InfoPower

The InfoPower Delphi VCL includes a masterpiece grid supporting master-detail relationships, embedded controls, lookups, images, formatted text, etc. Also included is a flexible transposed grid to display your rows across columns instead of rows.

Woll2Woll Software's award-winning InfoPower for Delphi VCL library is a suite of components for building front ends for database applications.

InfoPower's masterpiece grid is a powerful component in the InfoPower library, greatly expanding upon the capabilities of Delphi's native grid component.

InfoPower - Features

InfoPower Studio allows developers to easily expand the global reach of their applications with built-in support for Unicode when using Delphi 2009 and C++ Builder 2009. Built-in support for Unicode means that applications will look and operate proplerly on all language versions of Windows and seamlessly support both Unicode and ANSI data.

Also included in the update is improved vista compatibility in InfoPower's dialogs and controls, improved visual manager for data validation to work more robustly in the grid, and richedit enhancements, including numbered paragraphs and wrappable table cells.

Features

1. InfoPowers Masterpiece Grid
InfoPowers masterpiece grid is one of the most powerful components in the InfoPower library, greatly expanding upon the capabilities of Delphis native grid component.

In addition to the functionality of the Delphi grid, InfoPowers grid supports the following:

• True Master / Detail Relationships displayed from a single grid
  InfoPower brings you a new paradigm to display and edit your master/detail relationships. Detail tables can be initially hidden, and then expanded into full view when the end-user expands a expand/collapse button in the parent grid. Each child-grid is fully customizable as in the parent grid, and the control preserves the liveness of each expanded detail grid.
• Expand/Collapse buttons for composite calculated fields
  Use expand/collapse buttons to allow the user to edit a composite field. You can display a calculated field such as full name (composed of first name + last name)., and then the user can expand the composite calculated field to edit the individual portions.
• Improved custom control integration and flexibility
  InfoPower allows you to embed a wider variety of controls in the grid. You can now even embed non-InfoPower controls, such as the TDBImage. The grid also allows each custom control to do their own painting in the grid so that even graphics, richedits, etc. will be displayed for every row in the grid without any code on your part. The data inspector can also be embedded in the grid, giving a multi-row record display. The new checkbox and radiogroup controls can also be embedded, which significantly improves the versatility of the grid.Woll2Wolls 1stClass buttons can seamlessly be integrated into the InfoPower grid, giving your grid a clickable component for each record. In addition the button colors can be dynamically computed allowing the color to be different based on the record information.
• Grid header enhancements
  The titles in the grid can be displayed and managed hierachically. This allows you to group related fields together. Also for header dragging operations, the grid more clearing indicates the new placement of the column.
• Allow grouping of related data in grid
  In some cases you may have data that you wish to display as a group in the grid. InfoPower allows you to display this information as a group by only displaying the text for the first instance, as well as removing the lines in between.
• Ditto Capability
• Flicker-free display
• Background texture tiling
• Support for exporting from the grid to various formats
• Clickable URL link support
• Native Alternating color
• Proportional column sizing
• End-user row sizing
• Fixed column enhancements
• Line color customizations
• Clickable Column headers
• Define fixed, non-scrollable columns
• Supports InfoPowers powerful picture language
• Auto-sizing of column
• Customizable cell-level hints
• Persist users grid settings

2. Smart and flexible Combo-boxes
InfoPower greatly expands the capabilities of a regular data aware combo-box. It has the following advantages over the native controls. The InfoPower Essentials version allows you to use the combo within the Essentials grid, but not outside the grid.

• Combo-boxes with automatic history and MRU lists
  InfoPower gives its combo-box the ability to remember the users previously entered values. The next time the users program is executed, these previously entered values are automatically filled into the comboboxs dropdown list. You can also specify a separate MRU list so that the most recently entered entries appear at the top of the list.
• Mapped Display Values
  Allows you to enter mapped storage and display values so that you can display understandable text versions of stored codes in your table, instead of displaying only the codes themselves where users have to remember what they all mean.
• Quicken Style Searches
  All of InfoPower's lookup components support the 'Quicken' style display of the matching value, by simultaneously searching and displaying the matching text in the search control.
• Additional Published Properties
  Since InfoPower is derived from the InfoPower base editor class, you can access the following additional properties which are not available in Delphis native combo control: AutoSelect, AutoSize, BorderStyle, CharCase, MaxLength, and InfoPowers validation language PictureMask property.
• Framing and Transparency
  Supports customizable borders, border styles, as well as transparency.
• Flat and Transparent Button Effects
  The combo buttons in the edit controls can also be displayed in a flat style and transparently as well for an extremely natural and updated look.
• Custom Glyph for DropDown
  The glyph in the combo is configurable through the controls ButtonGlyph and ButtonWidth properties.

3. Currency and Numeric editors
InfoPower brings consistency to editing your numeric and currency fields. Its components give the end-user the ability to enter in the special currency or custom formatting symbols, and the component will automatically take care of stripping these formatting characters when it comes time to store the data.
For example, if the user typed in the string $1,000.00, the editors take care of stripping the commas and the dollar sign so that the input is converted correctly to a floating point value when storing. The numeric editors also now support right-aligned editing.

4. Advanced LookupCombo Controls

• TwwDBLookupCombo, TwwDBLookupComboDlg InfoPower gives you the most flexible component for selecting entries from a lookuptable. Here is some of what this powerful component can do.
• Quicken style incremental searching
  All of InfoPower's lookup components now support the 'Quicken' style display of the matching value, by simultaneously searching and displaying the matching text in the search control.
• Multiple Columns in the DropDown Box or Popup Dialog
  Select any number of fields to be displayed in the drop-down list along with defining their display width and optional titles. Also define in which direction the drop-down list should grow in width, either to the left or to the right, depending on where the component is located on your form.
• ImageList Support in dropdown
  With the ImageList Support you can display a column of images in the dropdown list.
• Sorting flexibility
  The values in the drop-down list are sorted in the order of the first field you select to be displayed, if it's a secondary index field, instead of being sorted in primary key order.
• Support for many dataset types
  Fll a drop-down list with a table, query, QBE, ClientDataSet, and even parameterized queries.
• End-user Usability enhancements
  Smart properties to auto-drop down the list upon a valid keystroke as well as a convenient way of clearing the Lookup Combo's Text.
• Embed into InfoPower's Grid and RecordView components
  The component can be used in a TwwDBGrid component to replace any multiple-choice type of field in the grid, giving your end-users sophisticated lookup and fill capabilities within the grid or record-view components.
• Use unbound or bound
  The component does not have to be bound, or assigned, to a table's field (DataField and DataSource properties) which gives you greater flexibility in using this LookupCombo for general tasks where a source table is not involved.
• Selectively filter the drop-down list
  Show only the relevant records from the lookup table by attaching to a dependent table, using paramaterized queries, or filtering the dataset related to the drop-down list.
• Framing and Transparency
  Use InfoPowers custom framing to customize how the controls borders and background are painted.

5. Spin Edit Control
The end-user can modify the contents of the TwwDBSpinEdit by clicking on the up and down icons. Alternatively they can use the UP Arrow and DOWN Arrow keys. On Date, Time, and DateTime fields the spinedit will highlight the text that is changing while spinning, so the user will visually see what is changing.

6. Date and Time Control - TwwDBDateTimePicker
InfoPower provides the most flexible and usable DateTimePicker for Delphi. DateTimePickers support drop-down calendars to assist the user in selecting a date. InfoPower's Essential version can only be used within the grid, and includes the following functionality.

• Embed within InfoPower's Grid, RecordView, or FilterDialog components
• Use with or without a database
• Smart data entry - Auto-advances when enough characters have been entered, and auto-fills the date and time when the space key is entered
• Display the date in the format of your choice using a format mask. Also supports International date-time formats
• Spins up/down with the arrow keys and preserves the display format during spinning
• Numerous display options for controlling the look of the drop-down calendar, such as display of week numbers, display of current date, automatic circling of current date, and support for event based determination of which dates should be in bold
• Support for simultaneous entry of both date and time in the same control
• Framing and Transparency - Set the EditFrame property to customize how the controls borders and background are painted

7. ImageCombo
This combo control allows you to embed images from a TImageList in the drop-down list in addition to any text associated with the image. In addition the image also appears in the edit portion of the control. You can also display a different text value than is actually stored, by using MapList in conjunction with setting the Item's StoredText and DisplayedText properties.

8. InfoPowers Vertical Grid (DataInspector)

InfoPower allows you to display a transposed grid where the data columns are vertical, instead of horizontal. This brings your end-users a smart alternative to the left-right editing of a traditional grid. The vertical grids flexibility can be seen through its hierarchical view of data (similar to a tree).

• Improved custom control integration and flexibility
  InfoPower allows you to embed a wider variety of controls in the inspector. You can now even embed non-InfoPower controls, such as the TDBImage. The inspector also allows each custom control to do their own painting in the grid so that even graphics, richedits, etc. will be displayed for every row in the grid without any code on your part.
• Background texture tiling
  InfoPower allows your applications to further impress by adding support for background texture tiling. The component takes care of blending your tile with the color of the inspector region, giving you a truly impressive and professional display.
• Alternating colors for rows
• Enhanced hierarchical display
• Group Related fields together
• Use it Unbound (without a datasource) or with a single record
  You can even use this control unbound just like the Delphi object inspector

9. Superb Validation language
InfoPower gives you incredibly flexible and expressive picture masks which greatly assist in automatically validating your user's input. InfoPower's masks duplicate the Picture function that's been available in Borland's Paradox relational database product, providing the power of a full mask language instead of just a mask template. Picture masks greatly assists the end-user during data entry by intelligent auto-filling of characters where appropriate as well as informing them if they have incorrectly entered any data. This allows data entry to be faster and easier. Here are some examples of the power of picture masks.

• Street Address Capitalization
• Masks which contain optional sequence of characters
• Intelligent auto-filling of characters as the user types

10. Custom Framing & Transparent Edit Controls
InfoPower gives you the means to create elegant forms that look just like the real hardcopy form they are based on. You may see other component suites that allow you to turn on or off the borders, but do they allow you to see the background through the edit control for true underlined controls? InfoPower does. The new features that InfoPower has added to its edit controls are:

• Different Border Styles
• Selective Borders
• Focus and NonFocus Settings
• Transparency
• Custom Glyphs and Transparent Effects on Buttons
  The combo buttons in the edit controls can also be displayed in a flat style and transparently as well for an extremely natural look. Notice the buttons in the edit controls in the screen-shot above, you can also load your own custom glyph in any of our combo controls
• Hot-tracking

11. The Ulitmate Word Processing Control
InfoPower includes a powerful visual component greatly expands upon the capabilities of Delphis built-in richedit component. It is the most complete and powerful richedit control available. In addition to the functionality of TDBRichEdit, InfoPowers control provides you with the ability to:

Bitmap and OLE support

Paragraph Ruler

Internet URL Links

Import and Export to HTML

Database Search and Filter

User-definable speed buttons

Integrated RTF Word processor

Customize printer margins, orientation, and paper size

Find/Replace dialog support

Extensive pop-up menu support

Design-time support for entering rich-edit text and OLE into the control

Seamless integration

Supports Transparency and Framing effects

User highlighting of text

Word processor supports bitmapped menus

New events to customize the menus in the word processor

Integration with Microsoft Office's Spell and Grammer Check

12. Flexible Checkbox Control

• Support for your own custom bitmaps for the checkbox glyphs
• Support for 3 states including integration with the InfoPower grid, record-view components, and data inspector.
• Dynamic caption support The text of the checkbox can change to reflect the underlying value or mapped value.
• Custom framing and transparency support for a consistent look with other InfoPower edit controls

13. Custom Radio group Control
InfoPower integrates a versatile radio-group control into its suite.

• Support for your own custom bitmaps radio-button glyphs
• Support for additional glyph for each radio item
• Integration with the InfoPower grid, record-view components, and data inspector.
• Custom framing and transparency support for a consistent look with other InfoPower edit controls

14. Fast Search and Filtering Components and Dialogs

12. Visual Filtering
InfoPower's elegant TwwFilterDialog is one of the most useful end-user components as it enables them with the ability to visually filter a dataset, modify the where clause of an existing SQL query, or even filter records in Delphi's TClientDataSets.

Simple for the end-user to use:
Even though the dialog is capable of sophisticated SQL generation, the dialog is simple to use as it completely hides the filtering and SQL details from the end-user.

• Unmatched filtering power:
  Your end-users can specify a search value, or a range, for any number of fields contained within the dataset.
• WildCard Filtering within Fields
  Select a specific type of data match to be performed within the field, such as "From beginning of field", "Anywhere within the field", and "Exact match".
• Special customizable keywords
  Specify keywords such as "AND", "OR", "NULL" to specify multiple filter criteria for each field, such as... John OR Paul. InfoPower also allows the end-user to easily see all non-matching records.
• Filter even on memo fields, or blob fields containing Rich Text Format
• Fast performance
  Support for filtering on the server side for fast performance! When using the component with a TQuery object, you can have the back-end perform determine which records should be included in the view.
• Automatic Aliases for user entered text
  You can now map user-entered text to a specific database value. This can allow the enduser to filter based on some more meaningful text even if that text is not stored in the database. For instance if the database was storing the codes 1, 2, 3, and they respectively represented the strings Visa, Mastercard, American Express, you could allow the user to enter the string Visa instead of 1 to find all customers who used a visa card.

15. Date and Time Controls

TwwDBDateTimePicker:
InfoPower provides the most flexible and usable DateTimePicker for Delphi. DateTimePickers support drop-down calendars to assist the user in selecting a date. InfoPower's version includes the following functionality.

• Embed within InfoPower's Grid, RecordView, or FilterDialog components.
• Use with or without a database.
• Smart data entry : Auto-advances when enough characters have been entered, and auto-fills the date and time when the space key is entered.
• Display the date in the format of your choice using a format mask. Also supports International date-time formats.
• Spins up/down with the arrow keys and preserves the display format during spinning.
• Numerous display options for controlling the look of the drop-down calendar, such as display of week numbers, display of current date, automatic circling of current date, and support for event based determination of which dates should be in bold.
• Support for simultaneous entry of both date and time in the same control.
• Framing and Transparency
• Set the EditFrame property to customize how the controls borders and background are painted.
• TwwDBMonthCalendar

InfoPower's MonthCalendar control allows you to display a calendar to the end-userM

• Hide/Show the Week Numbers, Today String, and Today Circle in the Drop Down Month Calendar.
• Display one or more months of a year in a single InfoPower calendar control.
• Change the colors and fonts of the calendar.
• Supports configurable pop-up menus when clicking on either the year or the month
• Code-based determination of which dates should be displayed in bold. For instance bold-face weekends, holidays, and paydays.
• Use with or without a database.

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InfoPower - System Requirements

System Requirements

• Delphi 5, 6, 7, 8, 2005, 2006 or C++ Builder
• 8 MB of available hard disk space.
• CPU or memory requirements for running Delphi or C++ Builder.

It is recommended that the stack size of the project is increased if creating a complex form that contains many components. The 16K (04000 Hex) default should be raised to 24K (6000 Hex) or the size that is necessary to prevent compiler or runtime errors.