Beep Winform Data Integrated

Data-bound application framework for the BeepDM ecosystem — provides zero-code CRUD forms, branch-driven navigation, connection management, and NuGet package discovery at design time.

Components

Core

Component	Description
BeepForms	Application shell with toolbar, command bar, query shelf, header, persistence shelf, and status strip. Renders BeepBlock as content.
BeepBlock	Data-bound content panel. Three presentation modes: Record (single-record form), Grid (multi-row data grid), Query (query builder + results).
BeepAppTree	Branch-driven application navigation tree. Auto-builds from BranchesClasses discovered by AssemblyHandler's ILoaderExtention system.

Design-Time

Component	Description
BeepDataConnection	Tray component for design-time connection management. Auto-populates from BeepService configuration. Supports Project/User/Machine storage scopes.
NuggetsManage	Integrated NuGet package manager UI — search, install, uninstall, and manage packages from within the designer.

Infrastructure

Component	Description
DynamicMenuManager	Builds context menus from AssemblyClassDefinition metadata. Scans for [CommandAttribute] methods.
DynamicFunctionCallingManager	Executes methods on branches and global function extensions.
ControlExtensions	Tree node creation, branch → SimpleItem conversion, method execution from tree nodes.

Architecture

BeepForms (Application Shell)
  ├── BeepFormsToolbar          ← Save, Refresh, Delete, New, Print, Export
  ├── BeepFormsCommandBar       ← Undo/Redo, Cancel Edit
  ├── BeepFormsQueryShelf       ← Filter/search query builder
  ├── BeepFormsHeader           ← Title, breadcrumb, metadata
  ├── BeepFormsPersistenceShelf ← Savepoint management
  ├── BeepFormsStatusStrip      ← Status messages, progress, validation
  └── BeepBlock (Content Panel)
        ├── RecordMode            ← Single-record CRUD form
        ├── GridMode              ← Multi-row data grid
        └── QueryMode             ← Query builder + grid results
             └── Field Presenters  ← Text, Combo, Date, CheckBox, Numeric

Quick Start

// Create a data-bound form from a connection + entity name
var forms = new BeepForms();
forms.SetDefinition(new BeepBlockDefinition
{
    BlockName = "CustomerForm",
    PresentationMode = BeepBlockPresentationMode.Record,
    Entity = new BeepBlockEntityDefinition
    {
        DataSourceName = "northwind.db",
        EntityName = "Customers"
    },
    Fields = new List<BeepFieldDefinition>
    {
        new() { FieldName = "CustomerId",  ControlType = "BeepTextBox" },
        new() { FieldName = "CompanyName", ControlType = "BeepTextBox" },
        new() { FieldName = "Country",     ControlType = "BeepComboBox",
                LOVDataSource = "northwind.db", LOVEntity = "Countries" }
    }
});

// One call generates all controls, opens the datasource, and binds data
forms.Initialize();

Block Definition Model

BeepBlockDefinition            ← Top-level config: Id, Name, PresentationMode, Fields, Entity
  ├── BeepBlockEntityDefinition  ← Data source binding: DataSourceName, EntityName, Triggers
  ├── BeepFieldDefinition        ← Per-field config: ControlType, Label, Required, LOV
  └── BeepBlockNavigationDefinition ← Navigation mode, paging, breadcrumbs

Field presenters auto-create and bind controls based on ControlType:

• "BeepTextBox" → TextBeepFieldPresenter
• "BeepComboBox" → ComboBeepFieldPresenter (with LOV datasource)
• "BeepDatePicker" → DateBeepFieldPresenter
• "BeepCheckBox" → CheckboxBeepFieldPresenter
• "BeepNumericUpDown" → NumericBeepFieldPresenter

BeepAppTree — Navigation

BeepAppTree extends BeepTree with IBranch-driven navigation. It reads ConfigEditor.BranchesClasses and builds a hierarchical tree:

Genre (category)                          ← "Data Sources"
  └── Root (navigation item)              ← "Northwind Database"
        └── Child (entity)                ← "Customers" table
              └── Child (action)          ← "New Record", "Reports"

Each branch is discovered as an IBranch implementation via AssemblyHandler.ScanExtensions(). The tree auto-builds by instantiating each branch via reflection and calling CreateChildNodes().

Design-Time Integration

BeepDataConnection (Tray Component)

Drop on a form at design time for automatic connection configuration:

// In designer.cs after dropping BeepDataConnection on a form:
this.beepDataConnection1 = new BeepDataConnection();
// DataConnections auto-populated from BeepService config
// Connection properties appear in PropertyGrid
// Serializes to designer.cs for form-level connection management

Storage backends:

• JsonConnectionStorageProvider — JSON files in Beep app repo
• IConnectionStorageProvider — pluggable interface
• ConnectionSecretProtector — encrypted sensitive parameters

NuggetsManage

Integrated NuGet package management:

• Search and browse NuGet packages within the designer
• Install/uninstall drivers and extensions
• Version selection and dependency resolution
• Auto-discovery via NuggetsStartupBootstrapper

Dependencies

Package	Version	Purpose
TheTechIdea.Beep.DataManagementModels	3.0.0	Core data models (IDMEEditor, IDataSource, EntityStructure)
TheTechIdea.Beep.DataManagementEngine	2.0.70	Runtime engine (conditional)
TheTechIdea.Beep.Vis.Modules	2.0.43	Visualization interfaces (IBranch, ITree, IAppManager, SimpleItem)
TheTechIdea.Beep.Winform.Controls	—	Base controls (ProjectReference)
TheTechIdea.Beep.Winform.Controls.Design.Server	—	Design-time infrastructure (ProjectReference, via Views)

Documentation

• Browser Help — Full HTML documentation with sidebar and theme toggle
• Full Reference — BeepForms, BeepBlock, BeepAppTree, Data Connection, Block Definition Model

Recent Changes

SimpleItem Cleanup & Serialization Fix (2026)

• SimpleItem now serializes correctly in WinForms designer
• Removed unused INotifyPropertyChanged, ParentValueChanged event chain, dead LOV subsystem
• Color BadgeBackColor → BeepColor BadgeBackColor (portable, implicit Color conversion)
• Added [DesignerSerializationVisibility(Hidden)] on non-serializable properties
• ~200 lines removed, 0 breaking changes to runtime behavior

Global ImagePath Editor (2026)

• GlobalImagePathEditorRegistration in Design.Server auto-applies BeepImagePathEditor to any ImagePath string property
• Covers SimpleItem and all BaseControl subclasses
• Activated via [ModuleInitializer] — zero code changes in controls or models

Project Structure Cleanup (2026)

• Integrated Controls documentation now self-contained in Help/ with local CSS
• Added docs/README.md for quick architectural reference
• Design.Server now references Integrated.Controls via ProjectReference

Project Status

• Alpha Phase — Core features functional, APIs may evolve.
• Contributions — Welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

Licensed under the MIT License.