This part of the manual provides information on using JBuilder's DataExpress database functionality to develop database applications. It also explains the interrelationships between the main JBCL UI and data components and classes, and how to use them to create your database application.
Basic features that are commonly included in a database application are explained by example so you can learn by doing. Conceptual information is provided, followed with examples as applicable, with cross-references to more detailed information wherever possible. Be sure to check Borland Online for documentation additions and updates at http://www.borland.com/techpubs/jbuilder.
Note: All versions of JBuilder provide direct access to SQL data through the JavaSoft JDBC API. Some versions of JBuilder provide additional DataExpress components (on the Data Express tab of the Component Palette) that greatly simplify RAD visual development of database applications, as described in this book.
To create a database application in JBuilder, you need to:
Installing and setting up JBuilder for database applications includes the setup required to step through and run the sample applications referenced in this manual. This includes JBuilder setup for access of data through JDBC, JBuilder sample files, and the Local InterBase Server.
Understanding JBuilder database applications introduces the DataExpress architecture, describes JBuilder's set-oriented approach to handling data, and provides an overview of the main data components in the JBCL.
Connecting to a database describes how to connect your database application to a remote server.
Accessing data describes how to create a local copy of the data from your data source, and which JBCL data components to use. All applications which access data need to implement this phase (called providing) so that the data is available to your application.
You might wish to use a data module to hold the JBCL components. Separating database access logic and business rules from the user interface describes how to use data modules to simplify data access in your applications, while at the same time standardizing database logic and business rules for all developers accessing the data.
Persisting and storing data in a DataStore discusses using both DataStore and MemoryStore components for data caching and compact persistence for DataSets, arbitrary files, and Java Objects in your application.
Working with columns describes how to make columns persistent, how to control the appearance and editing of column data, how to obtain metadata information, how to add a column to a data set, how to define the order of display of columns, etc.
Saving changes back to your data source describes how to save the data updates made by your JBuilder application back to the data source (a process called resolving). This chapter includes tutorials on exporting data to a text file.
These chapters describe features that are often included in database applications, and how you can add them to yours.
To aid in your understanding of database applications, you may also wish to:
Sample database application consists of a complete sample database application that ties in individual features described in greater detail in the previous chapters. Run this application to see various JBCL database features in action.
Creating a distributed database application discusses using DataExpress components in a distributed object computing environment.
For deploying database applications, you may wish to consider using servlets.
Servlets are server-side versions of applets, or a server-side Java program that gets initiated when certain HTML is encountered. This section describes how to create a servlet in JBuilder and provides a tutorial for practice.