How should I handle code table lookups?

[AnAnimal]

We are moving a rather large application to the VB.NET platform.
This application has a ton of table lookups.
ie. code & description or code, category & description or code, class,
category & description

Most of the users know the more common codes and will just enter them
but occasionally will need to look these codes up (especially when a
temp is using the system!!).

How would the VB.NET veterans handle this?
Which control(s) would you use?

[William Ryan]

If they are refereneced a lot, I'd load them into datatables stored in a
Module or a class that has them as Stored properties. Since lookups don't
change a lot, you don't have to worry about the data getting stale. If it
does change a lot, periodically refresh the tables. You can bind Grids,
Comboboxes and everything else to these tables and if you store them in a
module, you'll greatly minimize trips to the DB.

Hopefully this helps, but if not, let me know.

Cheers,

Bill
"AnAnimal" <An******@somewhere.net> wrote in message
news:bb********************************@4ax.com...

We are moving a rather large application to the VB.NET platform.
This application has a ton of table lookups.
ie. code & description or code, category & description or code, class,
category & description

Most of the users know the more common codes and will just enter them
but occasionally will need to look these codes up (especially when a
temp is using the system!!).

How would the VB.NET veterans handle this?
Which control(s) would you use?

[AnAnimal]

Thanks Bill!

but I was actually looking for the GUI.
The actual form control(s) that would show all the information to the
user that will aid them with the lookup process.
On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 12:05:14 -0400, "William Ryan"
<do********@comcast.nospam.net> wrote:

If they are refereneced a lot, I'd load them into datatables stored in a
Module or a class that has them as Stored properties. Since lookups don't
change a lot, you don't have to worry about the data getting stale. If it
does change a lot, periodically refresh the tables. You can bind Grids,
Comboboxes and everything else to these tables and if you store them in a
module, you'll greatly minimize trips to the DB.

Hopefully this helps, but if not, let me know.

Cheers,

Bill
"AnAnimal" <An******@somewhere.net> wrote in message
news:bb********************************@4ax.com.. .

We are moving a rather large application to the VB.NET platform.
This application has a ton of table lookups.
ie. code & description or code, category & description or code, class,
category & description

Most of the users know the more common codes and will just enter them
but occasionally will need to look these codes up (especially when a
temp is using the system!!).

How would the VB.NET veterans handle this?
Which control(s) would you use?

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Hello,

"AnAnimal" <An******@somewhere.net> schrieb:

We are moving a rather large application to the
VB.NET platform.
This application has a ton of table lookups.
ie. code & description or code, category &
description or code, class, category & description

Most of the users know the more common codes and
will just enter them but occasionally will need to look
these codes up (especially when a temp is using the system!!).

If you are referring to a database solution:

This is a VB.NET language group. Notice that you will have a better
chance to get an answer if you post to the ADO.NET newsgroup in future:

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...amework.adonet

Web interface:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups...amework.adonet

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
http://www.mvps.org/dotnet

[AnAnimal]

No I am not looking for a database solution.

I am looking for a form control or group of form controls that VB.NET
veterans would use to accomplish a table lookup.

Our solution would have been a multi-column combobox. But this control
does not exist in native VB.NET. We have a working solution by using a
fixed pitch font and spacing out the dropdown information to look like
columns.

I was hoping for a few other ideas of how to display this information
to the user.
On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 18:28:58 +0200, "Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]"
<hi*******@m.activevb.de> wrote:

Hello,

"AnAnimal" <An******@somewhere.net> schrieb:

We are moving a rather large application to the
VB.NET platform.
This application has a ton of table lookups.
ie. code & description or code, category &
description or code, class, category & description

Most of the users know the more common codes and
will just enter them but occasionally will need to look
these codes up (especially when a temp is using the system!!).

If you are referring to a database solution:

This is a VB.NET language group. Notice that you will have a better
chance to get an answer if you post to the ADO.NET newsgroup in future:

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...amework.adonet

Web interface:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups...amework.adonet

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Hello,

"AnAnimal" <An******@somewhere.net> schrieb:

I was hoping for a few other ideas of how to display this information
to the user.

Sorry, I misunderstood your question.

--
Herfried K. Wagner
MVP · VB Classic, VB.NET
http://www.mvps.org/dotnet