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Overview of generating web based user interfaces from structured data.
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DRAFT - NOT COMPLETE
ShowTable of Contents
Application Pattern
Generating user interfaces (input forms, tabular lists) from structured data, such as XML data retrieved from back and data integration servers automated by WEF/WPF . Unlike the more specific Application Pattern articles, this article provides an introductory higher level overview of which page automation builders to choose for which general high level types of user interface patterns.
Builders Used
| Builders | Description |
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| Service Consumer | Leverage data operations and input/result descriptions (schemas) defined by service provider models |
| Data Services User Interface | Automate the generation of a complete CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete) application from providers that provide those operations |
| View and Form | Automate the generation of a List and Details application (with optional create and/or edit) from provider(s) that provide those operations. |
| Data Page | Automate the generation of a user interface (e.g. read only table of data or simple data entry) from structured data (e.g., schema described XML Variable) |
| Input Form | Automate the generation of an html input form from structured data (e.g., schema described XML Variable or service operation inputs) |
|Data Field Settings| Define the visibility, labels and controls to be used for the various fields described by the structured data schema.
Best Practices
While all of the above builders may be used in many WEF/WPF based user interfaces, there are pros/cons and best practices around which of the builders you should choose for various use cases and tasks. (FILL IN PROS/CONS OF VARIOUS CHOICES HERE) Examples |OrdersServiceConsumer | Sample consumer model in the "Building Models" feature set which shows use of the Data Services User Interface builder to generate a CRUD application from the sample Orders data provider. | Tutorial, Database | WEF Tutorial on creating a database backed CRUD application using Data Services User Interface and Data Field Settings builders. |
|LabelAbove and LabelOnLeft |Out of the box samples in the "Building Models" feature set showing use of Data Page builder with modifier builders. | Table | Heading |
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| a | Table | Row | | b | Table | Row |
Samples - Add the "Building Models" and "Tutorials" feature sets to your project and then look under models/samples and models/tutorials in the project explorer. |