In memory DataSet or filesystem Dataset?

[Andy B]

I have a wizard on a page that will dynamically create a dataset as it goes
along based on user input. When the wizard is done, it will dump all of the
data it collected/created in the wizard to an xml file. Should this be an in
memory version or a dataset or a file based dataset?

 

[bruce barker]

where are you going to store the dataset between page flips?

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[Andy B]

What do you mean by page flips? Here is more about the dataset requirements.

The object it represents is a blank/stock contract for service. The admin
can create as many stock contract types as they want or need. A stock
contract would kind of be like the differences between a 1040 tax form and a
1040EZ tax form. They have things that are the same between both of them,
but other things are different. One is a "derivative" of the other. It is
the same way with these "contracts" You have a "ContractBase" which has the
following properties (all contracts must have these): Type, Title, Subtitle,
Glossary (different items in glossary depending on contract type), Sections
(same as glossary), Form header and title, Form footer and signatures. The
properties that would be dynamically required are the form fields. For
example, not all contracts have a Hotel, Transportation or similar fields. I
need to know the best way to handle this type of object, what type of source
to use to create it (class, dataset, xml...) and a basic idea of how to
actually implement it. The creation of these contracts is done with a custom
designed wizard that has a wizard step for each segment of the contract
itself.

Is there any ideas on how to do this? The contract blanks created by the
wizard have to be stored as xml files in app_data folder.

 

[bruce barker]

web sites are stateless. when the user clicks next in the wizard, a
request is made to the server. this will cause a new instance of the
page class to be created, and the page cycle run. I assume data is
collected at each page of the wizard. for page 2 to have access to page1
data you must store it somewhere (in session, in a database, in file,
etc). this is the first decision you must make.

what you data model looks like depends on many issues. is it dynamic
(can an admin add fields?). is there business logic and rules?

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[Andy B]

It would probably be kept in a session. Seems to be the best and easiest way
to get this part done. It is dynamic. Admin can add fields to the form in a
certain step of the wizard. As far as I know of, there isnt any complicated
business rules. The ones I do have are this:

The contract must have:
- At least the following sections:
1. Main title, sub title (filled in by a later filled in field), Contract
type
2. Glossary with word/definition pairs (this section must have at least 1 of
these).
3. Sections with section title/section text pairs (this section must have at
least 1 of these).
4. Form header/title
5. Form fields (defined by the admin when created).
6. Form footer
7. Signatures.

This must be converted to xml at the end of the wizard and then put inside a
database table.

Any ideas on what type of object to use? class, dataset and stuff like
that)?