Scenario Summary In This Lab: We Will Start With The Form
Scenariosummaryin This Lab We Will Start With the Form That We Creat
Scenario/Summary In this lab, we will start with the form that we created in Week 2 (frmPersonnel) and add functionality to INSERT records into a database table and SELECT records for display to the user. We will create a typed dataset, a Data Layer class, several functions to access the data, and a connection to a database. We also will add a search form to allow the user to search records in the database and display the results of that search. Please watch the tutorial before beginning the Lab. Transcript Deliverables All files are located in the subdirectory of the project.
The project should function as specified: When you press the Submit button in frmPersonnel, a record should be saved in the tblPersonnel table having the FirstName, LastName, PayRate, StartDate, and EndDate that you entered on the form. Add a search feature to the project. Update your main navigation page with the new options. Once you have verified that it works, save your website, zip up all files, and submit it. Required Software Microsoft Visual Studio.Net Access the software at (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. .
Steps: 1, 2, and 3 Lab Steps
STEP 1: Data Layer Open Microsoft Visual Studio.NET. Click the ASP.NET project called PayrollSystem to open it. Open the clsDataLayer class and add the following function: // This function saves the personnel data public static bool SavePersonnel(string Database, string FirstName, string LastName, string PayRate, string StartDate, string EndDate) { bool recordSaved; try { // Add your comments here OleDbConnection conn = new OleDbConnection("PROVIDER=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;" + "Data Source=" + Database); conn.Open(); OleDbCommand command = conn.CreateCommand(); string strSQL; // Add your comments here strSQL = "Insert into tblPersonnel " + "(FirstName, LastName, PayRate, StartDate, EndDate) values ('" + FirstName + "', '" + LastName + "', " + PayRate + ", '" + StartDate + "', '" + EndDate + "')"; // Add your comments here command.CommandType = CommandType.Text; command.CommandText = strSQL; // Add your comments here command.ExecuteNonQuery(); // Add your comments here conn.Close(); recordSaved = true; } catch (Exception ex) { recordSaved = false; } return recordSaved; }
In the frmPersonnelVerified form, go to the event and add the following code after the existing code (but still in the Page_Load event handler): // Add your comments here if (clsDataLayer.SavePersonnel(Server.MapPath("PayrollSystem_DB.accdb"), Session["txtFirstName"].ToString(), Session ["txtLastName"].ToString(), Session ["txtPayRate"].ToString(), Session ["txtStartDate"].ToString(), Session ["txtEndDate"].ToString())) { txtVerifiedInfo.Text = txtVerifiedInfo.Text + "\nThe information was successfully saved!"; } else { txtVerifiedInfo.Text = txtVerifiedInfo.Text + "\nThe information was NOT saved."; }
6. Test your work to make sure that no errors occur! (Make sure to put in valid date values for the date data entry fields).
STEP 2: Data Display and Search
7. Using the skills that you learned in Week 3, create a new DataSet for the tblPersonnel table (call the DataSet dsPersonnel ).
8. Using the skills that you learned in Week 3, create a new function called GetPersonnel in the clsDataLayer class. This function should retrieve all data from the tblPersonnel table and return it in the form of a dsPersonnel DataSet. Use the GetUserActivity function as an example.
9. Create a new Web form called frmViewPersonnel .
10. Using the skills that you learned in Week 3, add a GridView control (called grdViewPersonnel ) to the form. This GridView control will be used to display data from the tblPersonnel table. Add the ACIT logo at the top of the page and make sure it links back to frmMain .
11. Add the following code to the Page_Load() function in frmViewPersonnel . if (!Page.IsPostBack) { //Declare the Dataset dsPersonnel myDataSet = new dsPersonnel(); //Fill the dataset with shat is returned from the method. myDataSet = clsDataLayer.GetPersonnel(Server.MapPath("PayrollSystem_DB.accdb")); //Set the DataGrid to the DataSource based on the table grdViewPersonnel.DataSource = myDataSet.Tables["tblPersonnel"]; //Bind the DataGrid grdViewPersonnel.DataBind(); }
12. Return to the frmPersonnel Web form and add a button ((ID) = btnViewPersonnel, Text = View Personnel ) which, when clicked, will display form frmViewPersonnel .
13. Open the frmPersonnelVerified form and add a button ( (ID) = btnViewPersonnel , Text = View Personnel ) which, when clicked, will display form frmViewPersonnel . NOTE: This is the same button with the same functionality that you added to form frmPersonnel in the previous step. Also, add a new link and linked image to frmMain called View Personnel that will go to the new frmViewPersonnel Let's test the View Personnel page. Start your program in Internet Explorer. Click on Add New Employee and add yourself to the database and press Submit. Once you are on the personnel verified form, click the View Personnel button. You should see the data that you just entered.
14. You will now add a Search feature to allow the user to find and display data. The user will enter a last name and the Web application will display the grid of employees with all employees that match that last name.
15. Create a new Web form called frmSearchPersonnel . Add the hyperlinked ACIT logo to this page. Also, add a new item on frmMain (with a Link button and Image button) called Search Personnel.
16. On the frmSearchPersonnel form, add a label that displays "Search for employee by last name:" . Next to the label, add a text box with an ID of txtSearch . Add a button with an ID of btnSearch and set the text of the button to " Search ".
17. When the frmSearchPersonnel Search button is pressed, the frmViewPersonnel is displayed. At this point, no searching is actually happening, but you have the forms that you need and the navigation is working. Now you can focus on the coding that you will need to do to have the grid only display matching employees.
18. Before calling the GetPersonnel method that you added previously in the lab, you will need to get the value that is in the Request["txtSearch"] item. When the form posts the search page results to the frmViewPersonnel, the name value pair for the search value is passed as part of the Request object. This value will need to be assigned to a string variable. To do this task, add the following line of code in the code block below to the function in frmViewPersonnel after the line: dsPersonnel myDataSet = new dsPersonnel(); string strSearch = Request["txtSearch"]; Then, modify the call of the GetPersonnel function one line below to add the strSearch as one of the arguments: myDataSet = clsDataLayer.GetPersonnel(Server.MapPath("PayrollSystem_DB.accdb"), strSearch);
19. Modify the GetPersonnel method that you added in the clsDataLayer.cs class to include a new parameter called strSearch of type string. Add string strSearch as an argument to the function as below: public static dsPersonnel GetPersonnel(string Database, string strSearch) Then modify the sqlDA select statement within the GetPersonnel function to test if a value is entered for a search parameter. if (strSearch == null || strSearch.Trim()=="") { sqlDA = new OleDbDataAdapter("select from tblPersonnel", sqlConn); } else { sqlDA = new OleDbDataAdapter("select from tblPersonnel where LastName = '" + strSearch + "'", sqlConn); }
20. Test the search so that when you enter a last name, employees with that last name are returned. Make sure that when you access frmViewPersonnel and you are not searching, all employees are returned.
STEP 3: Test and Submit Run your project and test it as follows: The frmMain form should be displayed first. Click on Add New Employee hyperlink to go to the frmPersonnel data entry form. Click the View Personnel button on this form. The frmViewPersonnel form should be displayed in the browser, but at this point, there should not be very many personnel listed. Use the Back button in your Web browser to return to the frmPersonnel form and enter some personnel data for a few employees, similar to the following: Now, click the Submit button. The frmPersonnelVerified form should be displayed, showing the data you entered, and you should get a message saying that the data were successfully saved, like this example. You should be able to view the employee records by clicking the View Personnel link on the home page. Test the Search feature and make sure that entering no search string returns all of the data and that typing in a last name will return all employees with the same last name. NOTE: Make sure that you include comments in the code provided where specified (where the "// Your comments here" line appears) and for any code that you write, or else a 5-point deduction per item (form, class, function) will be made.
Paper For Above instruction
The goal of this project is to enhance a personnel management web application by integrating database operations such as data insertion, retrieval, display, and search functionalities. Using ASP.NET with C# in conjunction with Microsoft Access, the application manages employee records including personal and employment details. This comprehensive development involves creating a robust data layer, implementing user interfaces for data entry, viewing, and searching, and ensuring seamless navigation among pages. The following discussion details the essential steps and considerations involved in accomplishing these tasks effectively.
Introduction
Employee management systems are integral to organizational operations, allowing efficient record keeping and data retrieval. The evolution of web technologies like ASP.NET and database systems such as Microsoft Access has simplified the creation of dynamic, responsive applications. In this context, the project begins with a pre-existing form for personnel data entry and extends functionality through database integration, data display via GridView, and search capabilities.
Development of Data Layer and Database Connectivity
A crucial initial step involves developing a data access layer (DAL) to abstract and encapsulate database interactions. In the provided code, the clsDataLayer class contains a method SavePersonnel responsible for inserting new employee records into the tblPersonnel table. This method utilizes OleDbConnection and OleDbCommand to execute SQL INSERT statements. Comments are added throughout for clarity, aligning with best practices for maintainability.
To ensure data persistence, the method opens a connection to the database, executes the insert command, and then closes the connection, with exception handling to manage errors gracefully. Proper parameterization and validation are essential in preventing SQL injection; however, in the provided code, string concatenation is used, which should ideally be replaced with parameterized queries for security.
Data Entry and Confirmation Workflow
On the front end, frmPersonnelVerified handles post-back processing where it calls the SavePersonnel method, passing user-entered data stored in session variables. Feedback messages inform users whether their data were successfully saved. This workflow ensures data integrity and user acknowledgment, which are key in user-centric applications.
Retrieving and Viewing Data
To display employee records, a typed dataset (dsPersonnel) is created, representing the tblPersonnel table schema. A new method, GetPersonnel, is added to clsDataLayer to retrieve all records, returning this dataset. The method uses OleDbDataAdapter to execute a SELECT * query, populating the dataset.
A dedicated web form, frmViewPersonnel, employs a GridView control, which is bound to the dataset upon page load, enabling dynamic data display. The Page_Load event uses IsPostBack check to prevent re-fetching data unnecessarily, improving performance. Users can navigate to this view via a button on the main personnel form or other interface elements.
Navigation and User Experience Enhancements
Navigation buttons and links are integrated into forms to facilitate easy movement between data entry, viewing, and main menu pages. Linking logos and images back to home or main pages enhances navigability, providing a user-friendly interface. The View Personnel button on frmPersonnel and frmPersonnelVerified, along with the added links on frmMain, exemplify best practices in user interface design.
Implementing Search Functionality
A significant enhancement is the search feature, allowing users to filter employee records based on last name. Creation of frmSearchPersonnel involves UI elements such as labels, textboxes, and buttons. The button's click event triggers navigation to frmViewPersonnel, passing the search term via URL query parameters.
Within frmViewPersonnel, the Page_Load method retrieves the search parameter from the Request object. The GetPersonnel method in clsDataLayer is modified to accept an optional search string. It dynamically constructs the SQL query: if no search term is provided, it retrieves all records; if a term is entered, it filters records by LastName.
This approach ensures flexible and efficient querying, returning either the full dataset or a filtered subset. The search functionality is tested by entering specific last names and confirming that only matching records are displayed, with all records shown when no search term is entered.
Conclusion
The development process outlined emphasizes integration of database operations with ASP.NET web forms to create a functional personnel management system. Key aspects include the creation of a data access layer, user interface design for data entry and display, navigation enhancement, and search capability implementation. Proper coding practices, such as exception handling, source validation, and user feedback, ensure robustness and usability.
This project serves as a comprehensive example of CRUD operations within a web environment, demonstrating how to effectively connect, manipulate, and present data in an organized manner. By following these steps, developers can build scalable and user-friendly management applications tailored to organizational needs.
References
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