Ok, I think this would be pretty cool, and relatively easy to implement for ListX engine:
Provide a "button" that can "guess" what the list or form should populate all the configuration with.
Basically, a ListX developer could provide the connection string, and supply the table name, select whether they want a "list" or "form" (for single record display/edit). Then, click a button, and ListX examines the table, columns, keys, etc. and builds the configuration with the basic structure.
So for instance, say i have a table called "Cars" that has several columns including manufacturer, model, year, and owner. I would add a ListX module to a page, and vist the "View Options" control panel. I would select the connection string, type the table-name: "Cars", select "DataGrid" for format-type, and click "Guess". ListX would examine the table and find the columns, types, etc, and build a query for listing all the columns with sort, search, links, etc.
Then, I could add a new page. Add a ListX module to that page, and this time I would select the connection string, type the table-name: "Cars", this time select "Record View" for format-type, and click "Guess". ListX would examine the table and find the columns, types, etc, and build the queries to display the record in view/edit mode adn the queries for update/add, build all the messages for passing the record-id (key fields, etc.), and all the buttons/actions for updating, adding, and deleting the record.
Then, all I have to do is style the pages, update the actions so that the correct tabs are indicated for the linking of the two modules, and configure layout and other formatting to suite my needs. Of course, I could still add more messages, actions, etc. This would be just a quick and dirty way to go from Database Table to full functioning ListX module in just a few simple clicks.
Comment please. |