Interface Suggestions

[tstocksql]

Hi,
We are building a large application in VB.NET '05 and SQL '05. There are myriad reqiurements and a large and robust user interface. Below is just some of the processes it will accomplish.

1. Test Score entering and evaluating for a battery of tests.
2. Auto Invoicing triggered from a scheduling module.
3. Event Registration - Multiple people, multiple events.
4. Contact management from lead to customer.
5. Tasks lists and reminders.
6. Project management from lead to proposal to contract to life cycle mangament to closing of the project.
7. Work Orders linked throughout the system.
8. Center and Equipment management.
9. etc...

Our initial approach is a 4-tiered Form based app using a tree control on the left for navigation, a main view area on the right using panels and a bottom bar of some type as a scratch area where users can place object to refer back to.

The question we have is is the Forms app the best VB.NET approach for this large of solution or does anyone know of serious limitations?

In all honesty we would like to avoid a MDI app due to user acceptance issues.

Thank you in advanced for any input.

 

[chrissie1]

Looks like a good idea. But I would use forms instead of panels this way you can use the forms in the mainform like a panel (form without borders) and you can use them separatly.

You can add a form to any controls collection

For example.

dim frmtemp as new form1
frmtemp.toplevel = false
panel1.controls.add(frmtemp)
frmptemp.show



Christiaan Baes
Belgium

"My new site" - Me

 

[chrissie1]

But you really shouldn't have made a new thread for this.

Christiaan Baes
Belgium

"My new site" - Me

 

[tstocksql]

Sorry for the new thread. The previous thread response suggested a more detailed request and I made the assumption ( obviously a bad one ) that they meant a new thread. Thanks for the response.

 

[techsmith]

I wonder if there would be any benefit to mimicking a MDI container within your 'multi-paneled' environment.

You may be able to get the benefit without the associated problems of a VS MDI approach.

If a user re-opens multiple items from the scratch area, you would be able to manage the resizing, positioning etc - to a degree and then support side-by-side display and interaction between elements that might not sit together in the normal application layout.

 

[txmed]

tstocksql,

I was recently working on a project that had the same GUI requirements that you've mentioned here. This app did a number of routines at the same time including:
- display a list of student activities
- display a list of employee activities.
- shared calendar component
- interface for building employee timesheets
- listing of available resources (books, tapes, etc)
- visual alerting system (flagged students)
- etc.

In our first attempt we designed it using MDI. However, we quickly found out that this was a mistake (gui speaking). The client workstations simply were not large enough to support all of the windows at the same time.

In our second attempt, we used 3rd party controls from DevExpress. We used the Navigation Bar control (very similiar to the left-side bar in Outlook 2003, we used their TreeList Control (combination of a ListView & TreeView), their XtraBars Control (for the app's toolbars and status bars), and their Calendar Control (also very similiar to Outlook 2003).

We basically built the app that uses the NavBar to show all of the different screens for the app. Whenever the user selected one of the items in the NavBar, we programmatically loaded form controls that we built for the system (also suggested by chrissie1). We decided to use user controls because if not, if we programmed everything in one form, that would have been an enormous form with a huge amount of code.

If you want, I can send you a screenshot of what we have. Let me know.

(txmed)

 

[tstocksql]

Thank you txmed. We would love to see the screen shot. We'll look into those 3rd party controls also.

 

[txmed]

tstocksql:
I'm not sure the best way of doing this, but maybe you can send me your email address. I will forward you some screenshots.


Everyone:
I'm not too sure about this site's policies for giving out email addresses. If anyone know of a better way, please let me know.

(txmed)

 

[earthandfire]

If you look at any profile page you will see this at the bottom:

This site gives no personal information to anyone for any reason. Please don't post your e-mail address or phone numbers because it attracts salespeople, spammers, and stupid recruiters to the forums and we do NOT want them around. This site works the best when conversations are kept on a technical level. Thank you.

In this scenario, a link could be posted to a location where the screen shots are available.


Hope this helps.