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Technical Details of blueshell Active Tables

System requirements

When using blueshell Active Tables for .NET
- Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 or later
  - comes with Visual Studio .NET or by download from Microsoft
- Windows 2000/XP or
- Windows 95/98/ME/NT4 with
  - HTML Help components
    - comes with VB6, Internet Explorer etc.
  - VB6 Runtimes
    - comes with VB6, Service Pack 3 or later or by download from Microsoft
When using blueshell Active Tables without .NET (VB5/6 or other ActiveX environments)
- Windows 2000/XP or
- Windows 95/98/ME/NT4 with
  - Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.1 or higher (current version is 2.7) including ADO
    - comes with VB6 or by download from Microsoft
  - HTML Help components
    - comes with VB6, Internet Explorer etc.
  - VB6 Runtimes
    - comes with VB6, Service Pack 3 or later or by download from Microsoft

Download

The current version for ActiveX (Visual Basic 5+6 and others):

Download bAtTM.exe
(Version 3.00.0013, 1.49 MB; 2004-09-19 )

blueshell Active Tables for .NET (includes ActiveX release as well):

Download bAtNET.exe
(Version 3.00.0009, 2.29 MB; 2003-12-23 )

Package

blueshell Active Tables ActiveX controls
- Jet (Access) Example Northwind with VB sources using VB's DataEnvironment
- Jet (Access) Example NWPlain with VB sources without DataEnvironment usage
- SQL Server Example Pubs with VB sources
- Oracle Example Application Scott with VB sources
- Context sensitive help with connections to MSDN
- bAt Master Add-In
blueshell Active Tables for .NET Windows Forms controls (only in bAtNET.exe Package)
- Jet (Access) Example Northwind with C# sources
- Rich support of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
bAsk - blueshell ADO Survey Kit (Freeware)

Advantages

Advanced graphical user interface
- The user may switch between grid view and form view
- Supports inserting and deleting records and undo changes by graphical interface
- Supports sorts and filters at SQL level
- Enables Finds as well as Goto record number
- Supports checkboxes and datepickers in both views
- Multi-language: English and German built-in, other languages customizable
- Supports Windows XP Visual Styles
Advanced connectivity
- Observes table relationships by automatic linking between different Active Tables
- Based on ADO
- Supports VB6's DataEnvironment as well as direct SQL statements
- Allows linkage of blueshell's controls, .NET controls and of custom controls to the form view
- Can be a .NET data source
Advanced development
- No rapid generating with hard editing but rapid generating and easy editing
- Supports Visual development
- Rich support of Visual Studio for .NET
- bAt Master Add-In for Visual Basic 5+6

Versions

Only major modifications are reported.

Version 3.00.0009

Automatic form view (FormLayout available from property page)
OLE fields
Better support of Win95, NT4
Better support of displays with odd DPI

Version 3.00.0006

Foreign support for connection-less Recordsets
New property Atb.DataSource: Binding to .NET sources
Enhanced Help for VS .NET
Supports Swedish and Finnish

Version 3.00.0005

Supports Visual Styles (Windows XP themes)
LabelWidth properties are now inherited in bAt Master
Enhanced Property Page Bindings for txt, cbo and chk controls supports extended binding
Size Grip on atb and Atb
Better performance for applications with many atb or Atb controls
Enhanced data entry in cbo control
LabelWidth of txt, cbo and chk controls may be resized using the left grip in VB Designer
Doesn't use MSWLESS any longer

Version 3.00.0004

AtbConnection.ConnectionStringEditor() to edit the connection at runtime
Switch to a suitable cursor when using MSDAORA
Detailed message when source could not be opened

Version 3.00.0003

Enhanced Grid View

Version 3.00.0002

Column.Width now remains unchanged after requery. Supports Column.Width and Column.ReadOnly in .NET.

Version 3.00.0001

Some enhancements with AtbConnection editor
Enhanced support of J#

Version 3.00.0000

Supports .NET

Version 2.02.0004

Supports German user interface. Other languages available from blueshell service.

Version 2.02.0003

Set updatability of atb controls at design-time

Version 2.02.0002

Supports Filter and Sort on not-connected recordsets, too

Version 2.02.0000

PropertyPage for txt Format
New property txt.NullAllowed
New property atb.Connection
AboutBox for all controls
Project template blueshell Active Tables Project
Form template bAtForm

Version 2.01.0021

Supports DHTML: atb control may be used in web pages
Better display of txt controls in Windows 2000
txt.BackStyle=Transparent was ignored. Now this uses the BackColor of the container.

Version 2.01.0020

New enhanced asynchronous fetching with huge tables using client cursor
Translation from txt.Text to txt.Value according to txt.DataFormat now works even if txt.Visible = False
atb now supports not-connected recordsets (where atb.Recordset.ActiveConnection = Nothing)
bAtHelp revised

Version 2.01.0018

Because atb needs Bookmarks it failed if it was set to a Recordset which does not support Bookmarks. Now if a server side Recordset is used which doesn't support Bookmarks atb now tries to use a client side Recordset.

Version 2.01.0017

Supports context sensitive Help
Supports ToolTipText
Field comments defined in the database are used as ToolTipText (if the provider supports them [via OpenSchema(adSchemaColumns)!Description] , MSDAORA currently does not)

Version 2.01.0016

Supports "Option" Format. See Customers form in Northwind example.
Supports binding of controls that are not children of an atb control.

Version 2.01.0014

Supports simpler re-connect of DataEnvironment
Supports Universal Quotes for atb.Filter, atb.OrderBy and the atb.Sql... properties.
Solves problems with DataEnvironment.Connection.CursorLocation = adUseClient

Version 2.01.0013

Demos revised
Help revised
chk control supports DataFormat, even 3-state

Version 2.01.0012

Supports formatting columns via property sheet
Supports checkboxes in grid view even for non-boolean fields
Uses date/time picker for date/time fields
Uses date/time picker for date values in txt control
txt control supports DataFormat, even if not bound
Allows keyboard input (spacebar) for gridview checkboxes
Eleminates silly error 0x80040E20 with SQL Server provider
Some enhancements regarding focus and navigation

Version 2.01.0011

Eliminates a little bug in chk regarding fields with forbidden nulls.

Version 2.01.0010

Implementing a workaround in the Pubs example for login with empty password using SQL Server 7.
Some enhancements in displaying atb's grid.
cbo.LabelWidth may be 0 now which hides the label.
cbo.Appearance = ccFlat supported (with cbo.LabelWidth=0)

Version 2.01.0009

New SQL Server Example Application Pubs
bAt control now uses checkboxes in grid view for boolean columns
Some enhancements for SQL Server

Version 2.01.0007

Some enhancements for the help system.

Version 2.01.0006

Oracle Example Application Scott now creates tables as needed.
Some minor bugs fixed in atb control

Installation

Make sure that all system requirements are installed
Download the appropriate file
Execute that file and follow the instructions.

Troubleshooting

When I'm trying to log in using the Pubs example I'm always getting a "18456" error.: This is not a problem of bAt, it is a little bug with SQL Server 7. If your account has an empty password (like "pubs" initially has), you will get a "18456" error along with the login dialog of the ADO provider.
It doesn't work: Mail to service@blueshell.com and we will help you!

I need a language other than English or German: Mail to service@blueshell.com and we will help you - no extra charges!

Hot Info

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