A Look at Valentina

Valentina: A Comprehensive Database Management Suite

Valentina is a suite of powerful tools for database management, including Valentina DB (a SQL database server), Valentina Studio (a database management application), Valentina Report (a report generator for applications like PHP), and a development toolkit (ADK). This article explores using Valentina Studio to manage MySQL databases and Valentina Report to create reports for PHP applications. We won't cover Valentina DB itself due to space constraints.

Key Features:

• Valentina Studio: A cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux) database management tool with free and Pro versions. The Pro version offers advanced features.
• Valentina Report: A graphical user interface (GUI) for creating reports, easily integrated into applications like PHP. Requires two Valentina extensions within the PHP environment. Output formats include HTML and PDF.
• ADK (Application Development Kit): Valentina's API, which, according to the author, requires improvement and redesign.

Valentina Studio: A Deep Dive

Valentina Studio Pro (used in this review) offers a fast startup and a three-pane interface:

• Servers: Manages CS-based databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Valentina, ODBC), supporting local and remote connections.
• Database: Manages file-based databases (Valentina DB, SQLite).
• Projects: Primarily for report generation, managing report source, queries, and design.

The cascading column view (shown below) is particularly user-friendly:

It displays database entities (databases, tables, fields, etc.) in a hierarchical manner. A less frequently used tree view is also available:

Valentina Studio includes an SQL editor with code completion, but lacks features like filtering and navigation in grid and SQL output views. Table creation could also be streamlined. The UI consistency could be improved. The free version's limitations are significant, making the Pro version's $200 price tag a point of consideration. Overall rating: 3.5/5.

Valentina Report: Creating Reports

Valentina Report is a standout feature. A report is a self-contained .vsp project file. The project management window looks like this:

A report project includes:

1. A data source.
2. One or more queries (SQL-based, with code highlighting and completion).
3. A report layout (designed using an intuitive wizard).

The report designer is powerful, allowing extensive customization of styles, layout, and aggregation features. A preview feature is also available:

The free version's lack of a save function severely limits its usefulness.

Integrating Valentina Report into PHP

This requires two Valentina extensions (php5?_pdo_valentina.dll and php5?_valentina.dll) and Valentina Report Server. The process involves:

1. Installing Valentina Server (including Report Server).
2. Copying the .vsp report file to the server's projects directory and registering it.
3. Using PHP code to connect to the Valentina Server, create a report, and output it (HTML example below).

$host = 'localhost';
$username = 'sa';
$password = 'sa';
$conn_id = prepare($host, $username, $password);

$report_file = "V-rsywx.vsp";

// ... (rest of the PHP code as in the original article)

The provided vproject_make_new_report_with_datasource function's design is questionable, as it allows overriding the data source and query defined in the report design. This is generally not recommended. Outputting to PDF requires a simple header modification.

Conclusion

Valentina offers a usable but improvable database management tool and a powerful report generator. The ADK needs significant improvement. Valentina Studio and Server are recommended, but users should carefully consider the limitations of the free version and the value proposition of the Pro version. The author encourages feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (These are largely unchanged from the original, as they provide useful information)

(FAQs section remains the same as in the original input)

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