Creating Windows Data Entry Components

Now that you have created your tables and Data-Dictionaries, you are ready to create the data-entry views for your application. These form the interface that users will see and will think of as "the program".

Data-entry views are composed primarily of two parts: data-entry objects and data-server objects. Data-entry objects (e.g., Entry Forms, Tables, and Editors) allow users to examine, select, or manipulate data in the database. These are supported by pop-up lookups, validation combo boxes, and the like. All visual interaction with the database occurs in data-entry objects. On the other hand, data-server objects (i.e., Data-Dictionaries) control what records users see when they are accessing the database.

The Order Entry application consists of a main source file, Order.src, which incorporates some standard objects (menu, status bar, etc.) and uses five views, which in turn use the Data-Dictionaries, which in turn use five lookups. Using the Studio, we will start by making the lookups. As you know, they are already referenced in the Data-Dictionaries you made earlier. Then we will create the main source file and some views to which we will then add, finishing by compiling and running the completed program.

Important!

In order to complete the pages in this tutorial section, you must have at least one Windows application in the OrderTutorial workspace. Create a Windows application named Order.src.

For a refresher on creating Windows applications, complete the Creating a Windows Application and Compiling and Running a Windows Application pages now, and then return to this section and continue where you left off.

This tutorial section will take you through the following steps:

• Creating the Lookups
• Creating the Views
• Creating the Customer View
• Creating the Sales Person View
• Creating the Vendor View
• Creating the Inventory Item View
• Creating the Order Entry View
• Customizing the Order Entry View