Wizard Objects


The Wizard Objects allow you to quickly create a finished pure Java solution with no coding necessary. They operate in a similar fashion to the Data Objects except that creating one wizard object will result in several added components being created by including a Result List, Search Panel and Buttons. The wizard will also generate all of the necessary interactions to tie all the components together. Depending on the settings you choose the wizard will decide which components and interactions you require. After the wizard is finished you will be able to make any modifications to both the components and interactions just as you would normally.

TIP: The best way to learn how to use the Wizard objects is to go through the walk-through Tutorials in the manual and the multimedia tutorials located on BulletProof's website at www.bulletproof.com.

Form

The Form component allows you to place one or many data fields on the screen. Simply drop the Form icon on a panel and the Data Wizard will appear automatically. The number of fields and exactly which fields will appear is determined by your selections in the Data Wizard.

Step through the Data Wizard and define the Form settings to your needs, pressing accept at each screen. To change the columns that are on the screen, do not delete the field from the layout view. To change the columns used, highlight the Columns component in the Layout View and go into the Data Wizard to deselect or select additional columns. Press Accept all the way through, at each Data Wizard screen. The form will regenerate according to your new settings.

Grid

The Detail Grid is a reusable Java component in which the developer can place data from any table on screen. The Grid Data Wizard allows customizable functions such as pull-downs, dates, colors, column placement and width and more. The Grid’s methods and parameters are explained in the Interaction Manager section.

MasterDetail

The MasterDetail wizard creates a Master detail using a Columns and DetailGrid component. When defining a master detail it is important that the detail table be chosen in the Primary table and the Master table be selected as the Secondary table.

Report

Let your end-user generate reports based on their own choice of data by using the JDesignerPro report wizard to create the report and the layout. The report functions allows you to set up searching criteria, totaling and a structure the reported columns. The Report Layout allows grouping by any set of columns. With it you can total and sub-total numeric data elements. Colors of the columns can be changed and other properties set in the Data Wizard.

Chart

The Chart object in JDesignerPro is also a reusable Java class with which the developer builds a charting screen that will chart data based on end-user queries. Unlike GIF-generated charts, the JDesignerPro charts are "live" which means they can be regenerated on the fly, based on any new data the user retrieves. There are several chart types to choose from.

These charts can be resized to fit any section of the screen you desire. They should be made so that the labels can be read by the end user and there are not too many elements to fit on the axes within that space.

E Mail

JDesignerPro includes a MIME-compliant component to do e-mail merging over a table. To do non-bulk merging, where individual e-mails are sent, use the non-visual e-mail component. The E Mail component is similar to mail merging in a word processor, except done through e-mail. The component will automatically draw all the records from the chosen table, insert the fields, addresses and batch send the message.

The E Mail data component can be tied to data fields to pass data automatically from a record to the message, including Firstname, Address and other information. Like the other data components, the Data Wizard appears when adding E Mail to the form. Step through the Data Wizard to choose where the merged data will come from.

You will see in the Interaction Manager several sets of E Mail methods. The one called EMail1Ctl is where the local methods for the component reside.

When the EMail client is built, a list of the available fields will appear next to the message field. At run time, the end-user can merge the data in the fields into the mail by clicking the desired fields in the list. JDesignerPro will put the ‘@’ symbol as a marker in front of anything that is a merged field. See Data Wizard - E Mail for more detail.

A good use for this component is to send a message about updates to all employees who have an account with the JDesignerPro system or to all suppliers, etc.

Alpha Paging

This is an advanced component that ties together several elements to make it easy for you to add wireless alphanumeric paging to your system. Like the E Mail data component, it is a merging component that will automatically send a message to each record in the chosen table.

It is a useful feature to reach other IS personnel, managers or anyone with a pager.

To send single messages, use the non-visual AlphaPaging component. You can set up your system to page someone when a certain event occurs, such as a new order entered in the database or a high-priority HelpDesk request is entered.

JDesignerPro requires a TAP (a wireless messaging protocol) compliant phone number in order to send the messages. BulletProof includes a list of the most well know toll-free TAP numbers for Alphanumeric Service Providers, like Skytel, PageNet and others. Use getServiceProvider() function under the Interaction Manager to return a list of compatible service providers. Then you can pass this result to the getServiceProviderNumber() method to return the toll-free TAP number for that provider. You can also use numbers out of one of your own tables that has your users’ TAP numbers.

To find out the TAP number for your service provider, call their service department or look at the choices returned from the methods described above. The TAP numbers do not have to be toll-free.

In the Interaction Manager you will see several sets of Alpha Paging methods. The one called AlphaPaging1Ctl is where the local methods for the component reside. For more detail, see Data Wizard - Alpha Paging.