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Database and Meta Data

Add External Table
You may require to use some external table that is not included within the Visual FoxPro database or any data dictionary. These tables could be either free tables or none free. For instance some tables from a different application. By selecting these tables they will be added into the VisualRep Data Dictionary. A different application could be an accounting software such as: an AccPak or AccountMate which is a Business Management and Accounting Software or any other package with its own set of tables.

This option is available for Visual FoxPro database, VPM and DBCX Data Dictionaries. It is not allowed for client server databases such as MS SQL, Oracle and MS Access. For any client server including MS Access you will need to add the entire database definitions into VisualRep and automatically it will generate the report for the selected tables.

The VisualRep is a query and reporting tool for developers and end users. It offers a broad range of features including access to the most popular databases like: ORACLE, SQL Server, Visual FoxPro, and MS Access. It reads all data dictionary directly from each database, such as tables, relations, fields name and captions. This means that when selecting tables for a report, based on relations created in any data dictionary, the SQL statement is created on the fly. It is easy to create queries as much as needed without writing one line of code for any table that is included in the query. If new tables were added within the database, VisualRep will grab them whether it is view or a table. This is an automatic update. If a table is moved from your data dictionary then it will not be shown in VisualRep.

Application Root - It has a set of folders to support the reports and queries. Each data set can have its own specific files. Each data set can represent a division or a department and if you have a set of data per each division then VisualRep can work with it very easily. All it takes is to create a data set in VisualRep and let it know where are folders. It is all done via the project form where you select each folder via the folder picker as shown in figure A below.

A data set must consist of the following folders:

Application Data - Is where an application's specific data is stored. It also could be from any database that does belong to any application.

Data Dictionary - Are all the necessary files that maintain any data about the reports queries and relations between the Application's Data or any available database. The files within this folder are generated when the data set is created by VisualRep.

Reports Any report created by VisualRep will be generated into this folder.

Report output - Where the output of the report is saved. That could be a PDF or a MS Word file or any other file format selected by the user.

Data Set Structure - In one application or a database there could be more then one data set. A different data set is useful if you have an accounting system that has its own data files, while your own data is in a different folder.

VisualRep - Report and Query engine for ms-sql 2005, Oracle, ms-access visual foxpro and more...