Using Common Data Control Features

The following tasks are common to most data controls:

Data controls let you display and edit fields of data associated with the current record in a dataset. The following table summarizes the data controls that appear on the Data Controls category of the Tool palette.

Data controls

Data control	Description
TDBGrid	Displays information from a data source in a tabular format. Columns in the grid correspond to columns in the underlying table or query's dataset. Rows in the grid correspond to records.
TDBNavigator	Navigates through data records in a dataset. updating records, posting records, deleting records, canceling edits to records, and refreshing data display.
TDBText	Displays data from a field as a label.
TDBEdit	Displays data from a field in an edit box.
TDBMemo	Displays data from a memo or BLOB field in a scrollable, multi-line edit box.
TDBImage	Displays graphics from a data field in a graphics box.
TDBListBox	Displays a list of items from which to update a field in the current data record.
TDBComboBox	Displays a list of items from which to update a field, and also permits direct text entry like a standard data-aware edit box.
TDBCheckBox	Displays a check box that indicates the value of a Boolean field.
TDBRadioGroup	Displays a set of mutually exclusive options for a field.
TDBLookupListBox	Displays a list of items looked up from another dataset based on the value of a field.
TDBLookupComboBox	Displays a list of items looked up from another dataset based on the value of a field, and also permits direct text entry like a standard data-aware edit box.
TDBCtrlGrid	Displays a configurable, repeating set of data-aware controls within a grid.
TDBRichEdit	Displays formatted data from a field in an edit box.

Data controls are data-aware at design time. When you associate the data control with an active dataset while building an application, you can immediately see live data in the control. You can use the Fields editor to scroll through a dataset at design time to verify that your application displays data correctly without having to compile and run the application. For more information about the Fields editor, see Creating Persistent Fields.

At runtime, data controls display data and, if your application, the control, and the dataset all permit it, a user can edit data through the control.