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Get the Report →DataBind Charts to IBM Informix Data
Use the standard ADO.NET procedures for databinding to provide bidirectional access to IBM Informix data from controls in the Visual Studio toolbox. This article demonstrates a graphical approach using wizards in Visual Studio, as well as how to databind with only a few lines of code.
DataBinding facilitates two-way interaction with data through UI controls. Using the CData ADO.NET Provider for IBM Informix streamlines the process of binding IBM Informix data to Windows Forms and Web controls within Visual Studio. In this article, we will demonstrate using wizards to establish a binding between IBM Informix data and a chart that dynamically updates. Additionally, the code walk-through section will guide you through the creation of a chart using just 10 lines of code.
DataBind to a Chart
DataBinding consists of three steps: Instantiate the control, configure the data source, and databind.
Configure the Connection and Select Database Objects
To create a chart control and establish a connection to IBM Informix, follow the steps outlined below using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. Within the wizard, you'll have the option to choose the specific IBM Informix entities you wish to bind to.
- In a Windows Forms project, drag and drop a Chart control from the toolbox to the form. In the Data section of the Chart properties, select DataSource and then select Add Project Data Source from the menu.
- In the Data Source Configuration Wizard that appears, select Database -> Dataset.
- In the Choose Your Data Connection step, click New Connection.
In the Add Connection dialog, click Change to select the CData IBM Informix Data Source.
Below is a typical connection string:
Server=10.0.1.2;Port=50000;User=admin;Password=admin;Database=test;
Set the following properties to connect to IBM Informix
- Server: Set this to the name of the server running IBM Informix.
- Port: Set this to the port the IBM Informix server is listening on.
- Database: Set this to the name of the IBM Informix database.
- User: Set this to the username of a user allowed to access the database.
- Password: Set this to the password of a user allowed to access the database.
When you configure the connection, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.
- Choose the database objects you want to work with. This example uses the Books table.
DataBind
After adding the data source and selecting database objects, you can bind the objects to the chart. This example assigns the x-axis to Id and the y-axis to Price.
- In the Chart properties, click the button in the Series property to open the Series Collection Editor.
- In the Series properties, select the columns you want for the x- and y-axes: Select columns from the menu in the XValueMember and YValueMember properties.
The chart is now databound to the IBM Informix data. Run the chart to display the current data.
Code Walk-through
DataBinding to IBM Informix data requires only a few lines of code and can be completed in three easy steps.
- Connect to IBM Informix.
- Create the InformixDataAdapter to execute the query and create a DataSet to be filled with its results.
- DataBind the result set to the chart.
Below is the complete code:
InformixConnection conn = new InformixConnection("Server=10.0.1.2;Port=50000;User=admin;Password=admin;Database=test;");
InformixCommand comm = new InformixCommand("SELECT Id, Price FROM Books WHERE Category = 'US'", conn);
InformixDataAdapter da = new InformixDataAdapter(comm);
DataSet dataset = new DataSet();
da.Fill(dataset);
chart1.DataSource = dataset;
chart1.Series[0].XValueMember = "Id";
chart1.Series[0].YValueMembers = "Price";
// Insert code for additional chart formatting here.
chart1.DataBind();