How to create VDF Web Applications

Introduction

This page describes the technologies available to create web applictions using Visual DataFlex.

Getting started

To be able to develop ASP pages , then you need Internet Information Server. The most easy way to get that these days is to grab Microsofts Web Platform installer here :

http://www.microsoft.com/web/channel/products/WebPlatformInstaller.aspx

This tool will provide you with a full stack for developing asp related things. It will also keep track of certain things you need to enable on Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

You will also need to install Webapp server from the Portal:Visual DataFlex installer. Note that you will need version 14.1 to support the windows 2008 server.

Putting on your Thinking cap

Grab your Data Dictionaries from your old application and expose these using Web Objects .

• WBO
• Global.asa (this is where your code is stackup up. check the list of WBP's there)

In the trenches

• EnablingJSONIN

Validation

Here are some good links for validating :

• HTML ( validate here: [1] )
• Cascading Style Sheets ( validate here: http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/ )
• Javascript ( validate here: http://www.jslint.com/ )

Styling using css

Using css for styling can help you if you don't like doing design yourself! If you style using css then somebody else can do the design for you.

• start your adventure here: css
• go here when something goes wrong: quirksmode css

Javascript on the client

Javascript can be good for validating what the user enters on the screen. It can also be good for fancy AJAX techniques.