Getting Started:

Constraints are rules assigned to columns in your SQL tables. The main use of a Constraint is to help ensure that data integrity measures are met. Data integrity is very important. The whole idea of Data Integrity is to maintain a consistency of data. Constraints assist with Data Integrity, referential integrity(Primary Keys and Foreign Keys), and aids Normalization for your Database tables.

Data Integrity:

Lets say that we have a SQL table named “Contacts” and one of the columns in this table is “PhoneNumber”. Now when you think of storing a phone number, there’s many formats that come to mind:

1. (xxx) xxx – xxxx
2. xxx-xxx-xxxx
3. xxxxxxxxxx

Data Integrity is ensuring that you pick a format for “Phone Numbers” and stick to that format.  You would be violating Data Integrity if you chose to store format #1, #2 and #3 into the PhoneNumber column of the Contacts Table.

Types of Constraints:

On SQL Server, there are many types of Constraints that you can utilize. Below are the most commonly used:

• PRIMARY KEY
• FOREIGN KEY
• UNIQUE
• NOT NULL
• CHECK

Using “PRIMARY KEY” Constraint:

The Primary Key Constraint, enforces that a column value must be unique and specifies the column as the Primary Key.

Example of Creating a Primary key on a CREATE TABLE statement:
-----------------------------------------------

CREATE TABLE TableName
(
[ID] INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
[Column1] NVARCHAR(200),
[Column2] NVARCHAR(200)
)

-----------------------------------------------

You can add a Primary Key Constraint to an existing table:
-----------------------------------------------

ALTER TABLE TableName
ADD CONSTRAINT Give_Constraint_a_Name PRIMARY KEY(ColumnName)

-----------------------------------------------

Using “FOREIGN KEY” Constraint:

The Foreign Key Constraint allows you to specify that a column in your table is the Primary key to another table, thus granting you linking access to the other table via the value in this column. This promotes referential integrity, meaning that you're making your SQL Table a dependent to another table(Child of Parent).

I’ve created a simple example, there are two tables “Table1” and “Table2”":
-----------------------------------------------

/*Parent Table */

CREATE TABLE Table1
(
[Table1ID] INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
[Column1] NVARCHAR(200),
[Column2] NVARCHAR(200),
[Column3] NVARCHAR(200)
)

/*Dependent Table */

CREATE TABLE Table2
(
[Table2ID] INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
[Table1ID] INT FOREIGN KEY REFERENCES Table1 (Table1ID),
[Column1] NVARCHAR(200),
[Column2] NVARCHAR(200),
[Column3] NVARCHAR(200)
)

-----------------------------------------------

NOTE: By adding a FOREIGN KEY constraint t

Hello Everyone,

I have come up with a simple method in which you can apply Alternate Row colors to your Dynamic Views. Here’s an image of my Dynamic View:

This can only be accomplished when using Custom SQL as the Data Source of your Dynamic View. Here’s the SQL that’s being used in this Dynamic View:

select *, (CASE WHEN ABS(TemplateID) % 2 = 1 THEN '#F6F6F6' ELSE '#E8E8E8' END) As TheRowColor from Module_Templates

** The Highlighted section is the column that’s responsible for Alternating Colors.

Now that you’re returning this column in your Dynamic View you can use this token in your Dynamic Views Item Template.

You’ll want to assign “[therowcolor]” to the TR of your table.

For instance here’s the HTML that I used for my Dynamic View:

View my Template HTML

Leave a comment if you have any questions or like the blog.

-Ryan Bakerink

Have you created an Action in Dynamic Views to delete a record if clicked? Many people would like to have a confirmation of delete instead of just deleting the record off of first click.

Here are the steps in which you can create a Confirm Message before executing an Action.

Step 1.)

Create a Dynamic Views Action in your Dynamic View. After configuring, save the Action.

Step 2.)

Place the Action [token] into your Dynamic Views Item Template so you can view your Action. Inspect the Action / Hyperlink and you’ll see that a URL redirection is in place if clicked. Copy this link URL, this is very important to hold onto.

The link will look similar, but not exact, to the link below:

www.yousite.com/DynamicViews/tabid/95/CurModuleID/486/Action/True/ActionID/3/PrimaryID/[userid]/Default.aspx'

Which ever column you’ve specified as the Primary Key for your Dynamic View you will replace with the“[userid]” in the URL link above.

Step 3.)

Create your own HTML button, hyperlink or image button for the Action so that you have full control.

Step 3a.)

Here’s an example hyperlink example to customize your Action.

Step 4.)

Recently, Datasprings added, upon the request of one of our clients, the possibility to use iDeal as payment provider in its module Dynamic Forms. Dynamic Forms already contained support for Authorize.Net, Paypal and a number of other payment providers.
iDeal is the de facto standard for online payments in the Netherlands (about 10 million consumers use iDeal), every webshop uses it and it is accepted as a secure solution by Dutch consumers. iDeal is supported by all major banks in the Netherlands and many smaller banks.  iDeal is not free, you will usually pay a subscription fee and transaction costs per transaction, this depends on your bank.
With this addition the module can now be used to directly accept payments using iDeal. This gives the site owner full control over his payment process, furthermore, it is also a cost effective solution.

Full details can be found here:

http://www.40fingers.net/WeblogsNews/Weblogs/tabid/58/ID/104/language/en-US/Using-Datasprings-Dynamic-Forms-to-make-iDeal-payments.aspx

Thanks!

-Chad