Chapter 11 Accessing Database Files

Programming in Visual Basic 6.
0
Update Edition
Chapter 11
Accessing Database Files
2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Programming in Visual Basic 6.0 Update Edition 2
Database Formats Supported
Microsoft Access SQL Server

dBASE III, IV, V Oracle
Excel DB2
FoxPro
Lotus
Paradox

Database Terminology
Databases
Tables
Records
Fields
Primary Key
Foreign Key
Relationships

Relational Databases
Database includes
Tables - collection of related data
Queries - SQL designed to select data from tables
Table
Record - row of related data for one instance
Field - column of specific data element
Keys
Primary - uniquely identifies a record
Foreign - links record to related record in related table

Creating New Access Databases
Use Microsoft Access

Use VB's Visual Data Manager
Add-In
Add-Ins menu, Visual Data Manager
VisData Application capabilities
Create a new file
Modify an existing file
VisData Includes
Query Builder Utility
DataForm Designer

ADO
Active Data Object

Microsoft's latest database object model
There have been many in previous releases,
some still compatible with
VB 6, some not
You should use ADO rather than the older
models (DAO, RDO)

ADO Data Control Connections (ADODC)
Add active data control to toolbox

Project, Components, Microsoft ADO Data Control 6.0
(OLEDB)
Add data control to form
Set properties
Prefix - ado
Custom Property Pages - Build Connect String
Connect data aware controls to data control

Data Aware/Data Bound Controls
Controls bound to database fields

Linked to the database using ADODC
Intrinsic Controls
labels list boxes

text boxes combo boxes
check boxes data-bound list boxes
images data-bound combo boxes
picture boxes data-bound grids

ADODC Properties (pp 447-451)
Connection String
OLE DB Provider (ex: Jet 3.5.1 or Jet 4.0) (p 99)
Database path and filename
Optional userid and password
RecordSource
Name of Table, Stored Procedure, or SQL statement
Command type (ex: adCmdTable, adCmdStoredProc,
adCmdText)
Access Permissions (ex: read, readwrite)

Linking Data Aware Controls
Intrinsic controls
DataSource ===> ADODC
DataField ===> field in source

Navigating the Database
Use the movement buttons on the ADODC

to move through the database records
OR
Set the ADODC's Visible property to False
and write code for command buttons to
move through the records using the
Recordset object

Recordset
Object that contains a set of records from

ADO data control
RecordSource property of the data control
determines the recordset
Recordset has properties and methods

Using Recordset Object
Object in ADODC hierarchy

Has methods and properties to use for
record movement and to determine EOF
and BOF

Recordset Object - Move Methods Code Examples
adoBooks.Recordset.MoveFirst
adoBooks.Recordset.MoveLast
adoBooks.Recordset.MoveNext
adoBooks.Recordset.MovePrevious
adoBooks.Recordset.EOF
adoBooks.Recordset.BOF

EOF and Move Next
Be careful not to move past EOF
Private Sub cmdNext_Click( )

With adoBooks.Recordset
.MoveNext
If .EOF then
.MoveFirst
End IF
End With
End Sub

BOF and Move Previous
Be careful not to move past BOF
Private Sub cmdPrevious_Click( )

.MovePrevious
If .BOF then
.MoveLast
End IF
End With
End Sub
Lookup Table for a Field
Use a combo box to display a list of acceptable

values for a field
Populate the combo 1 of 2 ways
Enter the list of values in the List property at
design time
Use the AddItem method in Form_Load at run time
When the user selects an item from the
combo's list update the database field

Updating a Database File
Modify existing records

Add records
Delete records

Modifying Records
With bound controls, saving changes is

practically automatic
(if ADODC's ReadOnly=False)
Changes to record saved when user moves
to another record (like Access)
Explicitly save changes in code using the
Recordset's Update method

Adding Records Automatically
ADODC
Set EOFAction property to adDoAddNew in
Properties Window
At EOF, when user clicks next record
VB automatically begins Add operation
VB clears bound controls
When user clicks arrow button, the Update
method is automatically executed and the new
record is written to the file

Disadvantages of Using ADODC for Add
No opportunity for data validation of field

values
If user enters invalid data you will not be
able to easily trap the error and the program
will terminate
If user decides not to add the record there is
no way for them to cancel

Adding Records Manually
AddNew method clears all bound controls

(New Record cmd button)
adoBooks.Recordset.AddNew
After the user enters the data, perform data
validation, write to file using Update
method (Save Record cmd button)
adoBooks.Recordset.Update

Typical Add Record Problems
Primary Key Field must be entered or a

runtime error occurs
Make sure you have provided a textbox for
the user to enter the Primary Key or create
the Key programatically
Use data validation to verify the validity of
the primary key and all other data

Protecting an Add Record (P468-471)
When the user clicks the New Record/Add

Record cmd button
Enable the Save cmd button
Enable the Cancel cmd button or just change
the caption of Add to Cancel and use code (If
structure or Select Case) to check the caption
and decide what to do
Disable all other navigational and operational
buttons

Deleting Records
Delete method deletes the current record

Always follow with a Move method since
the current record is no longer valid after it
has been deleted!
.Delete
.MoveNext
End With

Delete Considerations
What if the record deleted is the last record?

What if the record deleted was the only
record?

Better Delete Code
.Delete
.MoveNext
If .EOF Then
.MovePrevious
If .BOF Then
MsgBox "The recordset is empty"
End If
End If
End With

Tips For Preventing User Errors
Set TextBox's MaxLength equal to database

field length
Use TextBox's Lock property when you don't
want the user to change data, like primary key
when not adding a record
Once an Add has begun disable all navigation
buttons (see code example pages 468-471)

Typical Database Errors
Entering data that violates rules

Empty key field
Duplicate key field
Violates referential integrity

Additional Special Topics
Connection String Considerations

Opening a Database
Closing a Database

Connection String Considerations
The ADODC's ConnectionString can be set using

the custom property pages
If so ==> the connection string contains a "hard-coded"
path to the database file
If the database file is moved, the ConnectionString is
no longer valid
Overcome this problem by using the App.Path
object as we did for Sequential and Random files

ConnectionString Code Example
adoBooks.ConnectionString=
"Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.3.51;
Persist Security Info=False;
Data Source=" & App.Path & "\Biblio.mdb;
Mode=Read"
App.Path points to the folder/directory in which

the VB Project is saved. The database file must be
saved in the same folder for this code to work.

Open or Reopen a Database (ADODC)
Use the Refresh method of the ADO control

to open or reopen a database
adoBooks.Refresh

Ex: Writing Code to Open a Database using ALL

Custom Properties of the ADODC
Private Sub Form_Load( )

With adoBooks
.ConnectionString="Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.3.51;" & _
"Persist Security Info=False;" & _
"Data Source=" & App.Path & "\AVB.mdb; " & _
"Mode=Read"
.CommandType=adCmdTable
.RecordSource="Patient"
.Refresh
End With
Note: If you type the ConnectionString on one line in the code

window, the & and _ are not needed!

Close a Database (ADODC)
Use the Close method of the ADO control

to close a database
Usually place this code in Form_Unload of
the form that opened the database or the
main form's Unload event
adoBooks.Recordset.Close

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Programming in Visual Basic 6.

Accessing Database Files

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Database Formats Supported

Microsoft Access SQL Server

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Creating New Access Databases

Use Microsoft Access

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Active Data Object

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

ADO Data Control Connections (ADODC)

Add active data control to toolbox

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Data Aware/Data Bound Controls

Controls bound to database fields

labels list boxes

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

ADODC Properties (pp 447-451)

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Linking Data Aware Controls

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Navigating the Database

Use the movement buttons on the ADODC

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Object that contains a set of records from

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Using Recordset Object

Object in ADODC hierarchy

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Recordset Object - Move Methods Code Examples

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

EOF and Move Next

Be careful not to move past EOF

Private Sub cmdNext_Click( )

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

BOF and Move Previous

Be careful not to move past BOF

Private Sub cmdPrevious_Click( )

Lookup Table for a Field

Use a combo box to display a list of acceptable

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Updating a Database File

Modify existing records

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

With bound controls, saving changes is

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Adding Records Automatically

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Disadvantages of Using ADODC for Add

No opportunity for data validation of field

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Adding Records Manually

AddNew method clears all bound controls

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Typical Add Record Problems

Primary Key Field must be entered or a

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Protecting an Add Record (P468-471)

When the user clicks the New Record/Add

2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Delete method deletes the current record