The following steps provide an overview of how to write a new Windows layout control for Aptify: Note:
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If using the template provided by Aptify for this project, configure the template as described in |
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, rename the project and class, and skip to Step 9. |
- Open a new Class Library project in Visual Studio.
- Configure the Properties for the project.
- When assigning an assembly name for this object, use this format: [EntityName]LayoutControl (remove spaces in the entity name)For example: RentalAgreementsLayoutControl (or SampleRentalAgreementsLayoutControl, as shown in
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- the figure below).
- Specify a root namespace for your project.For example: Aptify.SampleApplication.MotorLoaner, as shown
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- below.
- below.
- Click the References tab in the Properties page and add a reference to the following Aptify objects:
- AptifyApplication
- AptifyExceptionManagement
- AptifyFormTemplateControls
- AptifyGenericDataServices
- AptifyGenericEntity
- AptifyGenericEntityBase
- AptifyUtility
- AptifyWindowsControls
- IAptifyDataServices
- IAptifyFormTemplateHost
System.Windows.Forms (this is a Microsoft .NET object)
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Info References to the following Microsoft Objects should already exist in the project: System, System.Data, and System.Xml. You can find the Aptify objects in your Aptify Windows application'
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s C:\Program Files\Aptify 5.5
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directory.
- Open the class file.
- Add Option Explicit On and Option Strict On at the top of the class file (as described in "Use Option Explicit and Option Strict" on page 71.
- Add Imports Aptify.Framework.WindowsControls namespace to the class file to import the Aptify Windows Controls.
- Define the name for your class (typically this is Public Class [Entity Name]Layout).
- Add Inherits FormTemplateLayout below the class name. Layout Control Inheritance
- Declare the instances of the controls from the form with which this class will interact.
- In
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- following figure, the RentalAgreementsLayout declares a variable for each field displayed on the Rental Agreements form. Each field has a variable that is declared as an instance of its particular Aptify Windows Control, such as an AptifyLinkBox or AptifyTextBox.
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- Write a FindControls method to locate the controls on the form and assign them to the variables you declared to handle events.
- See the source code for the RentalAgreementsLayoutControl for its implementation of FindControls, a portion of which is shown in
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- the figure below.
- Override the OnFormTemplateLoaded method that is called when the form has loaded.
- Write code to define the behavior required of the Layout Control.
- See the source code for the Rental Agreements Layout Control for an example of how to implement control visibility.
- The layout control implements three phases of a Rental Agreements record (Check-Out, Check-In, and Complete) and sets control visibility according to each phase. See
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- for an overview of how this control visibility translates to the user experience.
- See the _m_lnkVehicleID_ValueChanged_ method in the Rental Agreements Layout Control's source code for an example of how to automatically populate one field (StartingMileage) when a user populates another field (VehicleID) on the form.
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- See the Aptify Software Development Kit (SDK) for information on other layout controls created for Aptify business applications, including these classes:
- Companies: Aptify.Applications.Companies.CompaniesLayout
- Persons: Aptify.Applications.Persons.PersonsLayout
- Products: Aptify.Applications.ProductSetup.WindowsControls.ProductLayout
- Orders: Aptify.Applications.OrderEntry.WindowsControls.OrdersLayout
- See the Aptify Software Development Kit (SDK) for information on other layout controls created for Aptify business applications, including these classes:
- Build, test, and sign the assembly. See "Recommendations for Best Practices When Writing Code " on page 68 for Aptify for details.
- Add the assembly to the Aptify Object Repository and link it to the appropriate form's top-level Form Templates record.
- See
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- for instructions on how to add the layout control to Aptify.