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.NET Forum / Visual Studio.NET / Extensibility / February 2005

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Are there any usable Component Designers in VS.NET 2003?

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Anders Jansson - 14 Feb 2005 14:03 GMT
Hi!

Don't know if this question has been asked before, but here it goes.
Same basics first, Language: C#, VS.NET 2003

I'm developing a Configuration Wizard that inherets from
"System.ComponentModel.Design.ComponentDesigner" that configures my own
DataAdapter class, by some well designed forms, that inherets from the
Component class, much like the SqlDataAdapter. The Designer has the same
Verbs as the SqlDataAdapter such as "Configure DataAdapter.." and so on.
This works fine. I can now create/configure my Connection, select the
database name and so on. Now I have come to a point where I'm starting to
design the phase of creating Sql Queries (based on the database table colums,
Select, Delete, Insert and Update commands) and also to generate typed
DataSets for selected tables. Since this is a quite big task to accomplish,
I'm digging around in the assemblies that VS.NET are using, trying to find a
way to re-use some on the logic. To my disappointment nothing seems to be
usable, since almust everything, in for example "Microsoft.VSDesigner.dll",
are all Private classes, as showned by the "ildasm.exe".
Since much of this work is already done, I'm wondering what to do! It looks
like I have to bite the dust, or, is there a way that I can access and use
some of the the tools, for instance, Query builder in the Database Tools in
VS, or perhaps some other code, that would assist me to accomplishes the goal.

I'm a little pussled about the fact that MS is not promoting the IDE (for a
developer like me) by enabling classes to be re-used for this purpose. Even
if my database vendor IS not MS, it still would make MS sell more copies of
VS, if one simply could re-use such components, improving the exeprince of
using VS, but hey, this is my point of view! Perhaps the whole idea about
using the "Visual" tools are not enforced when it comes to creating database
driven applications, instead type it in, so you learn what you are doing,
making things like RAD harder!

Any suggestions are welcome!
/Thanks
"Ed Dore [MSFT]" - 15 Feb 2005 00:07 GMT
Hi Anders,

This isn't possible, at least not with VS 2003. There is work going on for
VS 2005 that will allow for tighter integration of data providers in the VS
.Net IDE (in particular server explorer). There is a new SDK called the
Data Designer Extensibility (DDEX) SDK, that customers will be able to
leverage. The Whidbey beta1 drop doesn't have any DDEX SDK documentation,
but it's my understanding that the documentation should be in the beta2
drop.

For what it's worth, MS is working directly with a number of third party
providers like IBM and Oracle (via the VSIP program) to ensure that we have
a good extensibility model for Whidbey.

Sincerely,
Ed Dore [MSFT]

This post is 'AS IS' with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Anders Jansson - 15 Feb 2005 07:51 GMT
Hi!

Thanks Ed for the answer.
I'll continue to investigate and design my own "Wizard" for the moment then.

Any release date set for Beta 2 of Whidbey?

/Thanks

> Hi Anders,
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> This post is 'AS IS' with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"Ed Dore [MSFT]" - 15 Feb 2005 18:33 GMT
Hi Anders,

Good question. Rumor has it, we should see Beta2 drop towards the end of
march.

  http://www.devsource.com/article2/0,1759,1754489,00.asp

I don't know how accurate those sources are, but I do know that was the
goal the team was shooting for.

Sincerely,
Ed Dore [MSFT]

This post is 'AS IS' with no warranties, and confers no rights.

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