Hi,
Is it possible for VB Express Edition 2005 (VBEE 2005) to develop a Client & Server based Windows Application I mean the database is stored in the server and the application is installed at client's PC AND the system (at client's PC) is able to retrieve the data from server for updating, adding or deleting IF YES How to manage it As VBEE 2005 and SQL 2005 both are installed inside the development PC...so how can we install the SQL database (tables that we designed for particular windows based application) into the server during the deployment of the application AND how can we deploy the application at client's PC Any reference on that
Thanks in advance!
Clinet and Server Windows Application
caprock
Yes you can develop client server applications with the Express products but it will take some work.
In the case of the remote (on Server Database) you will not be able to connect to it using the Express products as they can only connect to a local Database..... One of the Restrictions... But if you do wish to you can get around it by coding the data layer yourself. The express products can only connect to local Database as said above with the built in wizards, this means that using the dataset designers and such you will only be able to connect to a sql express database installed on you local machine. To code your own solution you would do all of the database code and connectivity your self, and to connect to the wizards you will have to expose the objects in your data layer. Once these are exposed you will then be able to bind to these using the object bindings instead of the data bindings.
To use the sql server express system on a remote machine and have the clients connect to it you will have to install the seperate product. When this is done if you use the new management tools that have been provided by MS you will be able to Attach the database to the new install on the server. This will intern make it ack just like a striped down server.
The problem you will have with the express development tools is the ability to script out the database code so that you can replay it on the new database server, but the new management tools can also help with that. After you have developed your application using the express ide, then you would copy the file to a different directory and attach it to the database engine and use the tools provided to export the DDl (Data Definition Language) that is used to create the database structure.
I hope this helps, but for more information on the SQL Express system you should have a look through the SQL Express Groups.
pg.owfg
Hi Whiteley,
Thanks for the guidelines!
I’m still confused on the way to deploy the client and server windows application. Okay I put it in this way…
I’ve installed VB and SQL 2005 at the same PC (normal PC) then I started to develop the application by using the connection and data adapter provided (to link to the database)…so after I completed the whole application and wanted to deploy on client PC then how am I going to copy the database into the server Will the linkage (connection and data adapter) still available thereafter
Many-many thanks!
Regards,
Henry Han
Icanreadabook
Short answer, yes you can.
As in: yes, you can develop client server application. Yes, you can develop a client application which accesses a database on a remote server.
You can't do the above (develop the remote database) from within the IDE. Databinding may be an issue, but I don't do data binding to any controls, so I'm not sure how that would work.
As far as deployment goes, that's a very wide subject: do you want the client to create the database/tables Do you just want to run a 'database install' script Why not just create the database using SQL Server and generate an SQL script
The client application can be deployed using OneClick: this could be pretty nice, since all your work is done at the server. Just write your client to access a remote database.
Cutting to the chase, there are a thousand ways to do what you want - it's up to you to pick the best way to suit the users and/or yourself.
Mr.Sun
Is this a one-off/customized application, or shrink wrapped
That's a big question: shrink wrapped applications need to be brainless, and be able to tolerate "I didn't do anything!" type users. Basically, your job is 10 times harder in this situation. You need to test, test, test, test, test (to the power of n). You'll need to think about: what happens if there is no server What if the user isn't an administrator how do you install the database engine How will you install the Database
In either case, you need to to develop the application with deployment in mind. For example, how will the user choose/select the server to connect to The data adapter can connect locally, remotely, over the internet, etc.
If you have a more hands on approach, you can simply transfer your database (data files) to the active server. Write yourself a procedure.
If it's a combination of the two, then have a separate install for server, and a separate for the client: even though Visual Studio combines the capabilities of database building and application building they are two very distinct operations. In fact, I'd recommend keeping them as two different projects: build the database and build the client. Then consider instlling the database and installing the client. Two operations (it may look like a single operation to the user, but most users could care less about databases - Lotus notes 'designers' do you even have ears to listen with ).