ComponentOne Query is part of ComponentOne Studio Enterprise and the ComponentOne Studio for ActiveX

ComponentOne Query is an elegant solution for ad hoc querying. Until now, developers wishing to incorporate ad hoc querying into applications faced challenges ranging from how to develop all imaginable queries in advance to working with a rigid user interface.

Those problems no longer exist because ComponentOne Query:

Collects end-user input and generates an SQL query or an ADO Filter condition at run time. This means you can add ad hoc query functionality to your applications and make it directly available to end-users, instead of preparing all imaginable queries beforehand at design time.

Shields end-users from the complexities of database structure. End-users can construct their queries using convenient names and business concepts that they already know. Your users dont require any special skills in order to use ComponentOne Query in an application or need to be aware that the tool was used to create the application.

Provides a built-in user interface that makes implementing ad hoc functionality as easy as dropping two controls on a form. You can use the interface as is, or readily customize it using templates and other easy-to-use options. You are no longer forced to use an interface that doesnt suit your needs!

Contains a powerful query generation engine that supports queries spanning multiple tables. This means that you can create schemas exposing database fields to your users in a customized form by specifying relationships between tables.

Customizing with templates:

Every visual aspect of the user interface can be customized using HTML templates and simple HTML snippets to specify how you want to render conditions and other query elements. HTML is used exclusively for UI customization. Because ComponentOne Query is an ActiveXcontrol, it can be used in Visual Basicand any other ActiveX-enabled environmentwithout HTML pagesand template customization will still be available.

Customizing with scripts:

You can customize the user interface even further, replacing the general display layout with a completely different one. With the help of a special script, you can change the layout as your query appears on display. One of the tutorials shows you how to do it by presenting a sample script that makes the query display look like a formula with parentheses instead of a default row outline. End-user interaction remains fully functional, although the query layout is completely changed.

Customizing by replacing the built-in UI:

If you prefer, you can even substitute the built-in, customizable user interface with one of your own that you create on a Visual Basic form (or create using any other means). You can still benefit from the powerful Query Engine! The ComponentOne Query object model allows you to programmatically set the fields and conditions specified by your users and generates the SQL statement from them.

• Hierarchical folder structure - The interface exposes fields to your end-users in the form of a hierarchical folder structure. This enables you to name and organize query fields according to the customer business domain, rather than deal with database table and column names.
• Value editing - When your end-users enter constant values in queries, they can use convenient, built-in editors for types like date/time (with dropdown calendar!), numeric, etc
• Lookup lists - You can specify "lookup data source" for a field and ComponentOne Query will present end-users with a lookup combo or menu (for example, users can select a product from a list of products, instead of entering a cryptic ID). Adding a lookup is as easy as calling a method specifying the data source and the names of the fields in the lookup. And it's fully customizableyou can create fixed lookup lists in schema or you can retrieve them from a database or fill them programmatically in a special event
• Custom editors - You can use the default edit and lookup facilities included with ComponentOne Query or you can specify any ActiveX control as an editor for a constant value in a query. This way, you can implement custom editing and custom lookup
• Multi-table views - You can create multi-table views combining information stored in different tables with the Schema Designer
• Calculated fields - Calculated fields can be added to schema views so that users can query these fields as if they were stored in the database
• Join relationships - The ComponentOne Query schema contains relationships between tables. The Query Engine uses relationships to join tables in the generated SQL query
• Join groups - As a simplified method of joining tables, ComponentOne Query allows you to assign fields to join groups. Fields belonging to the same join group can be used by the Query Engine to join tables in the generated SQL query
• Custom condition relationships - The Schema Designer allows you to specify arbitrary SQL conditions that are automatically applied (added to the generated SQL) once certain views (tables) appear in the query
• Free runtime distribution - ComponentOne Query applications can be distributed with no runtime royalty fees