WPF Discussion Boards

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

29-Jul-09 18:06

Hi all.

I want to create a Silverlight graph that plots data by getting them from a database when the user enters them from the UI. I hope to use LinQ to SQL to do this. I am also using Visual Studio 2008 .NET 3.5, SQL Server 2008.

Can anyone help me? Feel free to ask me for any additional info that might be of help.

Pete O'Hanlon29-Jul-09 21:31

29-Jul-09 21:31

I'm sorry, but you're unlikely to find anybody willing to write the amount of code for you that you seem to be requesting. You have all the right ideas, but it seems that you lack the SL capability/inclination here - if that's the case, start off with a smaller application and get your head round that at first.

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

burger8729-Jul-09 21:37

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

29-Jul-09 21:37

Well, I'm not really requesting anyone to write the full code for me, but rather give me a head start and guide me along. Sad to say, it's quite an urgent and rushed project for me, so I don't really have time to "get my head round silverlight" anymore.

Pete O'Hanlon29-Jul-09 22:10

29-Jul-09 22:10

burger87 wrote:
it's quite an urgent and rushed project for me, so I don't really have time to "get my head round silverlight"

Ouch. Right, let's start by working out what you do know - out of the list you provided, what are you comfortable with? For instance, are you thoroughly versed in LINQ?

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

burger8729-Jul-09 22:34

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

29-Jul-09 22:34

I'm glad you're helping. Smile | :)

Another big ouch, I'm versed in neither. I'm only slightly comfortable in C# and that's it. I've done a few tutorials on creating simple charts and a simple Silverlight application that gets data from WCF using LinQ to SQL.

Pete O'Hanlon29-Jul-09 23:00

29-Jul-09 23:00

burger87 wrote:
I've done a few tutorials on creating simple charts and a simple Silverlight application that gets data from WCF using LinQ to SQL.

So, you've got the basics there. If you are using the Silverlight Toolkit charts, this page has some useful samples to demonstrate how to populate the charts[^].

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

burger8730-Jul-09 5:25

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

30-Jul-09 5:25

Oh I see. However, if I'm not mistaken these charts' values are hard-coded right?

Pete O'Hanlon30-Jul-09 9:01

30-Jul-09 9:01

burger87 wrote:
Oh I see. However, if I'm not mistaken these charts' values are hard-coded right?

That's right. You can retrieve these values using LINQ. You need to put them into a dictionary, as in:

var result = mySql.OrderBy(res => res.Value)
  .ToDictionary( res => res.Name, res => res.FloatValue);

This example supposes that your key string name is called Name and your numeric value is stored in your database as FloatValue. All you need do then is apply this with the DataContext, e.g.

chart.DataContext = result;

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

burger871-Aug-09 22:16

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

1-Aug-09 22:16

What is a dictionary and DataContext?

SunilUrs30-Jul-09 6:24

SunilUrs

30-Jul-09 6:24

Hi,

You might find these links useful...

http://www.visifire.com/blog/2009/05/21/creating-silverlight-charts-from-sql-data-using-aspnet-and-visfire/[^]

http://www.visifire.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1025&st=0[^]

The above samples use Visifire Silverlight Chart control which is open source.

--
Regards,
Sunil Urs

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

burger871-Aug-09 18:43

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

1-Aug-09 18:43

Thanks for the links SunilUrs, but I forgot to mention that I cannot use Visifire for my project.

Pete O'Hanlon30-Jul-09 11:46

30-Jul-09 11:46

You might want to check out my blog post here[^]. You might find it illuminating.

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

burger871-Aug-09 18:41

Re: Plotting a Silverlight chart/graph by getting data from SQL database

1-Aug-09 18:41

Hey Pete(is that your name?). A very big thanks for the sample code. It's very helpful. A few questions that needs clarification.

1) What is an ObservableCollection? Is it similar to a container?
2) For the DataContext, what do you mean by "bind to the collection"? Do you mean the ObservableCollection?
3) If I use the database's values to update the chart instead of using ObservableCollection, do I still need to make use of ObservableCollection?
4) What is MVVM? I'm interested. Does it help my situation in any case?

Hope you can shed some extra light there. Smile | :)

Pete O'Hanlon2-Aug-09 10:36

2-Aug-09 10:36

burger87 wrote:
Hey Pete(is that your name?).

Yes.

burger87 wrote:
1) What is an ObservableCollection? Is it similar to a container?

An ObservableCollection is a specialist collection that's designed to support data binding in WPF and Silverlight. Basically, when you add or remove an item from this collection the collection notifies the binding engine that values have been added or removed.

burger87 wrote:
For the DataContext, what do you mean by "bind to the collection"? Do you mean the ObservableCollection?

Yes.

burger87 wrote:
If I use the database's values to update the chart instead of using ObservableCollection, do I still need to make use of ObservableCollection?

Seriously, use the collection - create a model that encapsulates your database values and put this into your collection. Don't cause problems for yourself; use the tools available.

burger87 wrote:
What is MVVM? I'm interested. Does it help my situation in any case?

MVVM is a pattern - it stands for Model-View-ViewModel. Basically this pattern is designed to work with Silverlight and WPF. Google it to find out about it, and read the samples and articles (I have a WPF version here[^]).

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

DIssolve effect for image

highton29-Jul-09 17:02

highton

29-Jul-09 17:02

I am trying to make a dissolve in-out effect for my image but I have no idea how to do it.
Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks a lot.

Re: DIssolve effect for image

Pete O'Hanlon29-Jul-09 21:28

29-Jul-09 21:28

Yes - use the Wpffx[^] library on Codeplex.

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

Re: DIssolve effect for image

#realJSOP31-Jul-09 0:26

#realJSOP

31-Jul-09 0:26

Use a storyboard.

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

WPF Toolbox Calendar - Slow when connecting to a database

Glyn12329-Jul-09 1:23

Glyn123

29-Jul-09 1:23

Hi,

I am using the Calendar control from the WPF toolkit, to display events based on values in an MS Access Table.

I customised the method decribed in the RedLetterDay example in this article, by placing my Select staement in the IValueConverter.
As a result, the performance is very slow, as it is making a seperate db connection for each day rendered in the calendar.

I takes approx 25 seconds to load, how can I reduce this time?

Thanks,

Glyn

Re: WPF Toolbox Calendar - Slow when connecting to a database

Pete O'Hanlon29-Jul-09 1:48

29-Jul-09 1:48

Do you retrieve the items only once, or every time? To be honest, I wouldn't look at using that as a starting point because it's not a brilliant example.

"WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.