Audit Trail using C#.Net - Winforms

Question

Hi experts,

I would like to ask for some suggestions. I was tapped by my boss to create an audit trail program using C#.net - Winforms. I researched for some articles and samples on how to create, I found some interesting samples specifically in codeproject.com from the samples the author used a triggers. I would like to ask for some suggestions for e better and more effective way on creating an audit trail.

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tatas move

Answer 1

Hi cerebralkink,

Would you please include the link in the codeproject you are referring to? So that I can know you better.

Best regards,
Bruce Zhou

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Please mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark if they don't.

Answer 2

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspnet/ImplementingAudit.aspx

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tatas move

Answer 3

To audit your winforms applications you have many options

1- use the binding source events to track your changes

2-  use trigers in sql itselt

In  following lines I will present the use fo BindingSource control as Aduit Helper

Assume you have One table with "ScreenName", "FieldName" , "OldValue" and "NewValue" fields;

you may use the BindingComplete event of your binding Source as follow:

a- Create Windows form

b- add BindingSource to designer

c- add BindingComplete event to your BindingSource

the over all code will be as follows

 

   public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void bindingSource_BindingComplete(object sender, BindingCompleteEventArgs e)
        {
            // reading from database
            if (e.BindingCompleteContext == BindingCompleteContext.ControlUpdate && e.Binding.IsBinding)
            {
                object displayvalue = ReadDisplayValue(e.Binding.Control);
            }

            if (e.BindingCompleteContext == BindingCompleteContext.DataSourceUpdate && e.Binding.IsBinding)
            {
                object NewValue = ReadDisplayValue(e.Binding.Control);
            }

            // Create instance of your Auditing table
            // Set ScreenName = this.text

            string FieldName = e.Binding.BindingMemberInfo.BindingField;
            // set Audit Filedname = FieldName;

        }

        void Save()
        {
            //Save Your Audit instance
        }

        object ReadDisplayValue(Control control)
        {
            if (control is TextBox)
                return ((TextBox)control).Text;
            if (control is ComboBox)
                return ((ComboBox)control).Text;
            if (control is CheckBox)
                return ((CheckBox)control).Checked? "Yes" :"No";
            return null;
       }

 }

Any Questions are welcome

Abdelmawgoud