(Carefull Planning) starting a new program in vb.net

Patentinvent

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Aug 10, 2005
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Here's a few questions that if were answered would really save me a lot of time, and frustration.



I'm currently enrolled in a junior college vb.net 2003 class, however it’s only the second week. And I'm a beginner to vb.net. I'm in the process of making a program for estimating prices for roofing company’s that will figure a price for putting a new roof on a person’s house. It’s called the roof estimator. I've been reading about how to make sure of using Careful Planning. That’s why I'm asking these questions.



- I've already written the program in access97 but if some one were to buy it they would have to have access97 installed to run it. This why I'm trying to re-write it in vb.net, I plan on selling my program.



The objective of my roof estimator program is to figure a roof estimate in dollars for bidding purposes.



The top portion of my form/program figures the prices of all the items that make up a bid, and are added together for a total bid, they rely upon data that is chosen from the user/estimator. This form stays open and visible and the pre-bid form scrolls up and down so that the user can always see the amounts as they change as they chose data from chooses in object boxes. This is how it is currently setup in access97.



I’ve provided a link to my website where I have posted a print screen of what the program looks like so far.

www.roofmart.net



Is VB.net capable of having two forms open at the same time with one form scrolling while the top form is visible and stationary?



How do I decide which object/option boxes to use? I believe combo boxes would be the best choice but I’m not sure? The estimator may need to give several different bids to the customer, Each different chose will have a dollar amount associated with it for instance if I was to use a combo box (30 yr. shingles $48.00 square.) would be the chose. That $48.00 will have to be used by the 30-year material text box called (30yr) on the top portion of my program and several other boxes through out my program. Where does the data go once the user clicks on its chose in the box, possibly in a table like in access97, In access each box I had a table associated with it that stored the data. Also how do I extract that data from where ever it is stored?

I would imagine this is determined by the code that is written, but I’m not sure?



Once the program uses these values the ($ dollar amounts) that are associated with each material to figure a total bid, they are not needed any more, that leads me to believe storing them in tables is not necessary.



The Data that is important for record keeping is the total bid price, customer information, Job address etc. This data should probably need to be kept in tables and have a unique invoice number associated with it, the primary key.



If I store the data in access tables .mdb file and I connect to it through server explorer, won’t every buyer/user that uses my program have to have access installed on there computer to enable them to link to the .mdb access tables. Or is there an alternative way of storing data in table with out needing access installed? Because that is the only reason why I’m rewriting my program in VB.net so that each buyer won’t have to have access installed in order to open my program and use it. Doesn’t VB.net make .exe file.



Whatever way the data is stored once the user chooses its chose in the appropriate box. The user will need to be able to change the price associated with each product as products prices change. With out knowing any code.



I’m wondering if making this program in access 2003 using the access 2003 developer extensions is the way to go, I was told this would make a runtime version of access, which would resolve the issue of the buyer/user needing access program installed on the computer to run my program. Any insight to this would also be appreciated.



Back to the thought of careful planning, I see the why they stress this point.



Any help to these questions, would be very appreciated.



Thanks
 
Hi,

Q: Is VB.net capable of having two forms open at the same time with one form scrolling while the top form is visible and stationary?

Yes, you can set a forms TopMost property to true so it remains above the primary form.
Also with so much information on the form placing your controls in a panel with autoscroll turned on might help.

Q: If I store the data in access tables .mdb file and I connect to it through server explorer, won’t every buyer/user that uses my program have to have access installed on there computer?

No .Net comes with the Jet engine and can manipulate mdb files without access being on the users machine.

Q: how do I extract that data from where ever it is stored?

.Net makes retreiving data from an mdb really easy there are a lot of good tutorials out there :)

One issue you might look at is that VB.Net applications require the .Net framework to be installed for them to run, you would have to instruct users to download and install it or package in your deployment.
 
Nice job badgerByte
palec.gif



Regards ;)
 
I opoligize for all the unnecessary info. I'm new to this. Unfortunatly I posted this thread before I read what was the proper format, does and dont's.

Badgerbyte helped alot, I appreciate all the help.

I can relate to being stuck in the office, waiting for a zero day!!!

The brain is made for thinking not remembering, So write all your ideas down.
Albert Einstein. You never know you might invent some thing. But don't forget to patent it.

Thanks patentinv.
 
Thanks, alot for all the help.
I might end up using access 2003 to develope my program. Which I'm more familiar with, Using the access 2003 developers extensions which will allow me to make an .exe db.

Thanks-- Appreciate the help.
 
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