Introducing Quadrant

Previous Blog Entries

• http://blogs.msdn.com/brunoterkaly/archive/2010/01/30/ado-net-entity-framework-and-net-4-visual-studio-2010-modeling-tools-writing-code-and-working-with-entities-to-add-data.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/brunoterkaly/archive/2010/01/25/ado-net-entity-framework-and-net-4-how-to-use-visual-studio-2010-modeling-tools-to-build-a-database.aspx

 

Using Quadrant to explore our data

The reasons why Quadrant is interesting – Many reasons, but this is an “Intro”

• Data can be viewed in a variety of viewers: as a simple list, a set of properties, a table, a diagram, or as a tree of expandable nodes
  • You can change the viewer of any workpad. This allows you to either see different data or to see the data in a new way.
    • List Viewer
    • Table Viewer
    • Properties Viewer
    • Tree Viewer
    • Master/Detail Viewer
    • Tree Master/Detail Viewer
    • Diagram Viewer

Purpose of Screen: To start Quadrant How To Get This Screen: : Run as administrator

 

The Default Workspace

Quadrant does not open a database automatically

One of the first things you’ll want to do is open a new “session.” A session will allow you to interact with a database.

Purpose of Screen: What you first see when you start Quadrant How To Get This Screen: : Just start Quadrant

Starting a New Session

A session allows you to interact with a database.

• Select “File / New / Session”

Purpose of Screen: How to start a new session How To Get This Screen: : Always available within Quadrant

Selecting the right server

I will not connect to “.\SQLEXPRESS” because our data resides with the “(local”)

• Usually there are two server instances running (SQLEXPRESS and (local))

Purpose of Screen: To select the correct server (we want “(local)”) How To Get This Screen: : File / New / Session

Select “BlogDB” as the database – We created this previously

You must do this after selecting “(local)” for the server.

• We are interested in the previous two blog entries that built “BlogDB”
  • http://blogs.msdn.com/brunoterkaly/archive/2010/01/30/ado-net-entity-framework-and-net-4-visual-studio-2010-modeling-tools-writing-code-and-working-with-entities-to-add-data.aspx
  • http://blogs.msdn.com/brunoterkaly/archive/2010/01/25/ado-net-entity-framework-and-net-4-how-to-use-visual-studio-2010-modeling-tools-to-build-a-database.aspx

Purpose of Screen: Selecting the right database How To Get This Screen: : Start a new database session

BlogDB is in the database explorer

The “Explorer” lets your browse the structure and data of your database.

• Notice that “BlogDB” is the database we choose
• Makes the most sense in scenarios

Purpose of Screen: Show database explorer with BlogDB How To Get This Screen: : Available after you start a new “Session”

Table Listing

Note that “BlogDB” has a variety of tables listed

• If you double click on a table, a view will fire up and allow you to interact with the data

Purpose of Screen: List of tables in BlogDB How To Get This Screen: : Expand the “Database” Node of the “Explorer” window

“Blogs” Table

A simple view is presented of the Blogs table

• You can edit the “Name” or “Owner” columns

Purpose of Screen: Quadrant showing a table How To Get This Screen: : From the Explorer Window double click on a table to edit it

Edit a Record

The point with Quadrant is the you can browse and edit any database without typing a query

• We are looking at the Table Viewer

Purpose of Screen: Showing the first row of the Blogs table How To Get This Screen: : Double-clicking on a row in the Blogs table

View the “Posts” table

Navigating to child tables is easy:

• Go to the “Blogs” table and click on References (how child record are accessed)

Purpose of Screen: Displaying Posts, which is the Child Table How To Get This Screen: : From the Blogs table, click the “Posts” under “References”

Editing Data in the “Posts” Child Table

Now that the “Posts” table is visible, the data can be edited.

• Simply click in a column/row combination for editing

Purpose of Screen: Editing a child table (Posts) How To Get This Screen: : Double click “Posts” under “References” for the “Blogs” table

How to change your view

As explained previously, there are several view types. You can change the view by click on the down arrow in the upper right part of the window.

Purpose of Screen: Changing the view for the “Posts” table How To Get This Screen: : Double click “Posts” under “References” for the “Blogs” table, then click on upper right area of window to change the view

 

More Help

Tutorials are available

The following link below provides more learning resources:

• How to: Install the "Quadrant" Sample Data
• How to: Use Viewers in "Quadrant"
• "Quadrant" Pet Shop Tutorial
• "Quadrant" Advanced Customization Tutorial
• Configure “Quadrant” by using “M” code

Purpose of Screen: Some tutorials available for Quadrant How To Get This Screen: : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd857529(VS.85).aspx

 

Conclusions

Introduction to Quadrant

We learned:

• The basics of Quadrant
• How to start a new session
• How to browse tables and identify relationships
• How to change your view of data