Pro Dynamic .Net 4.0 applications : data-driven programming for the .Net framework ; [use data-driven programming to write flexible and dynamic applications

As a developer you are likely painfully aware that not all features of an application can be anticipated when the software ships. In order to cope with these eventualities and save yourself time (and perhaps money), it makes sense to write your applications in such a way that end users can be made as independent of the developers as possible. Giving your users the power to make changes to the way the application operates once it has shipped gives them more control over the way the application works, while reducing the frequency with which you need to redistribute application files, creating a win-win situation. __Pro Dynamic .NET 4.0 Applications__ explains how to give users the power to create additional data-entry fields, validation logic, and new reports without assistance from the application developer. You will learn how to do this for both desktop (C# and WPF) and web (ASP) applications. ## What you’ll learn ## Who this book is for This book is for anyone wanting to distribute an application in which the user needs to be as independent of the developer as possible. By using the techniques described in the book, the user will have the power to make modifications to his own applications, and the developer will reduce the frequency with which he needs to redistribute EXEs. ## Table of Contents Prelim 1 Home Page 1 Contents at a Glance 6 Contents 7 About the Author 11 About the Technical Reviewer 12 Acknowledgments 13 Introduction 14 Introducing Data-Driven Programming 15 Database Metadata 16 SQL Server 16 Oracle 18 Practical Applications 20 Code Generation 23 Custom Code Generators 24 Using the CodeDOM 27 Namespaces, Classes, and Fields 27 Support Methods 31 Constants 35 Enums 36 Properties 37 Methods 38 Constructors 41 Source Code 41 Summary 42 Reflection 43 Instantiating Classes 43 Loading Shared Assemblies 45 Examining Classes 46 Methods 47 Fields 49 Properties 51 Interfaces 52 Constructors 53 Events 54 Drilling Down into Assembly Objects 55 Building an Object Hierarchy 55 Importing Control Definitions 59 Decompiling Source Code 66 Summary 71 Runtime Code Compilation 73 System.CodeDom.Compiler Namespace 73 Compiling the Code 75 Error Handling 77 Executing the Code 80 Referencing Controls on Forms 82 Adding References 84 Testing 89 Summary 89 Dynamic WinForms 91 Instantiating Forms 91 Wiring Events 95 Loading Control Definitions 97 Loading from XML 98 Loading from a Table 100 Connecting Event Code 104 Practical Solutions 106 Building a Filter Screen 106 Saving the User Selections 107 Restoring the User Selections 111 Saving Grid Settings 113 Data-Driven Menus 117 Application Menus 118 Most Recently Used File Menu 122 Creating Criteria Screens 124 Dynamic Criteria Controls 124 Extracting the User Selections 131 Summary 136 Dynamic ASP.NET 137 Instantiating Web Controls 137 Understanding the Page Life Cycle 141 Using HTML Tables 147 ParseControl 151 Instantiating User Controls 153 Repeater Controls 157 Practical Solutions 161 Dynamic Criteria Controls 161 Extracting the User Selections 166 Summary 167 Dynamic WPF 169 XAML 169 Layout 171 Canvas 172 Grid 174 StackPanel 176 WrapPanel 178 DockPanel 180 Runtime Instantiation 182 Accessing Child Controls 185 Nested Controls 186 XamlWriter/XamlReader 189 Persisting Objects 190 IsAncestorOf/IsDescendantOf 191 Wiring Events 193 Data-Driven .Menus 194 Summary 196 Reporting 197 SQL Server Extended Properties 197 Microsoft Excel 203 Syncfusion’s Essential XlsIO 205 SoftArtisans’ OfficeWriter for Excel 208 PDF 211 iTextSharp 211 Syncfusion’s Essential PDF 214 SAP/Business Objects: Crystal Reports 216 Embedded vs. Nonembedded Reports 216 Dynamic Crystal Reports 216 Preset Columns 216 Using the Crystal SDK 219 SQL Server Reporting Services 224 Using RDL 224 Dynamic Rdl 226 Summary 230 Database Design 231 Data Storage 231 Committing Data to the Database 235 Using Inverted Tables 239 Structuring Inverted Data 239 Extracting Inverted Data 241 Converting Inverted Data to a Normalized Structure 243 Mixing Normalized and Inverted Tables 246 Summary 249 Index 251 Provides information on building .NET 4.0 applications, covering such topics as database metadata, assembly objects, WinForms, WPF, ASP.NET, reporting, and database design.