True DataControl Lite

True DataControl Lite (TDataLite) is a freeware control; it can be downloaded from the ComponentOne Web site www.componentone.com and used free of charge.

The purpose of True DataControl Lite is twofold:

It enables additional functionality in ComponentOne True DBGrid 8.0 and other controls. Using TDataLite as the data source for your TDBGrid controls, you can add powerful features to your applications, such as ad-hoc queries, calculated fields, field and record constraints, etc., and the new presentation modes, such as crosstab data presentation and OLAP support (decision support functionality, pivot table). You must be a registered owner of ComponentOne TDBGrid 8.0 to take advantage of these features, but you don’t have to pay additional price for TDataLite control.
TDataLite adds features to database applications even when used with data-aware controls other than TDBGrid, such as Microsoft DataGrid. Most of TDataLite features are available to controls other than TDBGrid as well. You can use most of True DataControl Rapid Application Development and built-in features, see Feature List.

TDataLite is a “junior” version of ComponentOne True DataControl. If you find TDataLite useful, we encourage you to explore the great features of True DataControl. You can download a trial version of True DataControl from the ComponentOne Web site at www.componentone.com.

Among the valuable additions to TDBGrid functionality now available with TDataLite 8.0 is the new crosstab data presentation, see Tutorial 2 - Crosstab, and the new pivot table (OLAP, decision support) data presentation, see Tutorial 10 - OLAP - Decision Support, Pivot Table.

Several important features of True DataControl are unavailable in the Lite edition:

True DataControl master-detail relationships are unavailable in TDataLite.
True DataControl (TData) is a self-sufficient ADO/OLE DB data source, a replacement for standard ADO data sources such as Microsoft ADO Data Control (ADODC) and Visual Basic DataEnvironment. Unlike TData, TDataLite needs a standard data source to become functional; it must be bound to a standard ADO data control or another data source.
True DataControl offers significant enhancements to ADO performance and stability. It amends ADO by rectifying serious problems, such as long delays on startup, adUseServer mode problems, adding and deleting rows in batch update mode, etc. None of these enhancements are available in TDataLite, mainly because TDataLite always uses a standard data source, so it cannot influence its performance.
If you bind a control other than TDBGrid to a TDataLite control, the bound control will essentially be bound to the underlying standard data source (TDataLite.DataSource), not to the TDataLite itself. TDataLite does not expose its field structure and the resulting recordset to controls other than TDBGrid (unless in memory array or query modes). Most of TDataLite features (such as constraints, property expressions, etc.) will still be available, but some (for example, calculated fields and filters) are only available to TDBGrid 8.0, because they require direct access to TDataLite field and data structure.

On the other hand, TDataLite is not just a limited version of TData. There is one scenario where TDataLite can do what TData cannot. This is when you bind controls to a standard data source and benefit from TDataLite features without actually binding your controls to TDataLite. TData can only function as a data source when your controls are bound (their DataSource property set) directly to the TData control. TDataLite, on the other hand, can be used “on the side”. For example, you bind a grid to an ADODC control, bind a TDataLite to the same ADODC control and define constraints in the TDataLite control. The constraints will be enforced, but the grid will still be bound to the same ADODC control, without TDataLite as a go-between.