Xdialog Windows vs Forms

Description

What are the advantages of using Xdialog boxes versus using a regular form object for data entry?

• Code

  • Forms:

    Optional, in form events.

  • Xdialog:

    All code. Powerful but sensitive to errors.

• Speed

  • Forms:

    Relatively slower.

  • Xdialog:

    Relatively faster.

• Debugging

  • Forms:

    Relatively hard to debug.

  • Xdialog:

    Relatively easy to debug.

• Best Applications

  • Forms:

    Best at displaying large quantities of data, and creating a very rich visual impact.

  • Xdialog:

    Best at all the 'small' user interface messages, picklists, routine messages, etc.

• Tables and Sets

  • Forms:

    Forms are bound to underlying tables or sets.

  • Xdialog:

    Xdialogs are not bound to underlying tables or sets.

• User Control

  • Forms:

    Many built-in features for controlling user behavior.

  • Xdialog:

    All events must be coded, so unplanned user behavior cannot happen.

• Distribution

  • Forms:

    Distributed with the table's data dictionary.

  • Xdialog:

    Can be bundled in a compiled .AEX library.

See Also

• Xdialogs Are Built from Strings