A Listbox for the Web
The most common object used by most database developers is still the list view for data. In the 4D world, most developers use either Output forms, Listboxes, 4D View or popular plug-ins such as “AreaList Pro“. So when we were designing 4D Ajax Framework we decided this would be the object developers would use the most.
For that reason, a lot of our early design time was spent trying to create the foundation of a perfect data list view. One of the key features of version 1.1 of the 4D Ajax Framework is our Data Window, which we think is a fantastic composite object for displaying data in a list fashion.
Here’s some of what you can do with it:
- Live Data: Data is live and updated automatically from the backendData Binding: The Data Window can be bound to tables, views (Joined Tables) or a set of Arrays
- Live Scrolling: As the Data Window scrolls, data is pulled automatically from the backend. Only data that is visible is sent to the browser
- Sorting: Clicking on a column sorts that column, for the whole selection, not just the visible rows
- Column Resizing: Columns can be resized, and the resizing can be persistent across sessions
- Pre-Set Queries: Tabs can be pre-created based on static queries, dynamic queries or based on unique field values
- Client or Custom Web Pages: As with all 4D Ajax Framework objects, the Data Window can be used as part of the 4DAF browser client, or independently on any custom web page.
Now that we’ve come this far with implementing data list views, we are at the point where we want to add extra features to this object. We’ve already had a number of feature requests from the current user base, ranging from the easy to implement (alternate row coloring), to much more challenging features such as locking columns.
However, we would love to hear from all of you. What are the features that make you drool when it comes to data list views?
Don’t hold back! With our rapid-release model, we are looking at multiple product revs over the next few quarters, so there’s a lot of room for us to add your feature requests.
July 11th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Sounds great to me
July 11th, 2007 at 9:40 am
wow, one feature I would really love is footers that could be developer definable. I’d like to have for example to be able to do a summation field at the end
August 9th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Sounds nice. But do you have a demo page we could see and play with. That might inspire some ideas and suggestions.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
perhaps this is available already… clicking a row makes the row taller with a larger data display and entry area.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:23 am
I would like variable row heights and it would be nice if I could have double lines as you can do with output forms in 4D. For instance first Name last name on one line and then right below it email address and to the side of these two lines a two line text object with an address. Or a large picture in one column and then multiple lines of information in the other columns.