Advanced data grids

The number one comment I get when potential customers are test-driving Mendix is the limited functionality of the standard datagrids. What they want is to be able to select multiple rows in a standard way (Ctrl-click or Shift-Click). They want to be able to increase the number of data columns they can have in a table and scroll left and right to view them. They want to be able to retrieve more data rows at a time and scroll the rows vertically.

Some of this functionality is available in dojo here Enhanced data grids.

Instead of a data grid being a one-layer object, it would need to be 2 layers. The top layer defines the table controls, size and positioning in the form and remains static. It has a 'letterbox' opening though which you view the background second layer. This second layer is a datagrid that may be bigger than the top layer - if so you can scroll it left-right or up and down to view the contents.

Non-persistent objects

Ability to use non-persistent objects. Objects which are not stored in the database :) Very useful in combination with xml-to-domain mappings.

Ability to use a list as a input for a datagrid. This list is retrieved in a microflow, but you can show this list easily in a grid. Now you need to create an entity and set this with you list. Then you can show your grid in a form. That could be easier.

Creating lists of variables

I would like to be able to create lists of strings, integers or any type of variable. Then be able to loop these lists. Quite often you need to store information temporarily in the micro flow and don't need to store it in a entity or want to.

Data grids - linked search attributes

Say I have a data grid displaying companies, with search fields for Country and State/Region. Currently these two search attributes act independently of each other - selecting a country does not constrain the values available in the State/Region attribute. So this enhancement request is for a new type of search attribute, which is a complex search attribute consisting of two or more linked attributes with constraints between them - or even a small form snippet.

The result should be that if I select a Country of USA, the State/Region field only lists the 50 US States, but if I select the UK as the country, the State/Region will display a list of UK counties.

Refresh data grid after search attribute is changed

Add the ability to define for each datagrid search attribute whether to automatically refresh the data grid when the search attribute value is changed. This saves lots of extra clicks on the Search button.

View data from external databases

The database replication module allows you to define a connection to an external database and use that to import the external data into your Mendix application.

However, there are times when the external database contains a lot of data that you only need to view, or the external data changes frequently, when it would be nice to be able to view the external data in your Mendix application without having to import it. This would remove the overhead of having to synchronize and maintain the 2 data sets.

Being able to define a new type of Mendix form that has the external data table as its datasource would be great.

Option on Dataview Microflow button to apply form validation

I would like to have the option in a dataview microflow button to apply the form validation. So that any validation that is applied to the form is checked before executing the microflow. Currently the microflow is run without checking the validation. It's a small feature but would mean that validation wouldn't have to be built into the microflow.

Option to load an object into an existing form

I would like to have the ability to open up a object inside an existing dataview. For instance when you want to cycle through records it would be nice to be able to load another object into the existing form. This way you won't have to close the form and open up a new one.

Object reference as a variable in microflows, so you can store an object in a variable and don't need multiple almost indentical paths in microflows.

List operations head/tail, init/last, so I can get a list for some reason and use the first item if I want to without building a fake iterator over it.

User preferences as a mechanism where I can inherit from System.UserPreference and add my own. I would like to save searches, store columns I want to see (of an enhanced grid, see elsewhere in this topic) and so on.

Automated testing (support), so a can within Mendix or with some other tool record and playback test scripts.

Import microflows to replace existing, instead of creating new ones (also for the SVN history).

Granular merging parts of a branch, selecting which differences I want to merge.

Sorting lists

Add a sort option to a reference set without the need to create a microflow just for that purpose.

Enum inheritance, being able to use part of the enum in some places and a more extended version on other places.

Being able to sort enums differently per language.

Full and programmable keyboard control