VisionCore Company Databases

Central to the operation of both VisionCore and the VisionCore API is the company database. This topic provides some detail about the company database and its related ICompanyAccount object.

The Company Database

At any given time, VisionCore or an external application is able to work on a single SQL Server 2005 database, which is called the company database. The company database is a database managed by SQL Server 2005 that contains all of the accounting data for a particular company.

When VisionCore is first installed, it contains only a Sample company database named VisionCoreSampleCompany. The VisionCore SQL Login Form can be used to create new company databases. Although only a single company database can be in use by VisionCore at any given time, VisionCore can be used to create and manage multiple company databases representing multiple business entities.

All company databases can be created using the VisionCore application and the VisionCore user interface. The functionality to create new company databases is also exposed through the VisionCore API.

If you choose to expand the VisionCore system with custom data, you should not modify the structure of database tables or views, nor should you remove existing SQL objects or triggers to the database. Finally, you should use the company database to store custom data only through the mechanisms supported either by the user interface or by the API. (For a discussion of the VisionCore API's support for custom data, see Expanding VisionCore with Custom Data.)

Accessing the Company Database

You can use the VisionCore API to access a company database programmatically. The application-level object in the VisionCore API is the BRL objects. Almost all of the remaining objects that you work with in the VisionCore API are accessible through its properties and methods. In order to work with the VisionCore API and the BRL objects in a meaningful way, you must connect to a company database.

You do this by calling the ComtechSolutions.VisionCore.Security.LoginForm.Show() method, which requires as arguments the name of the company database to be used during the session and the name of the database server responsible for managing it.

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