Re: Data Environment - any pitfalls?


"Ralph" <nt_consulting64@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:9eednW1rXMjDcwrZnZ2dnUVZ_tKdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To amplify a bit on the other's suggestions... (tho I am certainly no
guru)

I appreciate the usefulness of the DE. The DE was introduced with ADO 2.0
as
a 'wrapper' to provide a combination of easy-to-use graphical designers,
code generators, hierarchical data, 'stored queries', and centralized
event
and error-handling - as a direct response to other popular tools such as
PowerBuilder.

It can dramatically improve development times. Unfortunately it is a
wrapper
and thus doesn't expose all the features of ADO and there can be an impact
on performance due simply because of the secondary level of indirection.
Also it represents "Version 1" and MS never advanced the tool.

That says a lot right there. To present a tool that becomes immediately
non-evolving is sad.

I'll admit my basis for accepting the design concept was rather limited in
scope. The drag'n'drop (despite the obligatory folding, spindling, and
mutilating that accompanies) did make for rapid design of forms and reports.
Quite attractive. One of the (several) unfortunate side effects however was
when one form changed the pointer all forms using that source become
affected. In some regards it is a good feature (when all forms need to
remain in synch) but in other regards it is a real PITA (when all forms need
to behave independently). I could, of course, define separate sources for
separate forms but that leads to other headaches when it comes time to
modify the source definition. (I like to keep identical things identical
across the board. Unique concept, eh?)

I haven't yet given up the idea of using DE for reports ('tho it has been
hinted I might want to reconsider even that limited use and abandon DE
entirely). Prototyping is probably still a viable use as long as I don't
expect too much from the prototype.

Thanks for the $0.02USD. Opinions and viewpoints are always welcomed
(especially when they agree with mine <G>).


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