A few weeks ago I asked for recommendations on custom string grid components for Borland C++Builder 5.0. I investigated a lot of grids and decided on the AdvStringGrid from TMS Software and I wanted to tell the list why. The AdvStringGrid is actively being developed by TMS while many of the other grids have not been updated for a long time. The AdvStringGrid has built in functions for saving grid contents to file and loading the file back into the grid and also has OLE drag and drop features. Having these features built into the grid has saved me a huge amount of programming hours. It also has a large list of other features which may save me just as much time later. So make sure you evaluate this grid before you purchase an extra grid component.
- Patrick via Borland's C++Builder third party products newsgroup
TMS Aurelius is really some awesome piece of technology that has been missing from Delphi for years. REALLY good framework that is well thought-through. Believe me, I have had my look at a fair number of ORMs.
- Holger Flick
Another vote for Flexcel here, since the rewritten and updated Flexcel came out a year or two ago, I only use that. Mostly I use it to read XLS and XLSX files, which it does much faster and more flexibly than Excel automation, in my experience. If you also need to write XLS and XLSX files (which I do occasionally) Flexcel has the most amazing utility named 'ApiMate'. You can design your output report in Excel, including only a minimum of actual data, but with all the detailed formatting, headings, and column, row and cell properties you need. Then point ApiMate at the Excel file, and it generates a Delphi program to write the entire XLS file using the Flexcel API, with all the attributes matching those you created in Excel itself. It is then the work of a few moments to adapt the ApiMate-created functions to handle your real data. Magic! Flexcel support is prompt and helpful, too.
- Tim Frost
We have built several windows (both .NET and Delphi) solutions using FlexCel and we have experienced the good evolution of the product. We like it mainly for the three following reasons: Value for the money: There is no need for any other component to have a full reporting solution. Performance: From the real experience we have performed, FlexCel is very well engineered and the performance you can obtain with it is impressive! The source code is available, and it's very important if you are involved in the development of competitive solutions and products.
- Luis del Ser
In case it helps anybody, the component I found is TAdvStringGrid. It does all I wanted and much more. I was getting useful results within 2 hours of downloading it. Some of the additional features I hadn't thought of but have used anyway. The application has a significantly improved interface inside 1 day.