With the release of R:BASE X.5 (Version 10.5), several new grid and grid-type controls are featured, where application developers may be unsure which grid is the ideal selection for a form.
The new grid and grid-type controls include the DB Tree Grid, DB Tree List, DB Card View, DB Vertical Grid, and DB Pivot Grid.
The below information describes each and how they may be used.
The DB Tree Grid control displays an expandable tree structure within a grid.
A highlight is the ability to have a details records grouped by columns, where footers and group footers should calculated totals for each group.
Advanced setups include two-dimensional tables, runtime grouping, and column customization for master/detail relationships. Notable grid elements include a filter box, find panel, footers, group footers, group summaries, and navigator panel.
An example would be rows of companies, where when expanded, the tree structure displays sales history for the selected company, with orders listed by date. Group footers would contain sales totals and the last order date.
The DB Tree List control is a list of data organized into a tree structure, and can be categorized as a combination of the Enhanced DB Grid and Tree View controls. A DB Tree List can display information as a tree, a grid, or a combination of both.
With bands supported to represent a logical group that can contain any number of related columns, the DB Tree List can be used to combine columns into nested bands, fixed bands, and expandable bands. Prominent elements include bands, band headers, column footers, footers, group footers, group summaries, and navigator panel.
An example would be rows of employees, where a tree structure upon the first column display a staff hierarchy. The subsequent columns would display personal data for each employee and employment data.
The DB Card View control uses a card layout format to display table data, where each row is shown in a separate block/panel within the view (a card).
When in its regular layout, a row within a card is drawn vertically, so more space is available for detail data. The DB Card View introduces a more compact method of presenting data visually. Notable elements include a card border, filter box, find panel, incremental search, and navigator panel.
An example would be an inventory grid with images and product specifications arranged in card layouts for easy recognition and searches.
The DB Vertical Grid control displays and edits table data in a non-traditional method that can be considered as an inverted grid.
Data in the DB Vertical Grid can be represented using one of three layout styles, which determine the number of records visible on screen within the control at one time, and the way fields and field values are arranged.
The DB Vertical Grid control supports "category rows" used to group regular rows into categories. Separating rows into categories improves the control's usability, as an end-user can now quickly find the required row.
The main distinction of the vertical grid control from other grid controls is how it displays records. All records are arranged vertically in the vertical grid. In other words, every column in the vertical grid represents a data record.
An example would a grid with miles per gallon tracking for multiple vehicles, where a multi-record view can be displayed minimum data to speed up navigation through records.
The DB Pivot Grid control is a grid element displaying table data which offers end-users the ability to adjust the display and evaluate the information for multi-dimensional data analysis.
With the drag-and-drop functionality, the DB Pivot Grid control allows for fields to be rearranged dynamically, without having to change the structure of the table, for analyzing data from various perspectives. Users can interchange columns and rows on the fly, filter, and sort items in different ways, and also collapse and expand data at different levels.
The DB Pivot Grid provides an ideal solution if you need to:
•Produce multi-dimensional reports on a set of an ordinary data
•Analyze the data that is involved in a multi-dimensional relationship
•Instantly organize related data together
•Spot trends of the data in the fastest way
With these new grid controls, R:BASE has been enhanced to provide more powerful data-driven form controls for increased productivity!
