With VB5 or VB6, select option ‘Project/Components’.
With VB4, select option ‘Tools/Custom controls’.

Then select ‘ACE/400 DAO’.

You will use the ACE/400 icon to designate AS/400 Data sources. A Data source can designate a file or an SQL query (in read only). Just double-click on this icon to have it on your form. Then click on the property editor (‘…’ button) for property ‘Record source’. You will be prompted for a file name. This dialog box will allow you to walk through the libraries.

After selecting an item, press ‘OK’, and the selected item will fill the recordsource property. This property can also contain an SQL string (according to Microsoft’s Data control). Now, it is possible to put controls on the form and link them with the Data control.

It is possible to put a ‘Text’ Control (by double clicking on the icon ‘TextBox’ ).

Now, on this object, select the ACE400 Data Source ‘ACE400Data1’ previously created.

With this control, a field name must be chosen.

Tip: You can add multiple controls (i.e. for each field), and then select them all to select the data source only once. You will just have to update the property ‘Data Field’ for each of them. You can also make arrays of controls.

Your first application with ACE/400 Data control is ready in only a few minutes!

Just run it and enjoy!

Of course, much customizing is possible:

• it is possible to define master/detail relationships (see our sample)
• it is possible to hide the data control and make customized buttons.
• Links between Data Control and ACE/400 for VB are possible.