Data Access is a visual environment for graphic-intensive database applications. Using Views, it lets you create graphical business objects and link them to data sources to provide intuitive data access.

Data Access is organized as a set of C++ class libraries. These classes are to be used in conjunction with the Views C++ class libraries. Data Access is also accompanied by a schema editor (SQL Schema Editor).

The Views libraries provide the API needed to implement the graphical part of your application. Views handles the drawing and management of gadgets and graphics. The Data Access libraries provide the additional functionality required to handle data from an external data source.

For more information on the Views class libraries, refer to the appropriate Views Reference Manual.

The graphical editor provided with Views, called Views Studio, is a powerful editor that enables you to build a portable graphical user interface. Views Studio allows you to construct your interface from predefined “gadgets”—that is, buttons, scroll bars, menus, and other interface objects—using simple drag-and-drop operations, while generating C++ code for you to program your application. Views Studio is fully documented in the Views Studio User’s Manual.

The graphical editor provided with Data Access is based on Views Studio, but has been adapted to be used with Data Access. This editor is referred to as Views Studio and contains an additional “Data Access” palette, which contains all those predefined gadgets that may interact with an external source of data. There is also a special interface that allows you to set up the connection with the external data source, in a simple graphical way.

Also included with Data Access is the SQL Schema Editor. This editor is provided should you need a simple editor to create tables in a database.

The schema is the table-form structure in which the data is stored. The schema editor is therefore used to edit the table definitions and the data. The schema editor is also used to drop a table in a database. This editor is located into the SQL Tables palette from the Data Access palette.