Re: Gtk2::Ex::DBI-1.0 is out

[Dan <dan entropy homelinux org>]

Gavin Henry wrote:

> <quote who="Dan">
>  
>
> > Version 1.0 is out.
> >    
>
> Hi Dan,
>
> Would it be a lot of work to use this as an accounts package for
> VAT/sales/purchases etc.
>
> I like the look of it, but I am not sure if that's what it is indended for.
>  
To get an idea of what Gtk2::Ex::DBI - and it's parent Project: Axis ( 
not evil ) is intended for, consider this:

What can you do with MS Access?
Now what can you do with Gtk2-Perl?
So what's the difference between the 2?

The main difference in features ( at least for me ) is that Access 
automates all the backend database stuff. The other difference is that 
Gtk2-Perl doesn't produce printable output. So that's exactly what 
Project: Axis ( not evil ) is for - to bridge the gap between Gtk2-Perl 
and Access - which mainly involves automating the backend database work, 
ie querying, painting records onto your widgets ( or into your datasheet 
with Gtk2::Ex::Datasheet::DBI ), and producing printable reports.

As for whether you can use this to build an accounts package, I would 
say "absolutely". I can't really say how much work would be involved, 
because I don't really know what you have in mind. However, if all 
you're doing is adding / editing records, then you will hardly have any 
work to do at all. Use Glade to create your GUI, name your widgets the 
same names as your fieldnames, and create a Gtk2::Ex::DBI object to 
connect to your database, and you're basically done ( you'll have to 
create some back / next / apply / undo buttons and connect them to 
Gtk2::Ex::DBI methods too ). Anyway, this is all remarkably simple, and 
the demo app ( available on my website in the 'where' - download - page 
) shows how to use the module. Actually, that example app is a little 
more complicated that I'd like - I was trying to do too much at once, 
but it will at least show you what you can do.

If you have to produce printable reports, then you're up for a little 
more work ( not too much more ). PDF::ReportWriter works well in the 
couple of places that I'm using it, but defining the report is still 
time consuming. This is probably the weakest link in the group at the 
moment - there is basically no documentation for PDF::API2, so adding 
new features is kinda hard. Soon I hope to add support for images and 
colours - I've already got most of what I need in place, but I just need 
a couple of days when I can sit down and remember what's going on and 
how I was planning on doing things. There's a demo app included in the 
source anyway - it's very easy to follow.

So I hope I've answered your questions. I suppose I strayed off-track a 
bit. To summarise: Gtk2::Ex::DBI makes your Gtk2 widgets data-aware, and 
handles querying and updating the database with changes etc, so you 
don't have to any of that yourself - just create the GUI and point 
Gtk2::Ex::DBI at the window and at the database and it will do the rest. 
Gtk2::Ex::Datasheet is very similar, but instead connects to a TreeView 
and dumps data into a grid ( datasheet ). PDF::ReportWriter takes an 
array of data and arranges creates a PDF report based on the fields and 
groups your define.

Feel free to ask more questions. Also check out all the modules - they 
all have demo apps ( Gtk2::Ex::DBI's is a separate download ).

Thanks for the interest :)

Dan


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