This is a paper I wrote under gthe name Wally : The Gerry Fallwell Story
with some observance on observance .. George ..
The reference book to begin here, Access Database Design and Programming
by
Steven Roman publ. O'Reilly and Associates, Sebastopol, California 1997.
If
you want to have as much control over your databases as possible, you will
need to do some programming. In fact, even some simple things require
programming. For instance, there is no way to retrieve the list of fields
of a given table using the Access graphical interface -you can only get
this
list through programming.
In addition, programming may be the only way to access and manipulate a
database from within another application. For instance, if you are
working
in Microsoft Excel, you can create and manipulate an Access database with
as
much power as if you were working with Access itself, but only through
programming -because Excel does not have the capability to render
graphical
representations of database objects.
You can create the database within Access and then manipulate it
programmatically from within Excel (can an Access form be opened within
Excel, no ?). This gives the increased functionality of Access to an
Excel
file (is it created as an Access or Excel file, Access table?). (Create it
using VBA code in Excel .. also, if that works.. not sure how to try it).
For the most part the preliminary interest would be to use Access data
storage in connection with other Microsoft data sharing applications.
This
type of office automation and data sharing will occur often with the use
of
LAN network technology within an organization.
Organization
An organization is a formal collection of people and other resources
established to accomplish a set of goals. The primary goal of a
for-profit
organization is to maximize the shareholder value, often measured by the
price of the company's stock. Nonprofit organizations include social
groups, religious groups, universities, and other organizations that do
not
have profit as the primary goal.
An organization is a system. Money, people, materials, machines, and
equipment, data, information, and decisions are constantly in use in any
organization. If data is to represent a real world problem, then the data
must be copied into an application as a quantity, and the system will
react
and transform the data into information which is designed to effect some
problem in the real world. Part of the process of data design is to
specify
how to quantify each data item.
Data characteristics - applies to the use of data, as a copy translated to
and from, an attribute/value pair.
Data File Design - internal database technology characteristics
The issue of quantifying each data item is the issue of representation of
quantities with symbols such as $24/ft or $14.98 a yard. Representation
of
a quantity can be considered in terms of a copy of a measurement in
translation, with the use of a symbol. Data characteristics, applies to
the
use of data, as a copy translated to and from, an attribute/value pair.
Logical data modeling is a philosophy as well as a technique, for
recognizing and do***enting the fact that business data have an existence,
independent of how they are accessed, who accesses them, and whether or
not
such access is computerized. These business facts are true even if there
is
no current need to produce a re****t or to answer queries about these
business facts. They have a different way of looking at business facts in
that they consider the potential of file relation****ps to be involved.
But
what exists is the representation of facts as units which can transfer
into
a processing system, and also then translate to be the effect or process
of
transformation of the environment by the system.
The propose business facts such as:
Business Facts
- Customers place orders
- People eat ice cream cones
- Some people pay bills on time
- Some people do not pay bills on time
- Some people do not pay bills at all
Typical Data Characteristics
Some typical data characteristics are:
Location attributes (address, country, warehouse bin)
Physical attributes (weight dimension, volume, color, material, texture)
Conceptual attributes (name, rank, serial number)
Relational attributes (assemblies consist of sub-assemblies, authors write
multiple books)
Value attributes (currency, goodwill, esteem)
And each item of data should have a description:
Name
General description (what is it?)
Owner****p (who is responsible for it?)
Data characteristics (how is it measured and how big or small can it be?)
Logical events, processes, and relation****ps (how and when is it created,
modified, and used?)
Issues which involve data constitute an im****tant ****tion of the software
engineering process. The eventual result of (1) analysis of existing data
structures, (2) application do***entation, and (3) review, is to arrive at
a
conceptual view of your application's information. The issues of the
application's information (What, Where, When, and Why..) describe and
explore how various departments, organizations, and your application
itself
need to use data to achieve a goal.
A last point to be aware of is on the use of utility programs to copy
files
and name them appropriately. The Push model involves performing an SQL
command to create a recordset or dataset that matches the fields in the
re****t, and passing that object to the re****t. The creation of files
themselves should be performed in such a way the complete file is written
to
the media in a single procedure; which allows the compression of data on
the
hard disk to fill the disk with the maximum amount of compressed data per
media sector.
You can combine the recrods from the two tables by creating a query that
shows just the information that you need.
Today we live in an information economy. Information itself has value,
and
commerce often involves the exchange of information, rather than the
exchange of tangibles. Investors are using information systems to make
multi-million dollar decisions. And financial institutions are employing
information systems to transfer billions of dollars around the world
electronically, and manufacturers are using them to order supplies and to
distribute goods faster than ever before.
In an experimental database which has tables and relations about
horseracing
some of the entities may be:
Horse (hname, trainer/jock, sire, dam, damsire, breeding farm, age)
Track (race #, horse #, region, purses, race type (clm, alw), known class
horses, known class trainers, known breeding stables)
Pairings of attributes (horse/track, trainer/horse, trainer/jockey)
Indices (evaluations of indices,
Data about data - metadata
reference data - data warehouse environment
transaction structure data
transaction activity data
transaction audit data
The Different Kinds of Reference Data
Reference data may be a distinct class of data, but it is still very
diverse.
Some major kinds of reference data are:
(1) Things that are not involved with the enterprise: Countries,
currencies,
and time zones are examples of things that exist, but are not parties to
the
transactions that an enterprise carries out. Yet the enterprise still
needs
to use the information about these things to process and re****t on its
transaction data.
Classification schemes: Human beings can classify transaction information
in
an infinite number of ways, depending on what they view is im****tant about
it. Classification schemes may be broadly accepted, like industry codes,
or
highly personal and transient.
Constant values: "Things" are typically described by codes and
descriptions
in reference data tables. Yet, some reference data covers specific
properties of these things. Tax rates, economic indicators and currency
exchange rates are good examples. They are non-key attributes of
reference
data tables, and typically change their values over time.
Non-key attributes from reference data tables
Codes for classification (M,F)
External references (currencies, countries, cities, time, location,
project,
table name)
Type codes: These define entity subtypes in a database. For instance,
Employee Position may be Administrative or Professional. Type codes have
values that are known when a database is designed.
Status codes: These control the life cycles of entities in a database. An
order may be placed, filled, ****pped, received, have payment received, and
have payment cleared. Each of these states has a different description,
and
is usually represented by a code in a physical database table. Again,
these
codes have values that are known at database design time.
Other: There are other kinds of reference data, but these are the major
cl*****. It can be seen that although they often have similar structures
-
tables consisting of codes and descriptions - they have quite different
functions and behaviors.
Access Database Design and Programming , by Steven Roman publ. O' Reilly
and
Associates, Inc.1997 suggests that database design and database
programming
are two separate topics. And Romans suggests that while the knowledge of
the one does not directly lead to knowledge of the other, the topics are
linked. A database user needs to know something about both subjects -
database design and database programming, in order to effectively create,
use, and maintain, a database which will produce the information about
these
relation****ps. What the book by Roman says is fairly close to Von Halle
and
Fleming who evaluate the logical data model design (database design) and
the
implementation using technology (database programming).
Relational Database Design Considerations
The use of multiple tables is promoted in order to overcome some of the
following concerns which occur with the use of a flat file database:
Redundancy
Update anomalies
Insertion anomalies
Avoiding data loss
Maintaining relational integrity
Creating views
As a summary of the discussion about the issues above Romans p/ 5-7 he
writes, "It is clear that to avoid redundancy problems and various
unpleasant anomalies, a database needs to contain multiple tables, with
relation****ps defined between these tables. On the other hand, this
raises
some issues, such as how to design th tables in the database wiothout
losing
any data, and how to piece together the data from multiple tables to
create
various views of the data. The main goal at this early section of Romans
book on database design is to explore these fundamental issues.
The process of transforming data into information begins with input. In
some
cases data is organized or processed mentally or manually. Systems based
upon computers are ever increasingly being used to create, store, and
transfer information. A sales manager can manually calculate the sum of
the
sales of each sales representative, or a computer could be used to
calculate
this sum. What is im****tant is not so much where the data comes from or
how
it is processed, but whether the results are useful and valuable.
When using an approach that pertains to tasks, especially lower level
tasks
such as data validation (read and match compare), file update and
modification, etc. each task can be considered a program module. A module
is
a logical problem related task (problem solving) that the program
performs.
An elementary operational task i.e., the Add New Record procedure, or the
Create Bill procedure is a module.
Certain knowledge of using modules within designs for computer data
processing can be used to make im****tant decisions about how an
application
should be designed, deployed and used. Working with the design of modules
involves showing data passing between the process blocks, or control
information passing between the process blocks (see James Martin and
McClure, Diagramming Techniques.. p. 122).
A module is defined (and implemented) as a sequence of programming
instructions bounded by an entry point and an exit point. There should be
an
standardized communication of processes between modules. If Module A
invokes
Module B, then Module B should not invoke Module A. And modules should not
call themselves recursively.
Some organizational and personal productivity software only indirectly
affects problem solving, by simplifying the creation and transmission of
data (MIS service).
However other productivity software such as electronic spreadsheet,
project
management, and forecasting and statistical analysis packages provide
direct
sup****t within DSS and other problem-solving (expert systems) management
services functions.
Special user libraries which should flow through the MIS to do***ents
loaded
into end-user shrink wrapped software increase the group productivity with
a
minimum of networking issues. Groups use the do***ent library on the
system performance platform. A < BASE > tag can simplify the addressing
of
common series of do***ents, somewhat. Instead of locating the address of
a
file relative to the current file, you can define a base path for all
relative links, in your do***ent.
Using a base path you can tell the browser to locate files in relations to
a
specific path - that could actually point to a remote server.
Data Dictionary
An im****tant step in creating a database is to establish a data
dictionary,
a detailed description of all data used in the database. The data
dictionary contains the name of the data item, aliases or other names that
may be used to describe the item, the range of values that can be used,
the
type of data i.e., alphanumeric or numeric, the length of the data item in
bytes, a notation responsible for updating the various users permissions,
and a list of re****ts that use the data item.
Purpose of a Data Dictionary - To DO***ENT for all posterity the data
elements, structures, flows, stores, processes, and external entities in
the
system to be designed.
Entities are recorded in the data dictionary by name and definition.
Entity
names should be assigned to be intuitive and meaningful to the user.
Organizational Environment
---------------
Employee Decision-making
---------------
|
|
--------------- --------------- ---------------
Input ---- Product transformation ---- Output
--------------- --------------- ---------------
---> --->Value Flow ---> --->---> --->---> --->---> --->---> --->
Creating information from raw data facts in the environment is a process
of
transformation. The transformation process is where applying knowledge by
selecting, organizing, and manipulating data is done. The result should
be
useful information.
The transformation process is where applying knowledge is done.
Developing
information systems to meet business and other organizational needs is
highly complex and difficult; it is common for information systems
projects
to over-run budgets, and beyond planned completion dates. Because
information systems typically are designed to improve productivity,
methods
for measuring the system's impact upon productivity should be devised.
This
would imply a statistical evaluation of efforts to use the system as
proposed.
As depicted above, resources such as materials, people, and money are
input
into the organizational system from the environment, to go through a
transformation mechanism, and are output to the environment. The outputs
from the transformation mechanism are usually goods or services which were
dependent upon information produced within the system.
The goods or services produced by the organization are of higher relative
value than the inputs alone. Turning data into information is a process,
or
a set of logically related tasks performed to achieve a defined outcome.
Through adding value (worth) organizations attempt to achieve their goals.
Data Flows
Data flows between the several processing modules in the simple
representation depicted.
The data dictionary contains the name of the data item, aliases or other
names that may be used to describe the item, the range of values that can
be
used, the type of data i.e., alphanumeric or numeric, the length of the
data
item in bytes, a notation responsible for updating the various users
permissions, and a list of re****ts that use the data item; to do***ent for
all posterity the data elements, structures, flows, stores, processes, and
external entities in the system to be designed.
Entities are recorded in the data dictionary by name and definition.
Entity
names should be assigned to be intuitive and meaningful to the user.
Defining Relation****ps - create useful information
Converting data into information - to select or to reject facts based upon
their relevancy to particular tasks
The process of defining relation****ps among data to create useful
information requires knowledge. The process of converting data into
information also requires knowledge to select or to reject facts based
upon
their relevancy to particular tasks. So information can be considered data
made useful through the application of knowledge Stair p. 5 Fundamentals
of
Information Systems.
Knowledge is an awareness and understanding of a set of information and
how
that information can be made useful to sup****t a specific task or to reach
a
decision.
The Entity-Relation****p Model
Romans chapter tw0 (2 ) is titled The Entity -Relation****p Model of a
Database. The subtopics are:
What is a database?
Entities and their Attributes
Keys and Superkeys
Relation****ps between Entities
The entity-relation****p model is an informal database model of a
relational
database. This model of a relational database provides a useful
perspective, especially for the purposes of the initial design of the
database.
Chapter 2 The Entity -Relation****p Model of a Database introduces some of
the basic concepts of relational database management, like entities,
entity
cl*****, keys, superkeys, one-to-many, and many -to-many relation****ps.
Romans chapter three (3) is titled Implementing Entity-Relation****p
Models:
Relational Databases. The subtopics are:
Implementing Entities
A Short Glossary
Implementing the Relation****ps in a Relational Database
The LIBRARY Relational database
Index files
NULL values
Chapter 3 Implementing Entity-Relation****p Models: Relational Databases
shows how the general concepts (above), and principles are applied in
designing a real-world database. In particular, the chapter shows how to
decompose a sample flat database into a well designed relational database.
Chapter 4 Database Design Principles, continues the discussion begun in
Chapter 3 by focusing on the major problem of database design, that of
eliminating data redundancy without losing the esential relation****ps
between items of data. The chapter introduces the notion of functional
dependencies and examines each of the major forms for database
normalization.
Romans chapter four (4) is titled Database Design Principles. The
subtopics
are:
Redundancy
Normal forms
First Normal Form
Functional Dependencies
Second Normal Form
Third Normal Form
Boyce-Codd Normal Form
Normalization
Data Flows: Represent an input of data to a process, or the output of data
(or information) from a process. A data flow is also used to represent
the
creation, deletion, or updating of data in a file or database (called a
"data store" in the Data Flow Diagram (DFD.) Note that a data flow is not
a
process, but the passing of data only. These are represented in the DFD.
Each data flow is a part of a DFD Explosion of a particular process. Data
Flow Listing: Same as above. Data Flow Description: Note the DFD Explosion
#.
Brief Description: Same as above.
Volume/Physical Implementation Info: What is the volume of this data flow
per day, week, month, whatever is appropriate? Does this dataflow require
an
Internet connection? A car?
Source and Destination: Fill out as appropriate. What are the sources and
destinations of this data flow?
Processes: Work performed on or in response to, incoming data flows or
conditions. The FSS Context Diagram includes "FSS System" and all the
inputs
and outputs of the FSS system. The DFD Diagram 0 (if you'd included
everything, just as an example) would be 1. Accounts Payable, 2. Order
Processing, 3. Catering Processing, 4. Payroll Processing, 5. Accounts
Payable Processing, 6. Warehouse Processing, 7. Inventory Processing, and
8.
Store Processing. Each of these processes has inputs and outputs that are
independent of the other. Process Listing: Same as above. Process
Description: Note the DFD Explosion #.
Brief Description: Same as above.
Purpose/Physical Implementation Info: Why do we need this process? State a
specific purpose. Indicate any implementation issues. Does the process
need
to accept certain types of data? Certain type of DBMS or ODBC? What are
the
inflows and outflows? (If inflows and outflows are the same... then you
have
a data flow and not a process.)
External Entities: A person, organization unit, other system, or other
organization that lies outside the scope of the project but that interacts
with the system being studied. External entities provide the net inputs
into
a system and receive net outputs from the system. This and the others are
definitions from the book. Basically, external entities are those entities
that are outside the scope of the project or system at hand. External
Entities Listing: Same as above. External Entities Description:
Brief Description: Same as above.
Inflows and Outflows: List here. These are the interfaces to the system
(in
this case, FSS)
Interface Constraints/Misc. Info: For Example: ODBC, Internet
Chapter 6 von Halle provides more complete or specific rules on naming
conventions, for use when you begin to assign names to other kinds of data
objects. Some of the rules in chapter 6 also may assist in choosing
entity
names. It is usually simple to name entities by using the general
guidelines.
Naming conventions such as described Chapter 6 von Halle should be in
place
and do***ented prior to the beginning of a modeliing workshop. These
conventions may take into consideration the facilities or constraintsof an
automated data dictionary tool. They amy also reflect the guidelines used
for existing systems and data models. Include attention to the rules on
abbreviations. This process enables improvement in determining existing
names (from the lists) and for creating new entity names.
The Data Replication Manager
The data replication manager manages the copyiing and distribution of data
across databases as defined by the information user. The information user
defines the data that needs to be copied, the source and destination
platforms, the frequency of updates, and the data transforms.
Refresh involves copying over the entire data source;
Update only propagates the changes. Everything can be automated or done
manually. Data can be obtained from relational or non-relational sources.
Note that almost all external data is transformed and cleansed before it's
brought into the warehouse.
Replication or Direct Access
Will be covering data replication in detail in the next sections p. 210
Client Server Survivor Guide. On page 214 Client Server Survivor Guide the
chapter is named Replication vs. Direct Access he explains that it is
impractical to create a centralized repository of data because of
performance, security, availability, and local control etc.
Replicated data management will increasingly be used to remove the
capacity,
performance, and organizational roadblocks of centralized data access. In
the explanation replication is reference to data files which are
duplicated
and updated on schedule to control the availability of updated data
records
without using a centralized repository.
The typical uses of a data dictionary
Provide a standard definition of terms and data elements
Assist programmers in designing and writing programs
Simplify database modification
A database approach has certain advantages which are aided by
implementation
of a data dictionary
Reduced data redundancy
Increased data reliability
Faster program development
Easier modification of data and information
In terms of properties what is listed above are:
name of the data item
aliases or other names that may be used to describe the item
the range of values that can be used, the type of data i.e., alphanumeric
or
numeric
the length of the data item in bytes
a notation responsible for updating the various users permissions (control
for minimum of record locking conflicts)
a list of re****ts that use the data item
Name of the Item in Dictionary
As for the first issue, "name of the data item" the type of items which
are
involved would cover a broad scope. Typically an item is only a record in
a
database, however when we consider that a server is something of a
database - a server which serves many file types, an item can be related
to
the most general case of any files org n the server as a system (a number
of
programs mixed with some larger applications), and the do***ent files
which
are created or under the control of the user. Using the references data
suggested by data warehousing may be a useful approach, to situating data
within a wider external context. Using a normenclature that names/defines
objects i.e., *.txt, or *.xcl and by a reference code for the application,
and an update code, may be informative. A function code may be used
sales,
accounting, etc. as an external reference also.
Name of the Machine
It has been standard practice when do***enting LAN maintenance, that the
machine itself is described and the resources which are added or shared
with
the LAN. It is not standard to consider the do***entation of the machine
resouces (drives, software, etc.) in respect to the server and files
particularly, but in general it should be considered as a part of the
network maintenance. The software should be listed by version number, and
described by the design features.
Aliases or Other Names for the Item
One way to describe an item by name is to name it as being within a
species
within a higher class or genus of items. A machine may be named using the
machine name and the network i.e., Simone.MSHOME.NET. A database is
usually
named for the particular business function or department.
A File can be considered as a part of a local website or as part of (a
system/program model) an interactive server application. And a Re****t can
be considered as part of a ****pment, or part of a time-related Series of
Re****ts.
Range of values that can be used, the type of data i.e., alphanumeric, or
numeric
Data types can be custom made, however many data types will be the same as
the machine or software has been designed to use. A data definition
language (DDL) refers to the set of SQL statements that you use in queries
to define objects such as tables, constraints, stored procedures, and
views.
DDL is used to create the persistent structure and features of your
database. Every SQL command is considered a query, even though many
commands don't retrieve anything.
Reference modeling language should be consulted for external reference
data
issues.
Length of Data Items in Bytes
Each data item can be thought of as a unique segment. If the item is to
be
used in conjunction with a group of other data taken from other files, the
byte cound is crucial for proper alignment. Any data item which is
treated
as an odd size by the machine will cause some memory allocation problems.
Test the structure using C language. Allocate any odd sized fields of
data
to the last in the group Darnell and Margolis, C A Software Engineering
Approach Third Edition publ Springer-Verlag 1996. The processing of files
i.e., merge-sort is conditioned by the contents of data vlaue in the first
and last records of the master file. The data should identify that first
record and the last record. A record with ZZZZs 'in a text field may
suit.
Look at the coalation sequence being used by the software.
A Notation Resposible for Updating the Various User Permissions
The use of versions may be necessary when data access pemissions will
vary,
but the views used to work with the data may be dependent upon the
function
which has been assigned to the user for a particular job.
A List of Re****ts that Use the Data Item
This should relate to reference data and data warehousing dimensions. A
code should indicate which activities are performed in sequence, and their
order of operations. A machine by machine inventory, as well as
application
by application, program by program, system by system list.
Information systems sup****t and work within all parts of an organizational
process. Input to the process module (subsystem) can come by internal
and/or
external sources. Once data enter the input subsystem it becomes internal.
And likewise goods and services can be output to either internal or
external
systems.
A module is a logical problem related task (problem solving) that the
program performs analysis and re****ting on. Control is passed to a module
on
the lower levels using a control statement of a programming language. An
IF( ) statement, or a FOR( ) statement, ERROR, FLAG, RETURN, and CONTINUE,
are thought of as control statements. There are others we can list at a
later point.
The inputs which are gathered by lower utiltities can be treated by lower
level tasks as values (attribute/value pair) which have a global scope,
because the lower level task modules in the data processing task hierarchy
are aware of only the entry and exit which is a return to the calling
module
as other technicians can argue in these cases.The data which is to be
processed within any of these task modules will reflect a certain way of
considering the function and status of the applicaton program system.
Control always p***** back to the calling module from the lower level task
modules. And there is only one entry point at the top module or the top
level. There is only one exit from any of the modules, it returns control
to
the calling module. It is however possible for more than one module to
transfer control to a task module on a lower level. Module A invokes
module
C, and module B also invokes module C. And there is at most one control
relation****p between any two modules, i.e., if A invokes B then B can not
invoke A. Module C is known as a common module, and module C may have a
(lower level) task processing modules below itself. But no module can call
itself (recursion) these modules of the lower level are not aware of the
upper level modules (until they have been invoked and activated). I have
develoed the idea that the database which ac***ulates the data is a common
module, while the lower level tasks are as described in terms of
attribute/value pairs.
The most meaningful records for the systems analyst are those data flow
diagrams (process control charts) depicting how the various systems are
interconnected, since outputs from one system become the inputs of
another.
An appreciation of the current state of the environment which we are
interested in influencing is the place we have to begin.
How functional is the network which sup****ts the environment? The
assumptions about the performance of the network would amount to another
*****sment of an indirect influence with regard to a plan, and a
consideration of issues needed for a direct involvement in the
environment.
Applications (systems) which are built upon their client-server network
architecture foundation apply the instructions of Third Generation
programming languages, and Fourth Generation programming languages which
are
meant to perform tasks within an environmment controlled through a useful
distributed client server network architecture and an integrated mix of
functional resources (function applications i.e., accounting, inventory,
etc.). Utility applications are also used for general file management,
system monitoring, etc.
An essential technique used for planning for participating in the changes
occurring within the environment would need to understand and *****s the
likely changes to occur even without intervention -indirect participation
can be related to the observation of changes, and can also be related to
the
observer's position -oneself in relation****p to other systems of the
world.
Another indirect participation can amount to understanding the environment
and preparation of a plan for intervention in the environment and this is
in
fact a strategy used in game theory. \how far will the systems influencing
the environment be totally in agreement or partly resistant to another/new
effort to implement changes in the environment? How much of the effort at
intervening within the environment depends upon a clandestine shock
attack?
Whereas businesspeople are inundated with information, ideas, and theories
on new technologies as well as new organizational forms and changing
business conditions and strategies, there has been little success in
developing a coherent view that synthesizes these factors. The Digital
Economy explains the new econoomy, the new enterprise, and the new
technology, and how they link to one another. The role of the new
technology
in creating the new enterprise for a new economy is a relation****p which
an
organization must understand to master.
Systems development allows an organization to effectively use computer
technology to increase revenues and reduce costs. Well-designed,
well-implemented information systems can help organizations to achieve
their
goals. We discuss the use of the information systms in the organizational
context.. The correctness of the adherence to a theory of the design of
the
system and applications would be the desired end result for these
applications. The nature of such grand systems -derived from the adherence
to the tenets of the scientific revolution is not, in fact to produce a
computer as the servant of man; and the bold applications of man are a
secondary effect. Enslavement of man, put into second place by
technologies
and an attempt at trivial tasking management is a failure to learn the
design of the splendors of a system and the programs and the system. (I
dont
know how this seems to you I wrote it in frustration). Stair p. 16
Information Systems in perspective.
A best selling book The Digital Economy by Don Tapscott states, "Today we
are witnessing the early, turbulent days of a revolution as significant as
any other in human history. A new medium of huuman communications is
emerging, one that may prove to surpass all previous revolutions -the
printing press, the telephone, the television -in its impact on our
economic
and social life. The computer is expanding from a tool for information
management to a tool for communications. Interactive multimedia and the
information highway, and its exemplar the Internet, are enabling a new
economy based on the networking of human intelligence. In this digital
econopmy, individuals and enterprises create wealth by applying knowledge,
networked human intelligence, and effort to manufacturing, agriculture,
and
services. In the digital frontier of this economy, the players, dynamics,
rules, and requirements for survival and success are changing.
Such a ****ft in economic and societal relation****ps has occurred only a
handful of times before on the planet. It is causeing every company to
think
far beyond the lines of "reengineering", to transform itself. A new
enterprise is emerging -the internetworked business -which is as different
from the cor****ation of the twentieth century as the latter was from the
feudal craft shop."
The term internetworked business (Tapscott note) is based on the term
internetworked enterprise -a concept first explained by the alliance for
Converging Technologies.
"The Digital Ecoomy (Tapscott's book) attempts to answer the question:
What
does it all mean for my business> Whereas business people are inundated
with
information, ideas, and theories on new technologies and new
organizational
forms as well as changing business conditions and strategies, there has
been
little success in developing a coherent view that synthesizes these
factors.
The Digital Economy explains the New Economy, the New Enterprise, and the
New Technology and how they link to one another-how they enable one
another.
---------
Access Database Applications
An application i.e., Microsoft Office (Suite) includes a number of visual
tools Visual Objects A Developer's Guide M & T Books of MIS Press 1994,
NYC
1995 p. 4 that speed the development process. Visual Editors allow you
to
create application components quickly, including menus, windows, (data
entry and dialog), cursors, icons, data servers, (for both XBASE (*.DBF)
and
SQL databases), and WYSIWYG re****ts.
You can use programming to make changes to the data in a database table
also. It is often easier to write a program to perform an action such as
this, than trying to remember how to perform the same action using the
graphical interface.
LAN applications and Access Management Information Systems (MIS)
Topics of research into designing a LAN involves the LANs organization, to
be aimed toward an evaluation of the methods which can be used for
combining
software applications of the LAN platform; also the storage of data, and
data manipulation capabilities, of each of the LAN's connected
applications
and machine platforms. Multiprocessing techniques (multiple servers) have
a
relevant use where applications are running across the LAN. Some of the
issues relate to the development of reusable sections of code.
You can use a tool such as FrontPage to help you lay out your Web pages,
if
you can use HTML. Your application is automatically Internet-enabled
Wayne
Freeze p. 378.
A Web site based upon SharePoint Team Services from Microsoft relies on a
SQL server database to store information such as:
List data, including information about Events, Announcements, Tasks, and
Contacts.
Do***ent library information about properties, such as do***ent title,
date,
and size.
Discussion and subscription data, such as subscription information and the
actual threaded comments from Web do***ent discussions.
Security data, such as who is allowed to view and change site information.
System Goals to be Served by the Site -Necessary Elements Which the Web
Site
is to Provide
The design planning of the site involves the planning of the continuous
management of the Web site. This is very similar to the ideas involved
with
database management.
1- The design and planning involves the user's needs and the user's
identity. Who is Web site intended for? What will assist the user in the
process involving his desire to locate and use the Web site's resources?
2- Is the Web site intended to deliver information only, or would there
also
be some type of office automation correspondence function involving
mailing
and recording of a user's participation in a committee or online meeting?
3- Peer-to-peer LAN connections enable many clients machines to
communicate
among themselves in a ring. Each client acts as a server and when the
time
comes transmits information to the next client down the line Building
Dynamic HTML GUIs p. 152.
4- Will additional automatic processes in connection with, the Web site
and
the user, also require the user's responses, and an introduction to the
automatic method being employed by the Web site?
5- Is there a MIS being shared among a connectivity group? This MIS is
likely to include a database management system, and database management
systems and analysis would apply.
The individual Web page sections can be created using Web frames (display
of
multiple do***ents) or a single page. They can be created dynamically or
on
a batch basis, or the page may be static. The technique used depends upon
the type of activity. We have listed three aspects of a page as dynamic,
static, or batch in origination to describe their format, rather than
content.
The age of Networked Intelligence is an age of promise, involving the
networking of technology along with the networking of humans through
technology. It is an age of hmans who can combine their intelligence,
knowledge, and creativity for breakthroughs in the creation of wealth and
social development.. It is not just an age of linking computers but of
internetworking human ingenuity.
And rather than a single expensive supercomputer used in simulations,
sup****ting a single group of scientists, a global network of computers can
be internetworked to sup****t distributed teams of scientists. the network
iteslf is more powerful than any single computer would be. And networked
human intelligence is applied to research, thus creating a higher order of
thinking, knowledge -and maybe even a internetworked consciousness -among
people. the same networking can be applied to business and almost every
other aspect of human endeavor -learning, health care, work,
entertainment.
Networking can change the intelligence of a business by bringing
collective
know-how to bear on problem solving and innovation. By dramatically
opening
the channels of human communication, consciousness can be extended
fromindividuals to organizations. Unconscious organizations, just like
unconsciousness people can not learn. Learnig is a precondition for
survival. Networked intelligence is the missing link in organizational
learning, and the consious organization may be the foundation for the
elusive learning organization. And broader networked intelligence beyond
organizations can be extended to create a broader awakening -social
consciousness -in communities, nations, and beyond.
HTML publi****ng can incor****ate many powerful features such as:
HTML Publi****ng
HTML publishers have access to powerful features such as:
Advanced layout control
Banners
Client-side handling of hot spots in images
Customized lists
Dynamic do***ents with client-pull/server-push (views and re****ts)
Mathematical equations
Style sheets
Tables
Tables within forms (form connected to server-side IIS)
Webpages created using Microsoft FrontPage can includefour powerful
FrontPage features a PowerPoint show on this topic is located on Artemus:
Find and replace text across multiple pages
Include a web page inside another web page
Fix broken hyperlinks
Use variables to automatically updata content of web pages using variables
Page layout capabilities are used for structuring do***ents. The
popularity
of page layout applications stems largely from their ease of use, and rich
control over do***ent structure. Three popular commercial page layout
applications are:
Adobe Acrobat
Corel VENTURA
Common Ground
The issues to consider when considering page layout application
capabilities
for using HTML, SGML, a proprietary commercial application, VRML (a
graphics
based media that users can interact with *.wrl filename extension) are:
Page Layout Use - Considerations
Text sup****t
Layout
Style
Multiple column text
Multiple column graphics
Hypertext sup****t
Hypertext options
HTTP Servers (CGI)
A form (script) as named in the HTML <FORM> tag is a program that can be
brought to life when the user requests to work interactively with the HTTP
server that houses Web information and serves it over the Internet when
requested to do so Email, Web, ActiveX, News Internet 1997 Unleashed p.
756.
A Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is, in simple terms a bridge between HTTP
servers and systems -the means of doing the CGI script involves a form in
the style of Microsoft's updated implementations. A database application
is
a somewhat more sophisticated example of CGI. A search engine is a
database
application for example p. 756 above.
Common examples of the CGI programs, which are bridges between these HTTP
servers and the clients are programs which are used for forms, and for
database processing. Commonly the programs are called scripts because
they
are written with a downsized and user-friendlylanguage implementation.
Consider the following ASP page script:
(1)
<%
var sum1;
obj = 1 + i;
%>
Unlike in the case of a regular HTML page, additional information is sent
to
the server within a container used to create a server process. Ths server
process is a program running at this point. The action attribute of the
form component defines which URL will be called to process the form (a
Call
statement is typically used to run a program). Use of a form launched
from
an HTML page involves the Call be swapped in the URL, for many cases.
Forms are one of the common and easy-to-implement methods of adding
interactivity to a site. This typically involves offering a series of
questions and choices to the site's visitor, as shown p. 757 -An
interactive form on http://www.gadabout.com/spa/wetalk.htm.
The form is
filled out by the user on the client machine, it is processed using CGI,
and
the information is compiled and sent along to a printer, or in some cases
an
e-mail, to the receiving party. The Microsoft implementations use ASP
(Active Server Pages for IIS) components.
It is possible to use the intrinsic Response ASP object, as the following
example:
<%Response.Write("Hello world")%>
The Response object is used to send HTTP server output to the client which
has made an interactive connection with the server. The output can be
returned as binary output, as well as HTML.
Processing HTML Forms
The most common HTML operation that will be programmed is the processing
of
forms. A forms process has two parts to it:
The client side - which captures the data
The server side - which processes the data
A form process is specified by using the <Form> tag within an HTML page.
It
creates a container that will be used to create a server process. To make
a
form work, the action and method attributes need to be specified as in the
following example:
<FORM action="exampleform.asp" method=post>
...
</FORM>
The basic form element is the <INPUT> tag. It can represent many things,
depending on the type of attribute. In the first <INPUT> line, below, the
type attribute is text to denote a text field.
<FORM action="exampleform.asp" method=post><BR>
<INPUT type="text" name=text1><BR>
<INPUT type="submit" value="Submit" name=submit1>
</FORM>
In the second <INPUT> line above the type attribute is submit, which means
that it is a button.
The Server Side
When a request is made and the ASP page starts processing, the Request
object is instantiated. This object is responsible for parsing the CGI
string into a series of variables. To access the form fields, the
QueryString or Form method is used.
The following example page uses both methods QueryString and Form and a
third variant that is indifferent to how the information is passed from
the
client to the server.
The Windows Script Host (WSH) is similar to an interpreter for JScript or
VBScript that runs in the client browser.
WSH 2.0 meets the top ten user requests:
Sup****t for include files
Sup****t of multiple engines
Enhanced tools sup****t
Enhanced debugging
Access to type library constants
Mechanism to pause a script
stdin/stdout and stderr sup****t
Enhanced logon script capabilities
Drag and drop sup****t
Quality of workman****p (counts as a feature)
Any application that sup****ts Microsoft Windows Script can use these
languages, VBScript and JScript.
An ASP page is called. The <FORM> tag does not need to be on an ASP page;
it could be on an HTML page. But remember that if any server state is
needed when the form page is requested, the HTML page must have an *.asp
extension.
A form action is a special type of HTTP request. Additional information
is
sent to the server. This information is used to generate a stream of HTML
text that will be displayed by the end device. The stream most likely
will
not be a static page.
When the Submit button is clicked it will call the action URL combined
with
the data-form variables. It is im****tant to identify each form element
using the name attribute. When the data is combined with the URL and sent
to the server, the data cannot be a large array. Instead the data is
correlated with the name given in the <INPUT> tag. This information is
then
used on the server side.
Password - a special field like a text box, but the individual characters
are masked as they are typed. <INPUT type="password" name=password1>
TextArea - a multiline text field. The size the text area is defined
using
the attributes rows (number of rows) and cols (number of columns).
Example: <TEXTAREA rows=2 cols=20 name=textarea1></TEXTAREA>
Programmer's
Windows DNA p. 92.
CheckBox - a checkbox that can be checked or unchecked <INPUT
type="checkbox" name=checkbox1>
Radio button - a radio button which can be part of a group of radion
buttons. The group is defined by assigning multiple radio buttons the
same
name, but different values. Within the group only one button can be
selected. Example <INPUT type="radio" value="Value 1" name=radio1>
Reset button -
The sup****t for VBScript goes way beyond scripting for the Internet
Explorer
and has set up many new hosts -including the Windows operating system
itself. The data component of ActiveX is called ADO Active Data Objects.
ADO is used to work with data from various sources. There are various
types
of ADO objects as suggested on the MSDN section of ADO Programmer's Guide.
In addition to the run-time object model, WSH provides a set of objects
that
make Windows scripts easier to write.
Network object -
Shell object -
Windows operating system information - i.e., registry access
Special folders -
Data Validation
Form processing has the disadvantage that there is no client side
validation. This means the data is sent to the server to be validated.
In
the case of an error in the data the user must fill out the form again. A
simpler approach is to use client side validation by using scripting on
the
client side.
Any requirement for data validation is not considered to be business
process
validation. It is used as validating to make sure that the form-field
values being sent to the server make some sense.
There are different ways of doing this but the simplest way is given by
Programmer's Windows DNA p. 95.
The <INPUT> tag of type attribute submit was changed to button so that the
form submitting process could be controlled manually. The example source
code is:
<INPUT type="button" value="Button" name=button1 LANGUAGE=javascript
onclick="return button1_onclick( this.form)">
I will need to reviw the context of the above code fragment. Once we get
a
submit of data to the server side .. this.form is an expression which uses
the DOM (do***ent object model) hierarchy via the current page (this.form)
as I believe. The return statement is associater with the onclick() event
of the button (button1).
<INPUT type="button" value="Button" name=button1 LANGUAGE=javascript
onclick="return button1_onclick( this.form)">
The onclick() event of button1 has a return, from a VB function. this.form
is the current form i suppose, and the function code is attached to the
button. Yeah that's probably right. Where does the return go? Probably to
the coded attached to the button also.
The Server Side
When a request is made and the ASP page starts processing, the Request
object is instantiated. This object is responsible for parsing the CGI
string into a series of variables. To access the form fields, the
QueryString or Form method is used.
The following example page uses both methods QueryString and Form and a
third variant that is indifferent to how the information is passed from
the
client to the server.
The examples described above are not here, and need to be developed...
A database is a somewhat more sophisticated example of a CGI program, as
used in a search engine. The user types an item which he/she is looking
for
into a search field (input). The request is sent to the ASP server side
components.. ASP page starts processing, the Request object is
instantiated.
It p***** through the CGI gateway, which commands the server to comply
with
the user's request, which involves the search program <FORM>.
As noted once above, a form process is specified by using the <Form> tag
within an HTML page. It creates a container that will be used to create a
server process. To make a form work, the action and method attributes
need
to be specified as in the following example:
<FORM action="exampleform.asp" method=post>
...
</FORM>
Once that program runs, it returns the data back to the visitor through
the
gateway, and voila! The visitor is now provided with a list of hot links
to
various items within the database.
CGI is a very powerful tool, but as mentioned earlier many interactive
tools
available to developers of Web sites are limited, or determined by the Web
servers being used. Check with your ISP to determine what functions are
available to you and how to implement them with your provider's server
type
Internet 1997 Unleashed p. 758.
Interactive Database Applications
These lectures by Richard Rost of 599CD.com begin with the questions:
What is ASP?
What do you need to use ASP?
Basic ASP commands..
Simple ASP pages (scipts)..
The instructor advises that HTML 101, and Visual Basic introduction
sourses
are useful to a study of the ASP server side components. FrontPage 101 is
also useful for learning about web sites. You should also know how to
build
a basic web page.
In order to use ASP 2.0 you need to have it installed on a web server
running IIS 4.0 (internet information server). I need to check which
versions of these I have installed.
PERSONAL WEB SERVER
The Microsoft Personal Web Server can be the solution to a number of
information-sharing needs. For example these three situations are
mentioned
in the PWS do***entation:
A simple do***ent sharing solution
A custom information exchange solution
A Web application testing solution
In the Personal Web Server package, Microsoft has pulled together some
exciting new functionality that makes your existing Microsoft operating
system a platform for sharing information on a personal web site.
The Personal Web Server package makes it easy to install any of the
following new features:
Microsoft Personal Web Server - a desktop Web Server that can be used to
host a Web site on the cor****ate intranet, or to develop and test a Web
site
before testing the site on an ISP.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - The new version of Internet Explorer
delivers
the essential features you need to make finding, browsing, and
communicating
over the Internet a seamless part of the computing experience.
Microsoft Transaction Server - Sup****ts creation of Microsoft Transaction
Server applications. A transaction is a server operation that succeeds of
fails as a whole, even if the operation involves many steps. MTS also
sup****ts process isolation of applications (this MTS is beyond my
microsoft
knowledge right now).
Microsoft Data Access Components - Easy use of databases with sup****t for
ActiveX Data Objects and the Microsoft Access driver.
Microsoft Message Queue Client - Allows applications to pass along
transaction notification and continue processing without waiting for
confirmation that the transaction has completed.
A Typical Installation of Personal Web Server includes:
FrontPage Server Extensions, FrontPage Server Extension files,
Microsoft Data Access Components (easy use of databases with sup****t for
ActiveX Data Objects, and the Microsoft Access driver)
SQL Server, MDAC: ADO, ODBC, and OLE DB (with ADO do***entation)
Data Sources - Jet and Access APIs
MDAC core files: ADO, ODBC, and OLE DB,
Personal Web Server (uses TCP/IP)
Personal Web Manager
World Wide Web Server
MTS (Transaction Server)
I installed everything, but could not install Microsoft Message Que.
Microsoft's "Active Internet" strategy has evolved with cor****ate
communications in mind. And in conjunction with their "Active Internet"
strategy, Microsoft has invested considerable time, effort, and financial
resources into the development of their ActiveX technology, which is a
robust and impressive mixing of technologies that will allow users to
create
and maintain interactive content using a number of software components,
scripting languages (see VB script), and other currently available
Microsoft
applications by embedding them directly into either static or dynamically
generated HTML pages.
ActiveX is based in part upon OLE controls, and the data sharing that has
previously been facilitated by OLE. ActiveX initiated in Microsoft as a
multimedia extension for Web pages. This means that if your organization
has used MS-Internet Information Server (IIS), SQL and other MS products,
your organization is now in a favorable position to design and implement
complex intranet systems easily with use of the compatibility across the
Microsoft suite of applications. The data component of ActiveX is called
ADO (Active Data Objects).
The Microsoft Personal Web Server (PWS) sup****ts ActiveX Data Objects, and
the Microsoft Access driver. The Microsoft Data Access Component MDAC
core
files are : ADO, ODBC, and OLE DB.
ActiveX
ActiveX and the Windows WScript object model is an environment which
sup****ts many Windows programming ideas and languages that include
JScript,
Windows Script Host (WSH), and VBScript and VBA (Visual Basic for
Applications).
ActiveX initiated in Microsoft as a multimedia extension for Web pages.
Eventually it grew into being an environment which sup****ted the notion of
scripting, for the browser which is the same idea as Sun and its Java
language meant to solve. This says that ActiveX is essentially meant to
adapt same approach as the Java standard.
The sup****t for VBScript goes way beyond scripting for the Internet
Explorer
and has set up many new hosts -including the Windows operating system
itself. The data component of ActiveX is called ADO Active Data Objects.
ADO is used to work with data from various sources. There are various
types
of ADO objects as suggested on the MSDN section of ADO Programmer's Guide.
Also see ADO do***entation provided with PWS.
WordPerfect 10
WordPerfect 10 sup****ts object linking and embedding (OLE). Object
linking
and embedding is the process of inserting an object created in one
application (the server) into another application (the client).
An object can be text, a graphic, a chart, a spreadsheet, a sound or video
clip, or any file created by an OLE-compliant application.
To share information with Windows applications created before Windows 95,
you must use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) instead of OLE.
In this section you'll learn about:
linking and embedding objects
linking and embedding data created in other formats as regular text
linking and embedding TextArt images
linking and embedding video
linking, embedding and using sound
changing links
updating links and editing OLE objects
changing and hiding link icons
Linking and embedding objects - WordPerfect lets you link and embed
objects
from any application registered with Windows as being OLE- or
DDE-compliant.
You can also link or embed selected information from a file. When you
link
information, it resides in the source (server) file where it was created.
It
displays in WordPerfect (the client file) in a graphic frame or as an
icon.
If you change the object in the source file, you can update the link in
the
WordPerfect file too.
Linking is useful when you want to be able to edit an object in a single
location and have the edits reflected in the linked locations as well.
The server application is used to create and edit linked OLE objects,
either
in the source application or in WordPerfect.
If you want to edit DDE linked information, the server application must be
used.
FrontPage 2001
The 599CD course is using FrontPage XP as the web editor. It would be
useful to practice using the features of FrontPage and to integrate ASP
examples from the 599CD course on ASP. The scripts an be tested using
Windows Notepad.exe a text editor, and copies could be used as templates
in
future web server projects.
Active Server Pages differ from static HTML pages because they are able to
create content on the fly, for a specific request of the user. ASP pages
are really HTML pages with scripting language added to them. The scripts
are used as noted above:
As noted once above, a form <FORM> process is specified by using the
<Form>
tag within an HTML page. It creates a container that will be used to
create
a server process. To make a form work, the action and method attributes
need to be specified as in the following example:
<FORM action="exampleform.asp" method=post>
...
</FORM>
ASP tags are added within the HTML, where the dynamic data ill be
co-mingled
on the web page which is served in response to the user's request.
What is a script?
A script is a series of programming codes embedded in a web page to
execute
commands. A script can takes advantage of the Data Access Components core
objects, Microsoft Data Access Components (easy use of databases with
sup****t for ActiveX Data Objects, and the Microsoft Access driver).
A script can also be used with Window Script Host (WSH). But that would
be
a server side script.. I made it to the point that WSH is a client side
idea, where the server ide is fundamentally ActiveX. Adding this ..
Any server script files using ADO which connect the data to ODBC, to
display
data within HTML devices also need a source tempate directory. Data
update
procedures require do***entation. Data replication procedures require
evaluation and description, etc. Look into Dalgleish's chapter on
Superbase
project file maintenance.
The Windows Script Host (WSH) is similar to an interpreter for JScript or
VBScript that runs in the client browser.
WSH 2.0 meets the top ten user requests:
Sup****t for include files
Sup****t of multiple engines
Enhanced tools sup****t
Enhanced debugging
Access to type library constants
Mechanism to pause a script
stdin/stdout and stderr sup****t
Enhanced logon script capabilities
Drag and drop sup****t
Quality of workman****p (counts as a feature)
Any application that sup****ts Microsoft Windows Script can use these
languages.
For example, to show the current date and time or include some data value
from a database.
<%=Time()%>
The above is used to show the current time, and date. The parameters are
not shown but I will expand on this section of this paper later.
There are two types of scripts - Client Side and Server Side scripts.
Client -Side scripts run in the browser. VBScript is used with Internet
Explorer which interprets the VBScript in the browser if that is how we
write it. A request for a page located on the server is made. The server
sends the page back to the client browser along with the VBScript
(JScript)
code, which is interpreted by the browser. (will need to study this with
some examples). 599CD says, the script is run after the page is received
by
the client, from the server. And the script can be run several times,
without reconnecting with the server.
A Server Side script runs at the server. ASP is a server side script. A
request for a page located on the server is made. The server interprets
the
script first, and then sends to page to the browser. The browser receives
only HTML. As for the request it often contains parameters in the query
string which has to be explored during this lesson. Each execution of the
script requires a round trip to the server, and back to the client.
Rost of 599CD states, the user types some information into a form <FORM>
(like his name and address), and that information gets submitted up to the
server... The server does all the processing to figure what values to put
into the script. The server then sends an HTML do***ent back to the
browser.
How do I work on the server?
The server I am using is LEONARDO, on the network MSHOME.NET. I type in
file:\\LEONARDO and the online (shared) network directories are displayed
as
follows:
The directories which I have made available on various occasions are
being
displayed.
The dorectories shared online are are :
Data Sources C:\Program Files\Common Files\ODBC\Data Sources on
Leonardo.MSHOME.NET - for ODBC uses
LiveWeb D:\LiveWeb\WebTmpl\ on Leonardo.MSHOME.NET -
http://leonardo.mshome.net/liveweb/
(default.htm)
MyDo***ents
Web D:\Projects\Internet\WEB\ on Leonardo.MSHOME.NET -
http://leonardo.mshome.net/web/
(index.htm)
wwwroot C:\Inetpub\wwwroot on Leonardo.MSHOME.NET -
http://leonardo.mshome.net/
(default.asp)
<a href="/scripts/test.asp">test2</a>
http://leonardo.mshome.net/scripts/test.asp
SCRIPT from WEB directory
Doing the Exercise
An exercise to test the function of the Active Server Pages (IIS)
components
running on the web server. I know that my components will work. I have
expanded the example to work on a problem.
The issue is to plan a small part a web network application which can be
used for some personal / investment interests involving data management,
and
decision sup****t systems, and the "use" of raw data to cause some effect.
According to the class on statistics www.learner.org with Prof. ? and
Theresa Amabile in her class also, statistics is a way to understand data
which may already be known or anticipated (lightening, rain) or data which
is based on a survey or other data gathering method (Coke or Pepsi). The
lecture by Prof. Bill Kirby on regression describes how the % of
predictable
variation can be calculated when a set of data is considered together.
What
I want to do in this exercise is consider ASP client/server applications
which involve simple data issues. The point is to master some ideas about
gathering data, and writing scripts which contain data.
Web Site Activities
The purpose and features of a Web site will vary according to the business
process associated with it. For example, sometimes page content is static
and available for everyone to see, and other times a token (cookie) is
given
to a browser so that when the site is visited again, that token can
identify
the user as someone who has visited the site previously.
The different Web site activities can be classified as follows:
Information distribution
Interactive Information distribution
Data Manipulation
Anonymous Data Manipulation
Add-on Activities
Information distribution is the simplest type of Web site activity. It is
a
read-only operation that can be made of password-protected,
database-driven,
or static pages. The reason why it is informational is that the global
key
(or cookie) has no impact on how the data is generated or displayed. This
information may be generated directly with ASP, or by calling a component.
This type of task is a one-to-many distribution mechanism. An example is
the display of news or cor****ate pages.
Interactive Information distribution is a read-only activity like the
informational activity above, but it is dependent upon the global key.
When
the page content is generated, it is customized to the user's
specifications. The global key then associates the user with specific
content and can be used to "recognize" the user if he or she returns. An
example is displaying a paycheck which is unique for each person.
Data Manipulation is an input-output activity. It is dependent on the
global key and it displays information that directly correlates to the
global key. When data is input, the global key is required to correlate
the
data being saved with the user. A key characteristic of this task is that
it uses server side components for its input-output operations. An
example
is the buying and selling of your stock ****tfolio on the internet.
Incremental updates are saved on user's machine until he places the order
to
transact his business with the network.
Anonymous Data Manipulation is an input-output activity, but it does not
require a global key. The difference between this and the application
task
is that there is no global key. The input-output is a generic operation
that can be performed by any user. An example is an attendee registering
for a conference, where the details are filled out once and never seen
again
on the Web site.
Add-on Activities are activities that do not fall into any of the
preceding
categories. They may require a global key or they may not. These tasks
might not even be Web based. These tasks are designed to do certain
things
that are not part of the main business process. Code may need to be
written, and some parts of other tasks may be reused but they are still
separate functions. Examples include data backups, database-filling
operations, and system maintenance.
Partitioning a Web
Partitioning a Web site is not simple. By defining the various activities
as depicted in prior paragraphs, it is possible to partition the Web
application. When a Web site is partitioned, it is simpler to maintain
and
extend.
Another reason for partitioning a Web site is if the various activities
use
different Web site structures. Information-oriented Web sites may only
contain a few pages. To manage thousands of pages, different tools are
required than those used to build a data manipulation Web site. The types
of Web sites that are focused on in this book are data manipulation and
add-on activity Web sites.
Separating the Structure from the Presentation
With HTML 4.0 it is possible to define your Web page presentation using
style sheets. Style sheets make it possible to assign a location and
style
to various items on an HTML page. The advantage of using this approach is
that it is possible to define various style sheets that will apply to
different situations. For example, the style sheet for the visually
impaired may require large fonts. Using style sheets also makes your site
more extensible for future designs. Style sheets will be discussed in the
next chapter A Programmers Introduction to Windows DNA p. 81.
<HEAD><TITLE>Welcome to the Virtual Mall!!</TITLE>
<LINK title="Text-only version"
rel="alternate" href="text-only"
media="aural, braille, tty">
</HEAD>
The above example shows how to create an alternate Web site for users who
do
not have the capability to view the graphics A Programmers Introduction
to
Windows DNA p. 82.
Client Server Networks
The benefits to be gained from proper consideration of the 4GL GUI and
client server network architecture, and appropriate implementation of the
client server system are:
Functionality can be delivered in stages to end-users. The first pieces
of
the project are deployed more quickly
Graphic user interfaces commonly used encourage the users to utilize the
functionality
Flexibility and scalability facilitate business process re-engineering
More processing can be performed close to the source of data being
processed
(distributed network data) reducing network data traffic
Client server architectures allow the development of Web-enabled
applications, facilitating the ability of organizations to communicate
internally, and to conduct external business over the Internet
HTML 404 Error
A better 404 message? It is possible to log the errors of users, find out
where the bad links are coming from (which subsystem) and inform the user
that they entered is incorrect (and, where applicable, sugget to those
users
where they should go).
Create a page in your site called 404.asp. This is the page that will be
presented instead of that stock grey page, so you'll want to use the same
template as the rest of your site pages for this page.
http://classicasp.aspfaq.com/general/how-can-i-give-thedor)m-a-better-404-message.html
Issues of Information Networks
What are the broad issues of the network site, i.e., marketing, analysis,
information resource, information storage?
These are indirect references to the class of the project which the web
site
might be planned to involve. A marketing website project, an information
analysis project website, a human resources website.
We are involved with the design model of the system. This model serves a
useful purpose for overseeing the life-cycle and the functions of the
information system. And a model is used to formulate a site which
formally
addresses some of the planning items mentioned above i.e.,
The design and planning involves the user's needs and the user's identity.
Who is Web site intended for?
What will assist the user in the process involving his desire to locate
and
use the Web site's resources?
Is the Web site intended to deliver information only, or would there also
be
some type of office automation correspondence function involving mailing
and
recording of a user's participation in a committee or online meeting?
Implementing an entity class (model) of a particular category of system
requires extensive do***entation. The entity class is described by its
attributes where relational database design is being considered. Yet
there
object-oriented systems design is performed the terms used to refer to
class
categories are encapsulation, inheritance, etc. The implementation would
involve aspects of many objects including tables, and various application
models too detailed to mention in entirety.
About Do***ent Libraries
A do***ent library provides a structure for storing files in your Web site
that is easy for you to set up and maintain, and is easy for site visitors
to use. You can create separate do***ent libraries for different kinds of
files. For example one for expense re****ts, and another for memos.
Im****tant: To create a do***ent library, your Web site must be on a server
that is running SharePoint Team Services (this is copied from a Microsoft
site).
Do***ent libraries provide a built-in structure and commands for adding
do***ents. By using do***ent libraries, site visitors can contribute
content to the appropriate page on your web site even if they know nothing
about the structure of your web site. Hyperlinks to do***ents are kept up
to
date automatically, and a view of the library is automatically displayed
on
a page on your web site. Lesser applications for webs i..e., Microsoft
FrontPage can be useful to achieve design and site maintenance.
When you create a do***ent library, a do***ent library folder is added to
the folder list of your web site. The pages in this folder enable site
visitors to add do***ents to the library, edit and delete do***ents and
properties, display properties, create custom views, and modify the
do***ent
library.
Using commands on these pages, site visitors can start the program
appropriate for creating a do***ent for the library, and site visitors can
also subscribe to be notified of changes to the library.
Templates provide a seamless experience for users of a SharePoint Team
Services -compatible client program, such as Microsoft Office XP.
Users fill in custom properties when they save a do***ent. By defining a
custom set of properties for a do***ent library, you can make the library
informative and make do***ents easy to find. You can also use do***ent
properties in conjunction with rules to automate the flow of information
on
your web site.
Select Information from a Database
About Selecting Information
After creating a database connection, the Database Results Wizard shows
the
record sources (the names of the tables and views) in that database. See
Microsoft online help View: Select information from a database.
Once you have selected the fields to display, the Database Results Wizard
enables you to filter the database results - that is, to display only the
records that match the criteria you set. You can also sort records. You
can sort records alphabetically by last name, and then by first name.
Relational Information (Data Warehouse)
We can consider the MIS (information network) to be defined as a
collection
of persistent data Romans p. 9. He distinguishes the offline data stores
as
persistent, and replaces them with new data in an update to take effect
within confines of his system management. Also most real-life databases
consist of data that exist for a specific purpose, and thus are persistent
Romans p. 9. The idea is related to permanence through their purpose for
existence.
The purpose of a database (network information system) is to store
information about certain types of objects. In database language these
objects are called entities. If object-oriented programming concepts are
familiar an object is an entity. While an entity class would be a class
(in
object programming terminology), where the object is an instance of that
class.
Again, the purpose of a database (network information system) is to store
information about certain types of objects. It is im****tant at the outset
to make a distinction between the entities that are contained in a
database
at a given time and the world of all possible entities that the database
might contain. This is im****tant because the contents of the database are
constantly changing, so our decisions should require input about what
might
be involved in the database (network information system) at a future time.
The world of all possible entities of a given type that a database might
coontain is referred to as an entity class. Thus, the world of all
possible
books in the Books entity class and the world of all possible authors in
the
Authors entity class.
Romans emphasizes that an entity class is just an abstract description of
something, whereas an entity is a concrete example of that description.
A modest example database named LIBRARY involves these following entity
cl*****:
Books
Authors
Publishers
The set of entities of a given entnty class that are in the database at a
given time is called an entity set.
To clarify the difference between entity set and entity class with an
example Romans p. 10 the BOOKS table is populated by 20 books. The
entities
are known books, the entity class is the set of all possible books, and
the
entity set (at this moment) is the specific set of 20 books listed in the
BOOKS table.
Attributes
Within an entity class we have entities, which possess certain properties,
called attributes. We usually refer to these attributes as attributes of
the entity class itself.
It is up to the database designer to determine which attributes to nclude
for each entity class Roman p. 11. These attributes correspond to the
fields in the tables of the database.
The attributes of the entity classs in the LIBRARY (example) database are:
Books attributes
Title
ISBN
Price
Authors attributes
AuName
AuPhone
AuID
Publishers attributes
PubName
PubPhone
PubID
LAN Database
In chapter 9 The Client /Server Database Environment the discussion
includes
a comparison between API and ODBC. Even though ODBC is difficult to
program
and implement, it is accepted because it allow programmers to make
connections to many vendor's databases without learning proprietary code
specific to that database. It is most useful for accessing relational data
and not well suited for accessing other types of data such as ISAM files.
An API might work with existing front-end software, like a
third-generation
language or custom re****t generator. And an API may also include its own
facilities for building applications. By clicking on windows, menus and
re****ts the visual browser (display) of the particular object class is
launched.
Open database connectivity (ODBC) is similar to API. This is generally in
relation to their pre-compiled executable modules format which lends to a
certain manner of programming. APIs are sets of routines that an
application program uses to direct (execute) the performance of procedures
by the computer's operating system.
The structure of a LAN and business services is based upon information: to
utilize the raw data of the environment and respond with the management of
responsive services. In fact the entire LAN is a means to extend the
impact
of files where data is maintained or created, to the world of an audience
where they can view these files as input to their questions.
The audience can participate in a visual or sound, or data processing, or
do***ent reading experience. The designing of the LAN is embedded in a
process of developing the front end routines for a database. A LAN as a
tool, can be used for a goal. To lend itself as a tool for information
literacy, and a resource of a business Information Management (Information
Services Organization). A LAN leds itself to the management of many types
of resources i.e., plant and equipment, capital, personnel, as well as
information.
A Web site based upon SharePoint Team Services from Microsoft relies on a
SQL server database to store information such as:
List data, including information about Events, Announcements, Tasks, and
Contacts.
Do***ent library information about properties, such as do***ent title,
date,
and size.
Discussion and subscription data, such as subscription information and the
actual threaded comments from Web do***ent discussions.
Security data, such as who is allowed to view and change site information.
Defined, each virtual server (One of multiple Web sites running on the
same
server, each with a unique domain name and IP address), a Web server that
sup****ts virtual servers is called a multi-hosting Web server, has its own
database. Webs and subwebs on the same virtual server share a database,
although their information is stored in separate tables within the
database.
Web Page Editors
Web page editors assist Web authors by providing an environment where the
HTML coding for a Web page can be produced in a WYSIWYG environment (IDE
development environment). The Web page can be fine-tuned after the
initial
HTML code is developed with the Web page editor.
What is already going on, and what contribution is the information network
being designed to deliver. An indirect relation****p with the participants
themselves (individually) requires that the program designer have a good
knowledge of the broadest activities which his site is designed to assist,
and that his design will not even involve the users in the program design
itself for the most part.
Yet the information site will feed information in response to conditions
which are pre-programmed by management. What are specific case issues
involving the web site?
What are the related issues in terms of the broader purposes? What is
being
market, and to whom?
What type of analysis is to take place? What information will be
available,
and what information update schedule is in effect?
The information storage features may be specifically to deliver a solution
to a question? How is information retrieved and processed to provide the
solution efficiently?
What about FAQ's (frequently asked questions)?
Will the Web site offer op****tunities for sponsor****p of the resources
that
it provides?
Project Objectives:
§ Evaluate the all server variables, and folders and drives on designated
development website computers in association with the COM interfaces
(Windows Script Host).
§ Evaluate minimum page coding necessary for Web page template and HTTP
user
agent Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
§ Create a data management and storage area for organization and
conversion
of data files when using an executable for conversion
§ Evaluate form processing and queries and form routines using form
fields,
PWS interactive forms (with ADO DSNless database connection) and
application
tools i.e., form designer and standard form templates
§ Evaluate HTTP valid server directives and MIME and ODBC server side
extensions
§ Evaluate links for a site using anchors
§ Evaluate links for a site using frames and anchors
§ Evaluate VBScript and Cascading Style Sheets
§ Evaluate connection to a database
§ Evaluate development tools Microsoft FrontPage and Microsoft InterDev 6
and Adobe GoLive 6 etc.
Use Lotus FastSite on Maria to evaluate any HTML pages
Conventions:
· List the reference book and page number of the code samples
· Use a do***entation convention in each folder (compile similar
do***entation)
· Organize pages in demonstration sites using generic variables (link
names
can be unique)
Windows Script (Microsoft Interdev 6)
Script can be created in several different ways:
Use DTC (design-time controls) which allows you to set property values and
enter values in dialog boxes, and then generates script for you.
Write your script in Source View with the Microsoft Interdev HTML editor.
HTML Editor
Source view in the HTML Editor enables you to:
View and edit text and HTML tags.
View and edit scripts in the page.
Work with DTC, java applets, and most other objects using the visual
representation which they will have in the browser. (Intrinsic HTML
controls
are displayed as HTML text.)
Drag items from the Toolbox (to HTML edtor) and from the Project Explorer
to
create elements on your page.
Use the Properties window and custom properties dialog boxes to edit the
appearance and behavior of HTML text and controls on the page.
Note: In Source View, the Properties window does not display style
properties. You can edit style style properties directly in an HTML tag
or
by using the Properties window in Design view.
Also, there is a long explanation about how to modify text or copy DTC
controls to be modified using the HTML Editor. Differences are conceptual
for editing purposes with various windows of Microsoft Visual Interdev
(DTC
controls are apparently not interpretted but compiled, and they have
functional dependencies (cannot use HTML Editor source view). Script
Outline window is often the preference.
Use the HTML Outline window to jump to any element in the page.
Use Script Outline window to view and create scripts for elements in the
page.
Perform debugger functions, such as setting breakpoints and viewing the
current line indicator.
Microsoft Visual Interdev sup****ts a complete scripting object model that
allows you to use standard object-oriented techniques for creating Web
pages. See The Scripting Object Model (Microsoft Interdev help file -
Scripts in Web applications)
THE SCRIPTING OBJECT MODEL
The Scripting Object Model is easiest to understand if you compare it with
how Web applications are created using the combination of ASP and HTML.
To
create a form for example, you place HTML elements on a page, including
text
boxes, list boxes, and buttons. One of the buttons is typically a
"Submit"
button, which causes the form to be sent to the Server, and which
specifies
an ASP page containing server script to process the form. (The ASP lesson
from 599CD.com also offers an example of this method)
Scripts on the destination page must manually examine the state submitted
by
the browser (client), and there is no association with the object that
created the state. (what is the creator of the state? a query, a formula,
an
application??)
On the other hand, the Scripting Object Model allows you to work with any
controls and the destination page using standard object-oriented
techniques.
For example, rather than use the complex form submission process required
by
ASP and HTML, you can simply place a button on the page and write a
handler
for its On_Click method to process the form.
Database Design
What are some of the concepts of modern relational database theory? How
are
these concepts realized in the Microsoft Access software application? For
purposes o a simple discussion, a databas is just a collection of related
data. A database management system, or DBMS is a system that is designed
tfor two main purposes:
To add, delete, and update the data in the database
To provide various ways to view (on screen or in print) the data in the
database
Why Use a Relational Database Design
In an effort to remove as much redundancy as possible from a database, a
database designer must split the data into multiple tables. In Access
Database Design and Programming the LIBRARY_FLAT example data, is being
split into four separate tables.
A BOOKS table, in which each book has its own record
An AUTHORS table, in which each author has his/her own record
A PUBLISHERS table in which each publisher has its own record
A BOOK/AUTHOR table which includes only the ISBN catalog number, and the
AuthorID number
Most database applicatons that are worth maintaining contain many
thousands
of records which are intricately related. This is where a full-fledged
relational databas program becomes essential. the primary issues are
again
to maintain and update the database and to avoid the issues asociated with
flat file databases i.e.,:
Redundancy
Multiple-value problems
Update anomalies
Insertion anomalies
Deletion anomalies
Avoiding data loss
Maintaining relational integrity
Creating views
Since Microsoft has been well known for its development of pioneering OLE
technology, that is where we begin this discourse about OLE DB. Most of
the
newer design recommendations stress the preference of ADO in a database
environment, or I believe. I'll look for the particular issues.
Access 2.0 now sup****ts Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) 2.0 as a client
application, giving you the benefits of in-place activation of objects,
such
as Excel 5.0 worksheets and Microsoft Word 6.0 do***ents stored in Access
databases.
Entities and Entiy cl*****
Keys, Superkeys, and Primary keys
One-to-one, one -to-many, and many-to-many relation****ps
Referential integrity
Joins of various types (inner joins, outer joins, equi-joins, semi-joins,
0-joins, and soon)
Operations of the relational algebra (selection, projection, join, union,
intersection, and so on)
Normal Forms and their im****tance
Once you have a a basic understanding of how to create an effective
relational database, you will want to take full advantage of that
database,
which can only be done through programming. Additionally, many of the
programming techniques in Romans book can be used to create and maintain a
databas frm within other applications, such as Microsoft Visual Basic,
Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word.
The book by Romans assumes the reader already knows how to create a tble
or
query using Microsoft Acess. The more im****tant aspect of Microsoft
Access
programming is database design. After all, once the database application
is
complete, the interface components play only a small role, whereas the
design continues to affect the usefulness of the application
(extensibility
into the environment). The Romans book is a ove beyond the interface to
the
ability to create programmable Access applications, and application
development skills.
At one level, topics such as normal form or the details of the relational
algebra are almost exclusively the preserve of the academic world. The
Romans book offers a readable guide, which is concise to use for reference
during databse design or SQL querydef statement writing.
Defining OLE
OLE is a member of a class of computer operations known as interprocess
communications (IPC). IPC operations enable different applications to
send
data to and receive data from other applications by an agreed-on
procedure.
The Clipboard is the primary IPC path for Windows; most present-day
communications of data between running applications (other tan by reading
or
writing to disk files) involves using the Windows Clipboard.
Windows defines a set of standard data types that you can copy to or paste
from the Clipboard. OLE uses these standard Windows data types:
bit-mapped
and vector-based graphic images, plain and formatted text, digital audio
sound, and so on. OLE is a major improvement over DDE because OLE is
easier
to implement than DDE. OLE 2.0 is expected to ultimately replace DDE.
OLE operations differ from conventional Windows copy-and-paste
operations -performed with Cntrl+C and Cntrl+V, or by way of DDE -because
OLE includes a substantial amount of information about the source of the
data, along with the actual data. An OLE object copied to the Clipboard
by
Excel 5.0 for example, includes the following information:
The name of the application from hich the data originated (in this case,
Excel)
The type of data, such as worksheet, macro sheet, or chart (Excel
worksheet)
The full path to the file, beginning with the drive letter and the file
name, if the data was derived from a file or was saved to a file.
A name assigned to the sheet or chart the contains the data, if the data
isn't derived from or saved to a file. The name usually is a long
combination of numbers and letters.
The name or coordinates of the range of the data, if only a ****tion of an
object is included.
The presentation of the object in Windows meta file (*.WMF) format. If
the
object is not an image, the icon of the application that created the
object
is the object's presentation.
When you paste data copied to the Clipboard from an Excel worksheet and
then
double-click the cell's surface, Escel pops up to enable you to edit the
data and disappears when you finish. With OLE, you paste complete
objects,
rather than just data, into an element of the application; reference book,
Using Access 2 for Windows, Special Edition p. 704.
Access 2.0 is the first application to use Microsoft's new OLE 2.0 server
for creating graphs and charts Using Access 2 for Windows, Special Edition
by Roger Jennings publ. QUE Cor****ation 1994 p.2. Access lets you
manipulate objects created by other recently released Microsoft
applications
for Windows using OLE automation. Access is the first Microsoft product
to
take advantage of the new OLE 2.0 Custom Controls that Microsoft, third
party add-in software publishers and you can create, with Microsoft Visual
C++ 1.5, the Microsoft Foundation Class Libraries, and the new OLE 2.0
Control Development Kit (CDK).
This is about the OLE DB, and/or ADO. I have no clear ideas where much of
this information fits in with Microsoft Access , but I know that it does
at
times.
Object Oriented Applications
Applications and the programming languages -which are also
applications -that programmers used to create the applications are
object-oriented if the applications can encapsulate properties and methods
within an object container. Before object-oriented programming was
invented, programmers considered properties and methods to be two separate
entities. Separtate data file contained the properties that the
programmer's application manipulated. In xBase a set of *.DBF files
contains properties (data), and a separate collection of *PRG files
contain
the methods (programs) applicable to the set of *.DBF files.
Access in contrast, takes an object oriented-approach to database
management. Access combines the data (tables) and the methods (queries,
forms, re****ts, macros, and Access Basic code) into a single, often
massive
*.MDB container, known as the Database object. Form and Re****t objects
act
as containers for Control objects. Querydef objects consist of Structured
Query Language (SQL) methods applied to Table objects.
Although it is lacking in some characteristics of a truly object-oriented
programming language, Access Basic comes close enough that you can
consider
Access Basic to be an object-oriented programming language.
Access asabove noted, has a unique database structure that combines all
related data tables and their indexes, forms, re****ts, macros, and Access
Basic code within a single MDB database file, the Database object.
Data Im****t/Ex****t Capability
Access has the capability to im****t data from and ex****t data to the more
popular PC databases and spreadsheet files, as well as text files.
Access can also attach dBase, FoxPro, Paradox, and Btrieve table files to
databases and manipulate these files in their native formats. You also
can
use Access on workstations that act as clients of networked files and
database servers in client-server database systems. Access thereby
fulfills
the requirements of a professional relational database management system,
as
well as a front-end development tool for use with client-server databases.
The new version of software applications of the Microsoft Office suite,
Access, Exce 5.0, Word 6.0, and PowerPoint 4.0 provide a variety of new
capabilities with OLE 2.0. OLE is a method of transferring information in
the form of objects between different Windows applications. This method
is
somewhat similar to copying text or graphics by using the Windows
Clipboard.
Prior to the release of Windows 3.1 OLE implementation was performed from
within the application, as in the cases of Excel 3.0 and PowerPoint 2.0.
Windows 3.1 made OLE a function of Windows by providing two (2) new files
OLECLI.DLL and OLESVR.DLL which orchestrate OLE. OLE 2.0 compliant
applications add many sup****ting DLLs toyou Windows\System\ directory.
And
OLE sets the course of future Windows applications and operating systems.
OLE is based on Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM), which is likely
to
become the de facto inductry standard for object-oriented application
programming in the Windows environment.
The Advantages of Objects
p. 708 Access 2 reference.
OLE
Microsoft complicated the concepts of cutting and pasting considerably,
with
their development of something called Object Linking and Embedding, also
known as OLE. It is an idea which begins with the "object". The object
is
merely the information you want to paste into a window. It can be a
sentence, a road map, a sound, or anything else that you can cut or copy
from a window (in another application).
Normally, when you paste an object into a window, you're pasting the same
kind of information. For example, you paste text into a word processor
and
pictures into the Windows Paintbrush program. This procedure works very
well for placing images into web pages using Microsoft FrontPage.
However, what if you want to paste a sound into Write, the Windows word
processor? That's where OLE comes into play, offering subtle changes to
the
paste concept. Beware, OLE awareness is the first step to computer nerd
certification (Windows 3.1 for Dummies).
Understanding of the Im****tance of OLE
OLE is the sole method by which you may add graphic images to your Access
forms and re****ts, and add or edit data in OLE objects (data type) fields
of
Access. Using OLE as the method of applying and storing nontext
information
holds the following advantages over built-in graphics processing offered
by
some RDBMSs.
You can use any image-processing application that functions as an OLE
server
to create and edit bit-mapped graphics; from the simple Windows 3.1
PaintBrush applet to photographic-quality editors, such as Micrografx
Picture Publisher.
You can embed or link vector-based images from simple OLE 1.0 applets such
as Microsoft Draw, or from full-fledged illustration packages, such as
CorelDRAW! 4.0, an OLE 2.0 server, or Micrografx DEsigner. Microsoft
Chart
5.0, called MSGraph5 in the book, is included with Access 2.0. MSGraph5
is
an OLE 2.0 server applet.
The added overhead associated with bit-map editors incor****ated in the
application is eliminated. Self-contained bit-map editors and drawing
functions are seldom as capable as stand-alone, shrink-wrapped OLE server
applications.
You do not need to install a collection of im****t and ex****t filters for
different kinds of files. OLE server applications provide file im****t
from,
and ex****t to, a variety of file types.
You can ex****t objects stored in OLE Object fields in Access tables or
stored within bound or unbound object frames to other applications via the
Clipboard. Bound object frames display the presentation of OLE objects
stored in OLE object fields of Access tables. Unbound object frames
display
the presentation of static OLE objects, such as company logos used to
embellish forms and re****ts.
You can store a variety of OLE objects in one OLE Object (data type)
field.
You can link or embed in one OLE Object field waveform audio (*.wav), MIDI
music (*.MID), animation (*.FLI and *.MMM), and audio visual interleaved
(*.AVI) files. You need a large-capacity fixed disk to embed *.AVI and
long
duration *.WAV files, however.
You can choose between embedding the data within a table, form, or re****t
or
linking the OLE object to a file that contains the data. The behavior of
an
OLE 2.0 object differs, depending on whether you link or embed an object
Embedding an object looks just like pasting it. The object shows up in
the
window, but when you embed an object, you're also embedding the name of
the
program that created that object. When you double-click on the object,
the
program which created it jumps to the top of the screen, ready to edit the
object again.
For example, you can embed a spreadsheet chart showing your current net
worth in a letter you're writing (uses Microsoft Word). Then if the stock
prices change, you can easily update the letter's chart. To do it, call
up
the letter, and and double click on the spreadsheet chart. Then the
spreadsheet application pops open ready for a user to make changes to the
spreadsheet chart. I can speculate that if Microsoft Word do***ents can
be
ex****ted into HTML pages, it may still allow embedding in the sanme manner
described.
When you're done you close the spreadsheet file and the application. The
spreadsheet disappears, leaving the updated chart in your letter.
Native OLE DB
Microsoft Access provides a native OLE DB, which is a component database
architecture that provides efficient network and Internet access to many
types of data sources, including relational data, mail files, flat files,
and spreadsheets, with the use of Microsoft Access. The user and
programming interface that you can use to access a Microsoft Access
database, or a Microsoft SQL Server database, or other data sources. (not
clear. ..from Access helpfile search OLE DB).
OLE DB is a component database architecture that implements efficient
networks and internet access to many types of data sources. OLE DB may be
the basis of extensibility by connections with ODBC 2.0 drivers. In the
OLE
DB architecture, the application that accesses the data is called a data
consumer (for example, Microsoft Access or a Microsoft Visual Basic
program), and the program that enables native access to the data is called
a
database provider (for example, Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server,
or
Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider).
A data source is a collection of data which is related to a particular
subject or purpose. Within a database, information about a particular
entity, such as an Employee or Order, is categorized into tables, records,
and fields.
Table-Level Domain Integrity
The early sections of the reference book point to new features and
improvements to Access 2.x. Access 2.0 now enforces domain integrity at
the
field and table level. This distinction is im****tant. Field-level
validation rules relate only to the values of the field itself. You add
field-level validation rules in the Validation Rule text box of the Field
Properties pane of the selected field pg. 42 fig 1.2.
Access 2.0 has two new field properties Required, which applies to all
field
data types, and AllowZeroLength, which applies only to fields of the Text
field data type.
Access Reference
The reference which I use to begin this paper is Using Access 2 for
Windows,
Special Edition by Roger Jennings publ. QUE Cor****ation 1994. Roger
Jennings is a consultant specializing in Windows database and multimedia
applications. He was a member of the Microsoft beta-test team for
Microsoft
Access 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0, Excel 4.0, and 5.0, Word for Windows 2.0 and
6.0.
He has written two other books about creating database applications for
Microsoft Access and Visual Basic.
Contents at a Glance
Who is this book for? This book makes assumptions about your interest in
Microsoft's relational database management system:
You have PCs operating in a business, professional, institutional, or
government agency setting.
You have decided to use Microsoft Windows, as the operating system
environment for at least some of your PCs.
You have access via your PC to data that you want to process with a
Windows
database manager. You also want to use Microsoft Access more quickly and
effectively. Or you may be considering using Access as the sole database
manager for yourself, your department, your division, or your entire
organization.
Your existing data is in the form of one or more database, spreadsheet, or
even plain text files that you want to manipulate with a relational
database
management system. Access can process the most common varieties of all
three types of files.
If your data is on a mini - or mainframe computer, you are connected to
that
computer by a local area network and a database gateway or through
terminal
emulation software. Otherwise to be able to transfer data using floppy
disks "Footware".
Introduction - (1) How is this book organized?
The reference book, Using Access 2 for Windows, Special Edition by Roger
Jennings publ. QUE Cor****ation 1994 is divided into eight parts that are
arranged in increasing levels of detail and complexity. Each division
after
Part I draws on the knowledge and experience gained in the prior parts.
Us
of the book in a linear, front to-back manner through Part IV, "Powering
Access with Macrtos," is recommended during the initial learning process.
After you have absorbed the basics, Using Access 2 for Windows, Special
Edition becomes a reference tool for advanced topics.
Learning Access Fundamentals
Introduces you to many of the unique features that make Access the easist
to
use of all database managers.
The chapters in Part I deal almost exclusively with tables, the basic
elements of Access databases.
Access 2.0 What's New? Chapters 1 - 7 in this section
Up and running with Access Tables p. 6
Navigating within Access
Working with Access Databases and Tables
Entering, Editing, and Validating Data in Tables
Sorting, Finding, and Filtering Datain Tables
Attaching, Im****ting, and Ex****ting Tables
Querying for Specific Information
Part II explains how to create Access queries to select the way you view
data contained in tables and how you
take advantage of Access's relational database structure to link multiple
tables with joins.
Using Query by Example (QBE) Chapters 8 - 11 in this section
Understanding Operators and Expressions in Access p. 287
Creating Multi-table and Crosstab Queries
Using Action Queries
Creating Forms and Re****ts
An introduction to the primary application objects of Access (Tables and
Queries are considered database objects).
Forms make your Access applications come alive with the control objects
you
add using Access 2.0's new toolbox.
Access's full featured re****t generator lets you print fully formatted
re****ts or save re****ts to files that you can process in
Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word.
Creating and Using Forms Chapters 12 - 15 in this section
Designing Custom Multi-Table Forms p. 437
Printing Basic Re****ts and Mailing Labels
Preparing Advanced Re****ts
Powering Access with Macros
An introduction to the first level of programming provided by Access 2.0.
Automating Applications with Macros : An Overview Chapters 16 - 18 in this
section
Understanding Access Macros p. 603
Creating Macros for Forms and Re****ts
Integrating Access with Other Applications
Describes how to use the Object Linking and Embedding features OLE of
Access
2.0 together with Microsoft Graph 5.0,
Microsoft Excel 5.0 and Microsoft Word 6.0.
Using OLE 2.0 Chapters 19-22 in this section
Adding Graphics to Forms and Re****ts p. 699
Using Access with Microsoft Excel
Using Access with Microsoft Word and Mail Merge
Using Advanced Access Techniques
Exploring Relational Database Design and Implementation
Working with Structured Query Language
Securing Multiuser Network Applications
Connecting to Client-Server Databases
Defining Connection Information
A data link is the connection information that a data consumer uses to
access a data source through the OLE DB provider of that data source. In
the Microsoft Access user interface, you use the Data Link Properties
dialog
box to define a data link for an OLE DB provider in the following ways:
To connect to a Microsoft SQL Server database when you create a Microsoft
Access project by using the New command on the File menu or by using the
Database Wizard.
To redefine the connection information for an Access project by using the
Connection command on the File menu. You might do this to easily switch
from a test to a production database or from a primary to a secondary
server. -
To redefine the connection information of an existing data access page in
Page Design View by right-clicking on the field list and clicking,
Connection. - When you first create a Data Access Page, Microsoft Access
automatically defines the connection information for you by connecting to
the currently open Access database or project.
To connect a Web page that you opened from the Open dialog box (File
menu/Open) from a null database window.
To create a Pivot Table list or modify the connection to a Pivot Table
list.
Each OLE DB provider defines specific connection information. for
example,
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server requires a Server name, Server
location, and a User name, and you may want to define additional
information, such as a password, or whether you want to use Microsoft
Windows NT integrated security.
In general, to define connection information in the Data Link Properties
dialog box:
Click the Provider tab, select the OLE DB provider, and then Click next to
display the Connection tab to enter specific connection information for
that
OLE DB provider. Note that depending on how you get to the Data Link
Properties dialog box, the Provider tab may not be available. Microsoft
Access software automatically defines the provider as the currently open
Access database or SQL Server database connected to the open Access
project.
Click the Advanced tab to provide additional information, such as network
settings and access permissions.
Click the All tab to define initialization properties for that OLE DB
provider. (Note - If the Access project on the client computer is
connected
to a SQL Server 6.5 database running Microsoft Data Access Components
(MDAC)
2.5, you must delete the generated entry for the Network Library property
in
the All tab).
The Data Link Properties dialog box Help file (msdasc.hlp) provides
additional information on using the dialog box and defining connection
information for each OLE DB provider.
******
"Randy Howard" <randyhoward@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:0001HW.C39D944600979C7FF01846D8@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:53:31 -0600, WALLYWORLD wrote
> (in article <7q-dnTm6DcnCrOXanZ2dnUVZ_gydnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>):
>
> > I don't quite understand why you need to do anything like that.
>
> By top posting this, and another 50+ lines far away and above the
> article body you are replying to, this makes a crapload less sense than
> it might have.
>
> [snip]
>
>
> --
> Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR)
> "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those
> who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
>
>
>
>
>
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