Choosing objects

Besides databases, SchemaExplorer includes editors for four kinds of database objects: tables, views, commands and columns. Use them when users need to pick one object, or a set of objects, as template metadata.

For each kind there's a single-object type and a collection type:

Property type	User selects
TableSchema / TableSchemaCollection	One table / several tables
ViewSchema / ViewSchemaCollection	One view / several views
CommandSchema / CommandSchemaCollection	One command (stored procedure) / several commands
ColumnSchema / ColumnSchemaCollection	One column / several columns

The picker opens when the user clicks the builder button (...) for the property in the property grid. With a single-object type, the user selects one object. With a table, view or command collection, the user selects several with Ctrl+click and Shift+click; with a column collection, the user checks the columns they want.

Tables

TableSchema lets the user select a single table:

<%@ Property Name="SourceTable" Type="SchemaExplorer.TableSchema" Category="Database" Description="Select a table." %>

TableSchemaCollection lets the user select a group of tables:

<%@ Property Name="SourceTables" Type="SchemaExplorer.TableSchemaCollection" Category="Database" Description="Select a set of tables." %>

Both open the Table Picker:

Views

ViewSchema lets the user select a single view:

<%@ Property Name="SourceView" Type="SchemaExplorer.ViewSchema" Category="Database" Description="Select a view." %>

ViewSchemaCollection lets the user select a group of views:

<%@ Property Name="SourceViews" Type="SchemaExplorer.ViewSchemaCollection" Category="Database" Description="Select a set of views." %>

Both open the View Picker:

Commands

CommandSchema lets the user select a single command (stored procedure):

<%@ Property Name="SourceCommand" Type="SchemaExplorer.CommandSchema" Category="Database" Description="Select a command." %>

CommandSchemaCollection lets the user select a group of commands:

<%@ Property Name="SourceCommands" Type="SchemaExplorer.CommandSchemaCollection" Category="Database" Description="Select a set of commands." %>

Both open the Command Picker:

Using functions

The command pickers can also list SQL functions and SQL CLR functions. To include them, add IncludeFunctions="True" to the Property directive:

<%@ Property Name="SourceCommand" Type="SchemaExplorer.CommandSchema" IncludeFunctions="True" Category="Database" Description="Select a command." %>

A stored procedure always has an int return value, but a scalar function can return any data type. To find out what kind of function a CommandSchema represents, check its extended properties. A CommandSchema may contain these:

Extended property key	ExtendedPropertyNames field	Description
CS_IsCLR	IsCLR	An assembly (CLR) stored procedure
CS_IsAggregateFunction	IsAggregateFunction	An aggregate function
CS_IsScalarFunction	IsScalarFunction	A scalar function
CS_IsTableValuedFunction	IsTableValuedFunction	A table-valued function
CS_IsInlineTableValuedFunction	IsInlineTableValuedFunction	An inline table-valued function
CS_IsMultiStatementTableValuedFunction	IsMultiStatementTableValuedFunction	A multi-statement table-valued function

Columns

ColumnSchema lets the user select a single column:

<%@ Property Name="SourceColumn" Type="SchemaExplorer.ColumnSchema" Category="Database" Description="Select a column." %>

ColumnSchemaCollection lets the user select a group of columns:

<%@ Property Name="SourceColumns" Type="SchemaExplorer.ColumnSchemaCollection" Category="Database" Description="Select a set of columns." %>

Both open the Column Picker, which shows the columns of each table in a tree: