MUST+Web will take your Access application to the next level by translating Access forms into web forms for use with Visual Studio or Visual Web Developer Express and provide the hooks to enable you to launch Reports using Report Server.

Presently this is not supported on SQL Server 2000.

Each section below provides an outline of key product features in MUST+Web.

Re-packaging the SQL in forms/reports and controls

This involves the tool identifying form/report record sources, and row sources for key controls. The SQL required to drive the form/report and controls is then automatically packaged into SQL Server Views, and then the forms/reports and controls are altered to use the new views. This together with translating all your queries completes the process of extracting all the key SQL from Access and placing it in SQL Server views and stored procedures.

Build search and filter popups

Unlike Access, a web form does not normally provide built in features for searching and filtering data, so for each form you can select the fields which your users are going to use for searching. The tool will then create a search/filter popup through which data can be filtered when viewing a form. These popups remember users choices and support multi-user activity on a system.

Converting single forms, continuous forms and subforms

Single forms are converted to use the DetailsView control and continuous forms are converted to use the GridView control, in addition for GridView controls an additional DetailsView is constructed to allow inserting data (a feature un-available with the standard control). Subforms are converted into the appropriate GridView or DetailsView controls and parameters are added to related forms.

Supported controls

At this point in time the following control set is supported, this list is being extended as described later in this page

• Tab controls
• Bound text boxes
• Bound combo boxes
• Bound list boxes
• Check boxes
• Unbound combo boxes which modify the record source on a form
• Hidden controls

Generation of a site menu

To get you started with constructing a menu for site navigation, the tool will create a web sitemap which has menu entries for each form and report.

Report parameter selection and converting reports

For reports which use form or query parameters special forms are constructed to allow users to make selections and then launch the report using the ReportViewer control.

Reports need to be manually imported into a Report Server Project and deployed using SQL Server Report Services, for each report the tool generates a form which uses the ReportViewer control to display the report.

Error handling

The tool generates error handling routines for events associated with the DetailsView and GridView controls, basic error messages are then displyed in text box controls.

Site layout

The generated site uses one or more Master Pages which use content areas to control the layout of each page and individual controls use CSS references to style presentations. This approach makes it simpler for you to change presentations and layouts.

Internationalisation and user interface assistance

Settings are provided to control date presentation formats, which are applied when appropriate to format dates.

Combo boxes are rendered with appropriate code to enable data entry without making a selection overcomming a common problem when constructing web forms.

To assist in identifying required fields, a visual queue (*) is displayed next to mandatory fields.

Event code is added to set focus to the first available control when editing data.

A dropdown calendar control can be selected for addition to date fields in GridView and DetailsView date controls.

Autonumber (Identity property) fields are hidden when inserting and rendered as labels when editing data.

SQL Server login security

For applications which do not utilise integrated security classes are supplied to assist in managing application security.

Generated INSET, UPDATE and DELETE SQL

SQL is generated to support the key control operations of INSET, UPDATE and DELETE.

For views which depend on a single table, DELETE SQL is generated to delete from the single table.

SQL generated conforms with the 'CompareAllValues' locking strategy.

New features under devlopment, soon to be available

The following features are under development

• Automatic conversion of unbound text boxes when used to modify a forms record source for filtering data
• Automatic conversion of option groups (supported now in next version 6.2)
• Automatic generation of code to set default values when inserting data (supported now in next version 6.2)
• Support for translation of calculated fields
• Improved support for images when extracted to files, generating image controls to link to files
• Support for FormView control
• Support for new Visual Studio 2008 ListView control (current projects have been tested in VS 2008)

The technology behind MUST+Web is evolving to ever more impressive heights, the image above shows a standard Access form translated as per Version 6.1, but also shows how our unique .net code generators now write translate form default values in Version 6.2 now in development and due for release in the next few weeks.

Version 6.2 alpha changes now include translation of Access form defaults. **

Version 6.2 alpha changes now include translation of option groups into radio buttons. **

** alpha version only available on request, and reserved for internal use.

Limitations

The following topics represent limitations in the tool, some of which will be consider in future developments.

• Translation to use C# is not supported, tool uses VB.net
• Timestamp column updates (limitation of .net controls not supporting this in the viewstate)
• Binding to image data in the database (limitation of .net controls not supporting this in the viewstate), images need to be held outside the databases
• Translation of VBA code (this will soon be under investigation)
• Validation rules on form controls
• Conversion of MS Graph controls (accommodated using reportserver projects)
• Support for SQL Server 2000, at the moment this is only supported on SQL Server 2005/2008 and SQL Express.