Convert Access Appplication to ASP.NET

[dirkg]

Hi,

does anyone has experience with converting a rather extensive (with a lot of VB)Access application to an ASP.NET application? Is it difficult? Is programming a lot different from VB? Are the procedures in VB reusable or do they all need to be converted?

Thanks a lot for the information.


Greetz,


Dirk

 

[Isadore]

Dirk. I'm in the same boat. We have a very robust Access database and we are now loading much of the functionality onto the web.

We started off using OLEDB with Access, to get a good portion of the data up and running quickly. We are now starting to transfer to SQL.

We found that on the net the table structure needed to be changed a bit (minimizing lengthly SQL join statements, etc...) and so you might conisder altering a few tables, etc.. and getting the most functionality quickly for ASP.NET. Of course, many on this thread would argue that you move directly to SQL and bypass OLE DB -- but we are seeing evidence now at our site that up to 20 people at one time can successfully enter records, etc... We want to gather some data on OLEDB before completing the move to SQL, which, for most, would be inevitible.

I have a freshly transferred site now at the following URL:

http://frontpage.auburn.edu/icaae/index.aspx

The entire site was writtin in NotePad and originated in an extensive Access database. I would be more than happy to share code, etc.. with you to help you get started. Nothing substitutes however than a lot of reading in many of the fine books out there on dot NET.

We also use ChartDirector for graphs and charts and many of these are on the site. If you any specific questions you can continue on this thread of email me from the site above. Good Luck.

 

[netangel]

Great, perhaps one of you can help me in my Access to ASP.NET problem.

I'm converting a program from Access to ASP.NET and I can't find a way of reproducing the access combo boxes with more than one column.
The old application had hundreds of them, and my boss doesn't like the idea of concatenate the codes to show 3 or more parts of the code.

My tables look like this:
IDLoc IDSubLoc IDPlace Description
===== ======== ======= ===========
L1 S1 P1 Somewhere
L1 S2 P1 Somewhere else
L2 S1 P2 Here
L1 S3 P1 There

I must show all the columns, as the users know the codes by heart, and never even look at the description.

So far I thought about making a custom control, but I'm still trying to find another way.

Can you help me, please? I'm pretty sure u've used those combos before. NetAngel

 

[jfrost10]

Hmmm...well, what you could do is have 4 list boxes on your form. Fill the list boxes with your records
(i.e. lstLoc, lstSubLoc, lstPlace, lstDescription)
and put them right next to each other. then, if they want to scroll through, just make custom buttons where if they push a down arrow, the next item in all the listboxes are selected (lstLoc.selectedindex = lstLoc.selectedIndex + 1)
You'd just have to make sure that when it goes to the next one, it stops if its at the last entry.

Just a thought anyway

Jack

 

[Zarcom]

Or you could concatenate the strings so it looks like they are in columns. I am not sure if that is what you meant when you said the bit about your boss not liking something, but it would work.

Other than that a custom control might be in order. That'l do donkey, that'l do
Mark

 

[netangel]

Sorry, but none of your suggestions can work for me. Access combos are different from vb or asp ones.

In access combos, I can have, lets say, 5 columns, show those 5 columns when the combo is 'opened', and when the user picks something (and 'closes' the combo), it only shows one.

If I concatenate the ids and the descriptions, it always shows the all text.

Still grabing my hair... and opened to new sugestions. NetAngel

 

[jfrost10]

OK, then why don't you try this for a workaround:
1. Set up enough textboxes for all five columns
2. Put a button next to it that says "Select" or whatever
3. Instead of filling the listbox, select the first record from teh table you would have filled it from and put it in the text fields.

Now, when the user clicks the "select" button, you can have one of two things happen:
Version 1:
You have a datagrid hidden, with a button column. When the user clicks "select", the datagrid becomes visible, and is filled with all the records from your table. If the user wants to pick a different item, they just click the button in the button column, and that record now gets loaded into the text boxes. Once a new item is selected, the datagrid.visible = False again.

Version 2:
Same as above, but open a new window (instead of filling your page with the datagrid), and have it so taht when they select an item from teh grid, it window sends that record back to teh parent window and closes the child window. Don't know the code off hand, but know it can be done.

Jack

 

[dirkg]

I must say if I see how difficult it seems to convert such a basic thing as a combo with multiple columns to ASP.NET that I have serious questions whether it is possible to make an ASP.NET application as user friendly as a well designed Access-application... :|
Is this indeed an issue or is it only the combo box that gives a problem?

Greetz,


Dirk

 

[jfrost10]

Don't get discouraged Dirk!


The job management system I'm developing right now is actualy a port over from an Access application. The main thing to keep in mind in something like this:

You won't be able to copy EVERYTHING control for control, look for look. But thats OK!


What I would suggest is don't focus so much on the user interface being identical, focus on the business processes being duplicated, and just try to make the UI as close as possible. We've actually found that asp.net gives us BETTER UI options than access did!

Short answer for you: yes, the combo box with multiple columns is about hte only thing that can't be duplicated. But even then, there are many different options that you could do to duplicate the functionality without a combo.


jack