Visual Basic

Re: VB.Net 2003 and Access database Web Services Client/Server

25-Oct-07 5:21

Sorry about the confusion Dave was just in a hurry last night. Thanks for your patience.

I must create a distributed application. It may serve any purpose, as long it is works. Small an complete is better than large and not complete work.

At the very least, it must provide a Web Service, and it must consume the same Web Service. The Web Service must be implemented using generally accepted Web Service standards, such as SOAP, WSDL, etc.

The portion of the application that provides the Web Service must be implemented using a different language, tool set, platform and/or development environment from the portion of the application that consumes the Web Service. For example, i might implement the Web Service in VB.NET, and the Web Service consumer (i.e., client) in PHP. I may not implement both in C#, or both in Java, or both in PHP. Furthermore, developing both under the .NET platform, though using different languages (such as C# and Visual Basic), is not acceptable. I must use significantly different platforms.

Some examples:
• Create a parallel computation application employing one or more Web services to solve a problem, such as determine a sequence of large prime numbers, decrypt a string, or use brute-force to guess a password.

• Create a Web service to act as a front-end for a SQL database, which will respond to arbitrary SQL queries.

Dave Kreskowiak25-Oct-07 5:43

Re: VB.Net 2003 and Access database Web Services Client/Server

25-Oct-07 5:43

OK. That straightens out the ~~requirements~~ parameters of the assignment. So what's the problem?

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

kendo1725-Oct-07 6:10

Re: VB.Net 2003 and Access database Web Services Client/Server

25-Oct-07 6:10

Just enquiring to see what is the best way to go about this and get a professional opinion. If possible some hints to where to start. I am going to try some tutorials online asap and got some books here as well. I am looking for info on the easiest way to set this up on my own of course.

Dave Kreskowiak25-Oct-07 6:28

Re: VB.Net 2003 and Access database Web Services Client/Server

25-Oct-07 6:28

Pick something for the Web Service to do, like a converter between metric and english units. Then pick a platform and language to write it in. Write the service.

Pick another language and platform to write a consumer app in that calls the Web Service. Write that.

Test, fix, rinse and repeat.

Other than that, I have no idea what you're asking. Where to start on what?? Writing the web service?? Or the consumer app?? Is it the language and/or platforms you don't know anything about?? How about starting with what the languages and platforms you DO know. Those would be ...??

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

kendo1725-Oct-07 7:37

Re: VB.Net 2003 and Access database Web Services Client/Server

25-Oct-07 7:37

I have done a little VB.net 2003 front end which retrieves data from access database back end some SQL, i know of JAVA, C# etc but never used them. But looks as if i am going to have to start.

I may employ third-party libraries or source code as part of your application, but the essential functionality – especially the Web Service, above – must be my own creation. Any third-party libraries or source code you use must be credited in comments within your source code, and in the report

Dave Kreskowiak25-Oct-07 8:08

Re: VB.Net 2003 and Access database Web Services Client/Server

25-Oct-07 8:08

OK. Then start with VB.NET writing the Web Service. Create a simple one first that just takes a number as an argument and returns the same number back.

You don't need a client app to write a web service. When you execute the service, it'll start up it's own web page you can use to test the service.

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

kendo1725-Oct-07 14:04

System.IO BinaryReader and Data Structures

25-Oct-07 14:04

Thanks again Dave i have done a google ap wich is pretty cool just need to think what i can create on my own or add-on to something else.

AAGTHosting24-Oct-07 8:51

AAGTHosting

24-Oct-07 8:51

I am writing a program in VB.NET. I am used to coding in PHP, but am writing a business systems program and figured it would be best to do it in VB.NET.

I am using the System.IO class to use BinaryReader and BinaryWriter to read and write my files.

What is the best way of doing this? I thought that I would use binary files so that noone can open my files and physically see the contents of them.

I want to store my data in data structures.

Here is an example of one of my data structures and a few questions.

1) Am I supposed to store binary data in a data structure?

2) Do I need to define the length of each string column in the data structure record?

3) Can I search the contents of the binary file (array?) by for an example name, column or line number?

For an example. I would like to be able to fill a list box collection with all the teacher names, meaning separating one of the column in the record from the rest.

Here is an example of my teacher structure.

Structure teachStruc<br />
        Public intTeachID As Integer<br />
        <VBFixedString(25)> Public strTeachName As String<br />
        <VBFixedString(15)> Public strTeachPhone As String<br />
        <VBFixedString(15)> Public strTeachCell As String<br />
        <VBFixedString(128)> Public strTeachAdd As String<br />
        <VBFixedString(5)> Public strTeachAptNum As String<br />
        <VBFixedString(25)> Public strTeachCity As String<br />
        <VBFixedString(3)> Public strTeachState As String<br />
        Public intTeachZip As Integer<br />
        Public dtTeachStartDate As Date<br />
        <VBFixedString(128)> Public strTeachEmail As String<br />
        <VBFixedString(128)> Public strTeachInst As String<br />
End Structure

Dave Kreskowiak24-Oct-07 9:16

24-Oct-07 9:16

AAGTHosting wrote:
I thought that I would use binary files so that noone can open my files and physically see the contents of them.

Who told you that?? Writing a string to a binary file is not a form of encryption of protection for the files contents. You will still be able to see the string if you open the file in Notepad. It'll just be surrounds by a bunch of other junk that isn't so readily readable.

AAGTHosting wrote:
1) Am I supposed to store binary data in a data structure?

You could, but you don't have to.

AAGTHosting wrote:
2) Do I need to define the length of each string column in the data structure record?

Yep.

AAGTHosting wrote:
3) Can I search the contents of the binary file (array?) by for an example name, column or line number?

Nope. You'd have to read the file into a collection of records, then search the collection.

You're complicating things more than they should be. You could easily get away with doing this in an XML file. You could even encrypt the sensitive data and write the encrypted data to the file, only decrypting it when the file is read back into your app.

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

dBrong24-Oct-07 9:24

24-Oct-07 9:24

Binary means bytes. It doesn't matter if it's a string, or integer, it's just bytes.

You would need to define how the records are blocked - another words how many bytes to allocate to each field. For instance, strings would have to be padded with blanks.

IMO, you would do better using a database handler like SQL Express.

Otherwise you would have to do your own sorting / searching / marking for deletion, etc.

Naturally, if one used HexEdit, they could see the data and figure out the format and blocking.

AAGTHosting24-Oct-07 17:31

AAGTHosting

24-Oct-07 17:31

Is SQL express free and can I package it with my program, like maybe have it also install during set up time?

Andy_L_J24-Oct-07 22:55

Andy_L_J

24-Oct-07 22:55

Yes!

The Fanatical All Black Supporter - Kea Kaha

Getting the message ' 1004 : Unable to set the PrintGridlines property of the Pagesetup class'

Guffa24-Oct-07 9:48

Guffa

24-Oct-07 9:48

AAGTHosting wrote:
) Am I supposed to store binary data in a data structure?

Not the way that you are attempting.

A structure is usually used for types that represent a single value, not a data record. It's recommended that a structure shouldn't be larger than 16 bytes, your structure is three times that size. Also, your structure contains objects, which more or less defeats the purpose of a structure.

A structure can not be read or written directly to a file, which it sounds like you were planning to do. You have to write each and every property to the file.

When in doubt, use a class. If you want to create a structure, you should read up on how a structure works exactly.

AAGTHosting wrote:
2) Do I need to define the length of each string column in the data structure record?

No. If you write a string using a BinaryWriter, it stores the string length in the file.

AAGTHosting wrote:
3) Can I search the contents of the binary file (array?) by for an example name, column or line number?

No. You can read the records from the file and look for property values.

---
"Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. Anything that's invented between when you're fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things."
-- Douglas Adams

rswamy7024-Oct-07 8:05

rswamy70

24-Oct-07 8:05

Hi I am getting this message when I run the application
" 1004 : Unable to set the PrintGridlines property of the Pagesetup class".
This application is running fine in Production . I am in the process of taking over the application from a different developer and it works fine on his machine too.
My PC is connected to a Network Printer and am able to print anything from
my PC. Infact based on the some info from Microsoft website, I went and
installed the printer driver and it still did fix the problem.

The code where I am getting the problem is as follows

With xlSheet.PageSetup
.PrintGridlines = True
.CenterHorizontally = True
End With

Any help in this regard will be appreciated

Regards
RS

-- modified at 14:13 Wednesday 24th October, 2007

Re: Getting the message ' 1004 : Unable to set the PrintGridlines property of the Pagesetup class'

Dave Kreskowiak24-Oct-07 8:25

Re: Getting the message ' 1004 : Unable to set the PrintGridlines property of the Pagesetup class'

24-Oct-07 8:25

So is this a Windows Forms app, or ASP.NET app?

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

rswamy7024-Oct-07 8:30

rswamy70

24-Oct-07 8:30

This is a Visual Basic 6.0 Application.

Re: Getting the message ' 1004 : Unable to set the PrintGridlines property of the Pagesetup class' [modified]

Dave Kreskowiak24-Oct-07 9:10

Component to burn data cd's

24-Oct-07 9:10

The machine has to have at least one printer installed AND it must be selected as the Default Printer. Also, this printer must be able to support Page Setup properties. Printers like the Generic Text Printer driver do NOT support Page Setup, so setting properties still will not work.

What's the printer you have installed on this machine?? (Start/Settings/Printers...)

Another thing I just thought of. The parameters you put into the properties must be valid for the printer. For example, if the printer has a unprintable margin of .25" on the left side of the page and you try and set the margin to .10", it'll fail.

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

dBrong24-Oct-07 6:19

24-Oct-07 6:19

I have scoured google - looking for a component that will allow me to burn data cd's, from my VB.Net app.

The products I have found (vbaccelator, xpburn, binary magics) appear to have been abandoned. They give no to inquiries or emails.

What do you use?

Dave Kreskowiak24-Oct-07 7:04

24-Oct-07 7:04

I don't use any. But, I'd probably look into Nero's SDK[^].

A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]

Dave Kreskowiak
Microsoft MVP
Visual Developer - Visual Basic
2006, 2007

Christian Graus24-Oct-07 13:07

Christian Graus

24-Oct-07 13:07

So ? I use XPBurn and it works just fine.

Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++

"also I don't think "TranslateOneToTwoBillion OneHundredAndFortySevenMillion FourHundredAndEightyThreeThousand SixHundredAndFortySeven()" is a very good choice for a function name" - SpacixOne ( offering help to someone who really needed it ) ( spaces added for the benefit of people running at < 1280x1024 )

dBrong24-Oct-07 13:39

24-Oct-07 13:39

XPBurn is no longer on the MSDN web site - it's been 'phased out'. I managed to get a copy from another website. However there is no documentation, the XPBurnDocs.chm file points to a nonexistant link. No support. Also it needs to work with Vista.

This is a commercial product, I need a component with some support / commitment behind it.

Christian Graus24-Oct-07 20:55

Christian Graus

24-Oct-07 20:55

It does work with Vista, we've tested it on Vista.

However, it sounds like you may want to buy a commercial SDK.

dBrong25-Oct-07 3:35

25-Oct-07 3:35

Yes, I'd like to buy a commercial SDK - do you know of one?

dBrong6-Nov-07 6:53