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Should I use XML as a database for a standalone app?I've just started work on a project where I need to have a tool to allow people to work offline and then sync data back to a main database when they come back onshore. It's a basic app that would allow people to enter timesheet data, record maintenance on offshore kit and raise requisitions. I had the idea of exporting the necessary data from the main database as XML files, using these as a mini database and the writing a procedure to take the data back in the files at the end of a job. I've had a quick look at this and have bits working but before I go too far down the path I was hoping for a sanity check. And any pointers as how to handle the XML data best in windows forms/grids Many Thanks Jim Florence Really depends on the volume of Data, if it is small scale, then you are
fine. You don't have much options to load XML files faster.. so beware of the size before deciding on XML for local files.. Vijay Show quoteHide quote "Jim Florence" <florence_ja***@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:xMCdnWchLp18E6DZRVnyiA@pipex.net... > Hi, > > I've just started work on a project where I need to have a tool to allow > people to work offline and then sync data back to a main database when > they come back onshore. > > It's a basic app that would allow people to enter timesheet data, record > maintenance on offshore kit and raise requisitions. > > I had the idea of exporting the necessary data from the main database as > XML files, using these as a mini database and the writing a procedure to > take the data back in the files at the end of a job. > > I've had a quick look at this and have bits working but before I go too > far down the path I was hoping for a sanity check. And any pointers as how > to handle the XML data best in windows forms/grids > > Many Thanks > > Jim Florence > > > General considerations :
1. Requirement : High interoperability. Best option - XML 2. Requirement : High speed, performance. Best option - Databases. 3. Requirement : Large size updates, database. Best option - Databases. 4. Requirement : Small updates, network based. Best option - XML In your case, I think XML based updates to a main SQL Server database seem like the best bet. Regards, Cerebrus. Jim,
Your question is exactly were AdoNet and datasets are made for. There are more and more disconnected data in the world, think for that on PDA, webservices, and more stuff. Every Dataset, even in a PC connected in a network, works disconnected. Therefore you can save it at any point to any media. For the last you need to write it with the extra parameter "DiffGram" as long as you don't save it, by instance on a PDA, you have the same effect of course. Be aware that the writeXML does not check if the file already exist and if that stops while writing (power failure) you will lost everything if you don't make a procedure to prevent that. Therefore I advice you to create at least a mechanisme as FileCurrent and FilePrevious. http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpref/html/frlrfsystemdataxmlwritemodeclasstopic.asp I hope this helps, Cor Show quoteHide quote "Jim Florence" <florence_ja***@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht news:xMCdnWchLp18E6DZRVnyiA@pipex.net... > Hi, > > I've just started work on a project where I need to have a tool to allow > people to work offline and then sync data back to a main database when > they come back onshore. > > It's a basic app that would allow people to enter timesheet data, record > maintenance on offshore kit and raise requisitions. > > I had the idea of exporting the necessary data from the main database as > XML files, using these as a mini database and the writing a procedure to > take the data back in the files at the end of a job. > > I've had a quick look at this and have bits working but before I go too > far down the path I was hoping for a sanity check. And any pointers as how > to handle the XML data best in windows forms/grids > > Many Thanks > > Jim Florence > > > Cor, Vijay, Cerebrus,
Thanks very much for your extremely helpful replies. The idea at least is sound now I just need to work out how to do it. :0) There seems to be a real lack of example code for winforms(non asp) xml for vb.net, does anyone know of any good places where I can get some grounding on this ? Many thanks again Jim Show quoteHide quote "Cor Ligthert [MVP]" <notmyfirstn***@planet.nl> wrote in message news:%236npvYrXGHA.5012@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > Jim, > > Your question is exactly were AdoNet and datasets are made for. > > There are more and more disconnected data in the world, think for that on > PDA, webservices, and more stuff. > > Every Dataset, even in a PC connected in a network, works disconnected. > Therefore you can save it at any point to any media. For the last you need > to write it with the extra parameter "DiffGram" as long as you don't save > it, by instance on a PDA, you have the same effect of course. > > Be aware that the writeXML does not check if the file already exist and if > that stops while writing (power failure) you will lost everything if you > don't make a procedure to prevent that. Therefore I advice you to create > at least a mechanisme as FileCurrent and FilePrevious. > > http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpref/html/frlrfsystemdataxmlwritemodeclasstopic.asp > > I hope this helps, > > Cor > > > "Jim Florence" <florence_ja***@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht > news:xMCdnWchLp18E6DZRVnyiA@pipex.net... >> Hi, >> >> I've just started work on a project where I need to have a tool to allow >> people to work offline and then sync data back to a main database when >> they come back onshore. >> >> It's a basic app that would allow people to enter timesheet data, record >> maintenance on offshore kit and raise requisitions. >> >> I had the idea of exporting the necessary data from the main database as >> XML files, using these as a mini database and the writing a procedure to >> take the data back in the files at the end of a job. >> >> I've had a quick look at this and have bits working but before I go too >> far down the path I was hoping for a sanity check. And any pointers as >> how to handle the XML data best in windows forms/grids >> >> Many Thanks >> >> Jim Florence >> >> >> > > Jim,
I use Datasets in the most of the samples where connection to a database is not needed. If you scroll in the combobox than the pages are showed quick via Ajax. Most our samples are complete independend, with Access NorthWind or With SQL Northwind testable as very small applications. http://www.vb-tips.com/default.aspx?ID=0bf3f72d-b722-459d-8a46-38b5a2f7fdf0 I hope this helps, Cor .. Show quoteHide quote "Jim Florence" <florence_ja***@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht news:wrudnbXpE4GkC6PZnZ2dnUVZ8qednZ2d@pipex.net... > Cor, Vijay, Cerebrus, > > Thanks very much for your extremely helpful replies. The idea at least is > sound now I just need to work out how to do it. :0) > > There seems to be a real lack of example code for winforms(non asp) xml > for vb.net, does anyone know of any good places where I can get some > grounding on this ? > > Many thanks again > > Jim > > "Cor Ligthert [MVP]" <notmyfirstn***@planet.nl> wrote in message > news:%236npvYrXGHA.5012@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >> Jim, >> >> Your question is exactly were AdoNet and datasets are made for. >> >> There are more and more disconnected data in the world, think for that on >> PDA, webservices, and more stuff. >> >> Every Dataset, even in a PC connected in a network, works disconnected. >> Therefore you can save it at any point to any media. For the last you >> need to write it with the extra parameter "DiffGram" as long as you don't >> save it, by instance on a PDA, you have the same effect of course. >> >> Be aware that the writeXML does not check if the file already exist and >> if that stops while writing (power failure) you will lost everything if >> you don't make a procedure to prevent that. Therefore I advice you to >> create at least a mechanisme as FileCurrent and FilePrevious. >> >> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpref/html/frlrfsystemdataxmlwritemodeclasstopic.asp >> >> I hope this helps, >> >> Cor >> >> >> "Jim Florence" <florence_ja***@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht >> news:xMCdnWchLp18E6DZRVnyiA@pipex.net... >>> Hi, >>> >>> I've just started work on a project where I need to have a tool to allow >>> people to work offline and then sync data back to a main database when >>> they come back onshore. >>> >>> It's a basic app that would allow people to enter timesheet data, record >>> maintenance on offshore kit and raise requisitions. >>> >>> I had the idea of exporting the necessary data from the main database as >>> XML files, using these as a mini database and the writing a procedure to >>> take the data back in the files at the end of a job. >>> >>> I've had a quick look at this and have bits working but before I go too >>> far down the path I was hoping for a sanity check. And any pointers as >>> how to handle the XML data best in windows forms/grids >>> >>> Many Thanks >>> >>> Jim Florence >>> >>> >>> >> >> > > 
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