Looking for input about program workflow

[scotty5000]

Hello all,

I don't need any coding examples or anything like that, just opinions on how you would accomplish this task.

I have a program that pulls orders from the database and prints packing slips and labels for the warehouse. There are 2 reports that print out every time and the are potentially 7 others that could print for each order. all of the reports will use the same basic information and just present it in different ways (i.e. label, packing slip, international paperwork, etc). the program we are currently using was written in a rush and I know is not efficient. I am pulling the same information several times for each run. I am trying to redo the program the correct way now. What I am asking input for is what do you think the best way to approach this is. I am currently using the System.Collections.DictionaryBase to store all of the information I need. I am thinking of creating more of those to store the information for each of the reports, but that still doesn't seem like the most efficient way to do it either.

If anybody has any input on this, please let me know. thank you in advance for your input.

Scott

 

[Tom]

Use typed datasets. You can create the reports using the .xsd file that you created to store the data.

 

[scotty5000]

Thank you for the information Tom. From what I've read, I'm not quite sure that typed datasets will work. The reports will be getting information from several tables at a time and many of the reports share the same information. It seemed to me that the typed datasets are used the same way a regular dataset would be used, to store information you get back from a query. The other thing that I didn't mention earlier is that I'm connecting to a MySQL database, and I have had little to no success in connecting to the database with the tools that come with Visual Studio. I currently use the ADO.Net driver for MySQL to connect to the database though the code.

If you or anybody else has any other ideas, please let me know.

Thanks again,

Scott

 

[Tom]

No comments about the MySql, I havent used it but just wanted to say a dataset can contain multiple tables and be filled by different sources.