About iDB Professional
iDB Professional is a product that allows rapid development of database applications on the internet. It has been used for a variety of applications from hosted clinical studies to the line of business applications deployed on corporate networks.
Users without programming backgrounds are able to develop robust database applications that are easily deployed over the web. This has allowed the product to be a valuable resource for adding critical functionality to existing ERP and CRM systems at an extremely low cost.
Requirements Scenario
A tough challenge unfolded when nationwide clients wanted to take the consignment contracts that were being maintained in spreadsheets and move them to a web-based application.
The sales force was accustomed to entering the quantity and price into a simple excel spreadsheet and sending it to customer service for approval. This worked for a smaller company but now, with 20 salespeople nationwide hundreds of contracts, this process was becoming unmanageable.
The regional sales managers requested that all contracts be entered into a simple spreadsheet over the internet, saved to a database and available 24/7 for viewing and reporting.
Solution Implementation
The iDB Professional was the natural choice for developing an internet database, but it had no capability for offering a spreadsheet data entry screen on a thin client over the web. That’s when we started to look for a product that would look and act like a spreadsheet and could be integrated into our application.
When we found the Aspose Grid object, it was the perfect fit for our application. We handed over the Grid demo to our developer and it was implemented into our application in less than two hours.
When our sales managers saw the demo, each of them said it was perfect. It was exactly what they were looking for.
Benefits
The Grid object allows us to pass it SQL text at runtime and dynamically display the results in spreadsheet cells in addition to performing database updates. We can now use this functionality in any iDB Professional application.
With the built-in ability to copy, paste, filter, and update a result set we have added a very powerful set of features that greatly enhance the functionality of our product.
Future Implementations
Our next project for the Aspose Grid will be to take further advantage of the customization features built into the Grid control. By adding a Grid preferences table to our application we will be able to allow the user to change the buttons, styles and features of the spreadsheet screen to truly deliver a customized user experience.
Conclusion
We were truly amazed to find a product like Aspose.Cells and even more so when we realized how easy it was to integrate and use. Also, the sales force was tremendously helpful in walking us through the demo product and helping us get our application up and running in record time.
Clicking on the link in the application brings up the Aspose grid fully populated with contract line items. After modifying rows by entering data or copy and pasting, the user presses the save button (not pictured) to update the contract with all their changes.
**Steve Pappas
**IDB Pro LLC