Using ODBC, OLEDB, or SQLClient namespaces, VB.Net applications can easily connect and manipulate widely known databases like Microsoft Database File (*.mdf), Access Database File (*.mdb), and even MYSQL database. It is just a matter of placing the right connection strings for each type of db provider but the principles of incorporating SQL commands in the codes are basically the same. I have demonstrated this in my Elective 1 class and you can download the actual project using the link below:

http://www.psvphil.com/WindowsApplication7.rar

Extract the files using Winrar. Try to run the said application in your Visual Studio 2005 Express Edition and examine the codes.

Pangasinan Medical Society Inc. is a component society of the Philippine Medical Association based in the Province of Pangasinan. Their vision is to have a fellowship of physicians united in the common goal of acquiring the highest levels of medical knowledge and skills through continuing medical education and research and to promote the healing ministrations of the physicians in the delivery of health care to patients. Visit their website at http://www.pangmeds.org. PS Ventures designed their website and is currently developing some of the site’s components.

RL Pharma’s website  was developed by PS Ventures Philippines.

RL Pharma is a company with unmatched expertise and experience in the distribution of legitimate and exclusive products.

For more information about their products, visit their website at http://www.rlpharma.com.ph.

CYM Glass Expert is known and has retained the loyalty of its clients because of its masterpiece: Vignet’s Unplasticide Poly Vinyl Chloride (UPVC).

Since its operation began, CYM Glass Expert has its own way of developing the business and explored the possibilities of acquiring the modern concepts of designing windows and doors.

Undisputed to its quality, CYM Glass Expert won several contracting companies and many firms believe in them.

While the company is planning for future expansion, CYM Glass Expert has reached its neighboring provinces such as Tarlac, La Union, Abra, and Ilocos Norte.

As of today, the modest service of CYM Glass Expert is continuously broadening to have its goal achieved, to have its mission fulfilled, and to have its vision turned closely to possibility.

Their website, http://www.upvcwindowsphil.com was developed by PS Ventures Philippines.

PS Ventures Philippines developed the Centrum Fuel Inc. Website http://www.centrumfuel.com. The Centrum Fuel team is young and dynamic, determined to provide everything for your safety, giving you the chance to enjoy your travel and every road you take. They make sure that your visit in every Centrum Fuel station is always a pleasant experience. The experience of their efficient, fast and polite service thru their Professional Forecourt Attendants. Providing also a modern, state of the art and well managed facilities for you to enjoy. And most importantly their commitment to provide world class high quality products more than worthy to fill the thirst of your trusted automobiles.
They do agree and believe, it is most essential that they build great professional relationship with you, their customers. By touching your lives thru service that bring safety and convenience to a level way above of what you expect. In all their plans and goals, their customers always come first. They commit to explore all areas and details to better deliver what their brand have promised…

So every time you drop by at any Centrum Fuel station, expect another great fueling experience.

 Validation controls enable us to check and validate user’s input and display the corresponding error message either dynamically, statically, or through a summary report. These controls are first treated as invisible controls and after the user has entered erroneous data, they become visible. Validation controls in asp.net are powerful objects, however developers need to understand first their behaviors and methods thoroughly before they can be appreciated.

I have created a simple asp.net page that demonstrate the following validation controls:

- RequiredFieldValidator

- RegularExpressionValidator

- CompareValidator

- RangeValidator

- CustomValidator

Download my demo application here:

http://www.psvphil.com/validationcontrols.rar

AJAX is a great technology that further enhances the capabilities of ASP.NET. With AJAX, web applications behave like windows applications by eliminating the page reloading problems of webpages. Furthermore, it has a vast variety of controls that extend user interactivity and page validation capabilities of ASP.NET applications.

I have created a simple web application that demonstrates some important capabilities of an AJAX-enabled ASP.NET website. Download my demo application using this link:

http://www.psvphil.com/modalpopup.rar

Understanding Application Types

In database theory, broadly speaking, a transaction is a single, atomic SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE. However, with regards to application types, a transaction is generally more loosely defined as a business transaction, possibly containing multiple INSERTs, UPDATEs, or DELETEs. In addition, DML truly refers to SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. DML and transaction usually mean write-only, or modify-only. To distinguish the SELECT operation as read-only, the term query is used.

There are three main common application types in the world of database system applications:

1. OLTP: On-line Transaction Processing. An OLTP system is an application that contains heavy DML, transaction-oriented activity; primarily updates, but also inserts and deletes. Classic examples are reservation systems such as those used by airlines and hotels. OLTP systems can have high concurrency.

2. DSS: Desicion Support System. A DSS is typically a large, read-only database with historical content, and is generally used for simple canned or ad hoc queries. A good example of a DSS is a database behind an organization’s intranet.

3. Batch: A batch system is a non-interactive, automatic application that works against a database. It usually contains heavy DML and has low concurrency. Classic examples are production databases and operational databases relative to DWs.

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Overview of ADO.NET

ADO.NET provides consistent access to data sources such as Microsoft SQL Server, as well as data sources exposed through OLE DB and XML. Data-sharing consumer applications can use ADO.NET to connect to these data sources and retrieve, manipulate, and update data.

ADO.NET cleanly factors data access from data manipulation into discrete components that can be used separately or in tandem. ADO.NET includes .NET Framework data providers for connecting to a database, executing commands, and retrieving results. Those results are either processed directly, or placed in an ADO.NET DataSet object in order to be exposed to the user in an ad-hoc manner, combined with data from multiple sources, or remoted between tiers. The ADO.NET DataSet object can also be used independently of a .NET Framework data provider to manage data local to the application or sourced from XML.

The ADO.NET classes are found in System.Data.dll, and are integrated with the XML classes found in System.Xml.dll. When compiling code that uses the System.Data namespace, reference both System.Data.dll and System.Xml.dll. (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/h43ks021(VS.71).aspx)

Here are some connection strings for the following providers:

1. System.Data.ODBC

For Microsoft Access Database:

Dim dbconn As New Odbc.OdbcConnection(”Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};DBQ=” & Application.StartupPath & “\odbcdemodb.mdb”)

For MySQL Database:

Dim dbconn As New OdbcConnection(”DRIVER={MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver};SERVER=localhost; DATABASE=alternacaredb;USER=root;PASSWORD=; OPTION=3;”)

Note: Install first the mysql-connector-odbc-3.51.22-win32.msi dll add-ons.

2. System.Data.OLEDB

For Microsoft Access Database:

Dim dbconn As New OleDb.OleDbConnection(”Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=” & Application.StartupPath & “\odbcdemodb.mdb”)

3. System.Data.SQLClient

For MS SQL Server Database:

Dim dbconn As New SqlClient.SqlConnection(”Data Source=MISBRAIN\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=registrardb;Integrated Security=True”)

For a sample File Maintenance Module created using VB.Net, download this file:

filemaintenance.rar

Main Topics:

1. Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming

2. .NET Concepts

3. VB.NET programming basics

4. VB.NET Classes and Controls

Discussions:

Introduction to Object-oriented Programming

Materials on this topic can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming

.NET Concepts

What is .NET? .NET is a new way of creating Windows applications that includes a consistent framework of base classes that sits on top of the operating system, a Common Type System (CTS) that makes data types usage consistent across .NET programming languages, a Common Language Runtime (CLR), and high level interfaces supporting Windows and web-based applications.

.NET provides language independence and interoperability, easy interoperability with the internet with no need for the complex plumbing and registration requirements of COM. Its Common Language Runtime simplifies application deployment. In .NET, a single computer can host multiple versions of the same components. It is also based on current communication standards such as XML, SOAP, and UDDI.

A .NET language is any language that can be compiled to MSIL. Official languages released for .NET are VB.NET, C#, Managed C++, and JScript.NET including any third party language as long as it compiles to MSIL.

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