--- In IBObjects@y..., GK <gkrishna@j...> wrote:

> Marco,
>

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> The previous application which I am half way through uses woll2woll.
>
> First I am still new to Delphi, Interbase, IBO.
>
> So my impressions are all from seeing the demos and working on half of one project.
>
> Reason 1
> The date entry component is really beautiful. The reason I am so particular about the date component is if whenever I sit next to a user when he is entering data ( I
> always try to do that with all my programs) the date field is where people stumble the most.
> I found IB_date to be very primitive comparitively.
> if you are entering dates in dd/mm/yyyy format
> Consider entering the following date and the keystrokes in the woll2woll datepicker.
> Date Keystrokes in woll2woll
> Today Space
> 9 of current month & year 9
> 9/4 of curent year 9,4
> 1/10 of current year 1,space,1,0
> 12/10 of current year 1,2,1,0
> Null date Delete

Ok. IB_date: Delete=Null date. FOr the rest of the keystroke, I've already discussed about them with Jason, since I had the same feeling that some key-centric improvements could be done. I had no time for them, but I think that it's not a difficoult improvement, so give me this week and sunday I will have the "improvements" made and sent to Jason for inclusin in the next subrelease.
Btw, IB_Date and IB_Currency work in unbound mode too. What about woll2woll? Just curiosity.

>
> also when the drop down calendar is displaying week numbers it looks neat and not clumsy like IB_Date

Hmmm.. ok, it could be prittier... but it works good :)

>
> Reason 2
> the other more important is the hierarchical editable grid that woll2woll supports.

Nothing like this in IB_. IB_Grid is very much more powerfull compared to standard VCL, but maybe woll2woll is better looking. I'm wondering how Client/Server optimized such of "pyrotechnical" controls are...

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> Some of the design constraints I place on myself, maybe, a hangover from my clipper programming days. Everything should be doable using keystrokes. No mouse
> required. Also the number of keystrokes should be minimal. I count keystrokes all the time. After all if somebody is going to be entering data whole day using my
> program, every keystroke counts.

I subscribe!

>
> If anybody could send a screenshot or sample code for a NEAT Master ->Detail -> SubDetail data entry form done using the IB_ I would definetely change over to
> TIB_ wholeheartedly.

I don't have such a setup, or I manage it with chained grids.

>
> Please, I understand that the IB_ components have different advantages. I also understand the amount of overall coding that I have to do will be much less with
> TIB_.
> I am not willing to make my users life more difficult so that my life becomes easier.

Your lifes are chained :) If you can produce effective, error prune, good looking programs in a fraction of the time you do with not IB_ components, your user will benefit from it too.
I'm in advanced developement of an app. I've spent a lot of time getting acquired with IB_, and a lot of setting up my forms, my data-entry conventions, a special IB_UpdateBar that transparently manages transactions, and so on.
Once done that, I can produce data entry forms in a snap. If I have to change database structure, my app can adapt in a snap too (compared with VCL setup). No more embarassing errors with my clients ;)
Sometime the word is like you see it, not as it is. If you have just a hammer, you tend to see everything like a nail. So you have woll2woll controls, you can't think an effective data entry without them. But you could invent one even better, and C/S friendly... Forget your habbits :) Paradox/Dbase are grid oriented menthality... you open the table, get all the records, and navigate... very bad in C/S.

>
> I am new to Delphi but if anybody is willing to help me and guide me I am willing to work on improving the IB_date component so that it is perfect.

Ok, you are welcome :) Jason is really open mind in improving his components.

> At the very least
> I am willing to work on creating the best specifications for a date entry component.

Tell me, we can join our efforts. But, better is not necessary the "over full ulta function rich" one...
Please, have a look at www.cooper.com first. E-mail me privately, if you want. I'm always happy in IBO improvements. Geoff and other here will help us friendly.

Marco Menardi