SQL Metal Open Source User Interface   (v.0.1)

Pruposes

SQLMetalOSUI allows you to generate code and mapping for your SQL Server Compact Edition databases.

SQL Server Compact Edition is fully compatible with LINQ to SQL but the designer does not. This project will be focused to reach this initial purpose.

Windows Forms Class Library, Why?

I think that by developing the core of the tool as a User Control we might use it into a WIndows Forms or Visual Studio AddIn project, for example.

How does it works?

User selects the necessary options to generate maps from SSCE file database using SQLMetalOSUICtrl User Control which offers an easy way to populate sqlmetal options. By the other hand, SQLMetalTool class represents sqlmetal.exe command line tool with its own properties as options. Then SQLMetalTool class will execute sqlmetal.exe file through LineCommandProcess class wich handles directly the sqlmetal.exe execution process and configures it redirectioning standard output. The result will be propagated through delegates and will arrive to User Control as an event. At this point the file will be created if all was ok and all the result generate by calling sqlmetal.exe may be handled and showed if necessary.

Working now...

After initial approach, I'd like SQLMetalOSUI to work as soon as possible while Orcas Beta 2 is still alive. I 'm thinking in extends SQLMetalTool class getting  it as inheritance of System.Diagnostics.Process Class. Then LineCommandProcess will disapear and SQLMetalTool will keep the sqlmetal.exe execution process itself.