcodegod/Integration-of-WinForms-in-WPF-Applications-AID405.aspx
Pros and Cons - "So we all know that WPF is awesome, but it is still a very young framework. And so, sometimes, it doesn't have everything that we might want or desire. For instance, there are a number of controls in WinForms that don't exist in WPF - and they come in handy once in a while. What we are going to look at today is how to use WinForms controls inside of WPF - a very easy and almost painless process..."
http://www.switchonthecode.com/tutorials/wpf-tutorial-using-winforms-in-wpf
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Recently Released
Studio Controls for COM (v1.1)
Upgraded appointment scheduling, interface designs controls and a new component released in this edition of Studio Controls for COM - ctPanel made its debut.
Solutions Schedule for .NET v3.1
Gantt style scheduling is one of the most effective means for aligning the right resources, to the right
places, at the right times -
all in one, intuitive, drag and drop, interactive presentation.Studio Controls for .NET v1.1
Studio Controls for .NET version 1.1 is now available. And, with this release dbiTips makes it's debut! There are now 18 royalty-free .NET controls for Windows Forms and Smart Client application development. Included with Studio Controls for .NET v1.1, seven component enhancements found in dbiDayView, dbiCalendar, dbiList and dbiExplorerBar. Click here for further details.
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Special Offers
Get ready for Windows 7
Upgrade a DBI component product or a competitive product
and SAVE Up To 40%
full details :: https://www.dbi-tech.com/SpecialOffers.asp
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Tech Tip 1- Subscription Updates
As we turn the page on another year, we are getting into Subscription Renewal time. I'd just like to point out where you can track down your subscription information in the DBI Product Manager application... each time you launch the a DBI product manager you will see the "Maintenance Expires" date...
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| And when your subscription expires... that date value will turn RED... |
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Subscription (maintenance) renewals offer DBI component product owners the best service possible without having to incur traditional upgrade fees. Subscription ensures that a product is up to date, all the time, and is in step with each component/ product update, upgrade, new components released into the product and those changes made for new version of Windows. Subscription also maintains direct access to DBI's "best in the industry" technical support group. Make sure to renew your subscription today!
Studio Controls for COM - http://dbi-tech.com/Store_StudioControlsCOM.aspx
Studio Controls for .NET - http://dbi-tech.com/Store_StudioControls.NET.aspx
Solutions Schedule for COM - http://www.dbi-tech.com/Store_SolutionsSchedule.aspx
Solutions Schedule for .NET - http://www.dbi-tech.com/Store_SolutionsSchedule.NET.aspx
You can renew at any time, the renewed subscription begins on the anniversary date of your product license.
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Tech Tip January 2010 - LINQ to Objects and LINQ to SQL
While working with the latest cuts of the LINQ objects in the .NET framework 4.0 for one of our up coming products, we jumped straight into LINQ to Objects at the programming tier instead of LINQ to SQL at the data layer. Turns out this was not a bad decision, as it appears Microsoft is also focusing more on the LINQ to Entity Framework instead of the LINQ to SQL model
(see http://blogs.msdn.com/adonet/archive/2008/10/29/update-on-linq-to-sql-and-linq-to-entities-roadmap.aspx ). And for us this is actually more in line with our own coding practices. As our .NET controls are designed to be used with objects, we've tried to leave the database work to the individual developer.
As enterprise customers invest in Database Administrators and begin the migration to scalable data sources the act of getting at the data in a true n-tier approach lends itself well to the data layer interacting with objects, which in turn interacts with the interface layer. For example a Customer will typically have a name, address, phone number (ok at this stage a collection of contact numbers) and other generally static information. As a developer I am more concerned with the object representation Customer.Name, than whether that info is stored in a SQL field called cust_Rec_Static.Last_Name or in an XML document under the tag <Customer> <Name>.
I've always looked at n-tier programming with a sidelong glance, in my consulting career I was the architect from the data access layer right on down to the security model. But while working with some of our current development projects (and yes, the product manager was in that mix) I've come around to the object model way of thinking. I really enjoy the extensibility of objects. It always drove me to drink when looking at someone else's customer model. Why did they store the phone numbers as strings... wouldn't a phone number be so much better as an object... areacode, exchange, number, longdistance prefix, extension... now I can take and manage each one of those independently and all of a sudden using ITapi just became sooo much simpler.
And now back from my rambling... imagine if you needed to create an application that called numbers from a list. Now, using LINQ you can assign call blocks to your operators by areacode and exchange. You can easily apply business rules in a tertiary tier using the same objects. And don't even get me started on webservices. They are just plain cool.
Forgive my rambling tip today, as we get further into the new year, some of the work we have been doing on projects related to the controls will make these musings much more relevant.
As always, take care and have a great day!
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Document Summarization:
Document summarization plays a huge role enabling enterprise software to deliver precise, relevant information from unstructured data, including web searches. DBI's Summarization component technology is a unique developer tool, in that it reads a document much like a human being does. Through the summarization process, the extractor dll surfaces the main ideas found in a docment, (and in context of the subject matter) and then presents the summarization results in ascending or descending lists of keywords and keyphrases by weighted importance of how often a particular idea is used throughout a document.
DBI's document summarization technology is used in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), document management, security and investigative software, legal document discovery solutions, e-discovery ... just to mention a few.
Test drive the Extractor Technology today:
> Online at ExtractorLive.com
> Integrated with a search engine
> as a web service - get your web service key today
> as a toolbar item in your browser - available at ExtractorLive.com
Click through and experience the difference!
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In the News
Studio Controls for COM
Solutions Schedule for .NET v3.1
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DBI Component Services
Looking to jump start your development project? want to give your development team
advanced knowledge on using DBI's component products? Need some coding assistance with DBI Component-based products? Start with DBI Component Services for any one or more of :
> Appointment Scheduling
> Resource (Gantt style) Scheduling
> Integrating Extractor Document Summarization
> Building Reg Free COM applications
> Extending DBI .NET Controls
> Using the DBI Warehouse Scheduling Framework
Take advantage today!
http://dbi-tech.com/DBIComponentServices.aspx
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Staff - Scheduler Pro
Staff Scheduler Pro is a complete commercial scheduling solution providing business owners, managers and scheduling professionals with a direct, quick and easy to learn Staff Scheduling program! Staff Scheduler Pro includes real-time cost analysis, labor burden analysis, scheduling by department or by staff. Publish schedules to corporate intranets with ease, email schedules directly to staff, daily time-sheets, integrates with POS software, and a great time saver when it comes to preparing payroll. Staff Scheduler Pro is an excellent historical reporting and analytics tool. Check it out today! http://www.Staff-Scheduler.com
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Code Snippets
Code snippets can save buckets of time and even provide elements of pure genius. When you look under the covers, you'll find a bucket load of general and component specific code snippets. Some are full featured code samples. Many of the code snippets available have been surfaced in Tech Tips in each month's DBI News Bulletin. You'll find more detailed code samples, free to use, in each of the product evaluation downloads and of course the fully licensed products. Double click on the product manager desktop icon, click on the Samples/Demos tab and select your choice by IDE...
If you're more interested in web delivery, look no further than our Smart Client samples:
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Windows 7 supported products
More information can be found here
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Tech Tip Library
All of DBI's tech tips are available online, anytime:
http://www.dbi-tech.com/TechTips.aspx
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New Quick links:
Studio Controls for COM v1.1
http://www.dbi-tech.com/ProductPage_StudioControlsCOM.aspx
Studio Controls for .NET v1.1
http://www.dbi-tech.com/ProductPage_StudioControls.NET.aspx
Solutions Schedule for .NET v3.1
http://www.dbi-tech.com/ProductPage_SolutionsScheduleNET.aspx
Solutions Schedule for COM (v9.0)
http://www.dbi-tech.com/ProductPage_SolutionsSchedule.aspx
Staff-Scheduler - drag and drop Staff Scheduling application
http://www.Staff-Scheduler.com
Extractor - Read It For Metm Document Summarization
http://www.dbi-tech.com/productPage_Extractor.aspx
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HAVE A GREAT PROGRAMMING DAY
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