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Data Binding

Windows Internet Explorer enables content providers to develop data-centric Web applications that support retrieval and update through native data binding facilities. The use of HTML extensions and pluggable data source object (DSO) makes data-driven pages easy to author, with minimal scripting required. Because data is downloaded to the client asynchronously, pages render quickly and provide immediate interactivity. Once downloaded, the data can be sorted and filtered without requiring additional trips to the server. Compare that to traditional web pages and those generated by server-side scripts. Once the data reaches the client, it's static, and any manipulation of that data requires another server request.

Overviews/Tutorials

About Data Binding Architecture

Data binding is based on a component architecture that consists of four major pieces—the DSO, data consumers, the binding agent, and the table repetition agent. Data source objects provide the data to a page, data-consuming HTML elements display the data, and the agents ensure that both the provider and the consumer are synchronized.

About Microsoft Tabular Data Control

The Tabular Data Control (TDC) is a Microsoft ActiveX control that can be hosted by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and later to display data stored in a delimited text file. Using the TDC, a Web author can display data either within tables or within controls found in a form.

Adding a Data Source Object to a Page

When a Web author has identified the data that she wants to display on a page, the next step is to choose the DSO that will supply the data, and to add a reference to the DSO to that page. Internet Explorer ships with a number of data source objects.

Authoring Data Binding for Other Browsers

This article guides Web authors through the process of developing pages that support data binding while still maintaining compatibility with down-level browsers.

Binding HTML Elements to Data

To display the data provided by a DSO, the author binds elements on an HTML page to the DSO. Using the About Data Binding Architecture or the corresponding data binding properties makes it easy. This topic shows how to bind an element to data, lists the elements that support data binding, and describes the capabilities of those elements. Capabilities include support for updating the data to which an element is bound and the data format in which the data is displayed (either HTML or plain text).

COM Objects as Data Providers

This document specifies a new method for data-providing Component Object Model (COM) objects to advertise that they are data providers. Additionally, it specifies a notification mechanism that can be used by data consumers to receive notifications when the underlying data set supplied by the object changes.

DHTML Event Model Support for Data Binding

The DHTML Object Model exposes an extensive set of scriptable events that Web authors can use to customize the behavior of objects on an HTML page. The data binding architecture leverages this model by exposing an additional set of events that are of interest to authors creating data-driven pages.

DHTML Object Model Support for Data Binding

In Internet Explorer, elements are exposed to scripts as objects. The attributes supported by those elements are exposed as properties. Just as a user can perform actions on most elements clicking a button, for example scripts can call methods of the corresponding object. Scripts can also customize the behavior of elements by handling the events exposed by the corresponding object.

Introduction to Data Binding

Internet Explorer 4.0 and later enables content providers to develop data-centric Web applications that support retrieval and update through native data binding facilities. The use of HTML extensions and pluggable DSOs makes data-driven pages easy to author, with minimal scripting required.

Java Applets as Data Providers

To date, MSHTML, which was introduced in Internet Explorer 4.0, has supported ActiveX Controls as data providers when they are present on an HTML page, and also when the control supports either the OLE-DB Simple Provider interface or is an instance of the Advanced Data Connector (ADC), which provides OLE-DB interfaces. Note that ADC is the only OLE-DB interface supported in release 1.0 of Internet Explorer 4.0/MSHTML.

OLE-DB Simple Provider for Java: A Data Binding API for MSHTML

MSHTML, introduced in Internet Explorer 4.0, supports a very simple, easily implemented API for exposing data to HTML pages. The API supports access to string and variant data types and is built using array-like structures to expose rows and columns. Third parties can use the OLE-DB Simple Provider API to implement their custom data source objects.

OLE-DB Simple Provider: A Data Binding API for MSHTML

MSHTML, introduced in Internet Explorer 4.0, supports a very simple, easily-implemented API for exposing data to HTML pages. The API supports access to string and variant data types and is built using array-like structures to expose rows and columns. Third parties can use the OLE-DB Simple Provider API to implement their custom data source objects.

Security Considerations: Databinding

This topic provides a list of topics that contain security information. These topics do not provide all you need to know about security issues—instead, use them as a starting point and reference for this technology area.

Using a Data Source Object that Exposes Multiple Data Members

This article details how to use a DSO that supports multiple data members in a Web page.

Elements/Objects

TDC

The Tabular Data Control (TDC) allows an HTML page to display data from delimited text files, either as part of tables or a row at a time.

Attributes/Properties

AppendData

Specifies whether new data is appended or replaces existing data.

CaseSensitive

Indicates whether comparisons with the data should ignore case.

CharSet

Identifies the character set of the data file.

DataURL

Specifies the location of the data file.

EscapeChar

Specifies the character used to escape special characters.

Filter

Specifies how the data will be filtered.

Language

Specifies the language of the data file, including numerical and data formats.

RowDelim

Specifies the character used to mark the end of each row.

Sort

Identifies the columns to be sorted, and ascending or descending sort order.

TextQualifier

Specifies the optional character that surrounds a field.

UseHeader

Specifies whether the first line of the data file contains header information.

Methods

CanConvertData

Called by MSHTML to determine whether the data provider is capable of converting the specified data from one format to another.

ConvertData

Called by MSHTML to allow the data provider to convert the specified data from one format to another.

Reset

Causes the control to filter or sort its data based on new settings.

Interfaces

ISimpleDataConverter

Allows a data provider to participate in converting its data from one type to another.