HOWTO: Use the ADO SHAPE Command
ID: Q189657
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The information in this article applies to:
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ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), versions 2.0, 2.1 SP2
SUMMARY
This article describes the ADO SHAPE command syntax for producing
hierarchical recordsets, and explains how to traverse hierarchical
recordsets. VBA sample code is also provided.
MORE INFORMATION
You can use hierarchical recordsets as an alternative to JOIN and GROUP BY
syntax when you need to access parent-child and summary data.
Hierarchical recordsets are used in many products: Xbase products use the
SET RELATION command, Access uses "Segmented Virtual Tables" internally for
reports with grouping levels, and so forth. Hierarchies give you the
ability to build one or several recordsets, define groupings, and specify
aggregate calculations over child recordsets. Although you could implement
similar functionality through code, this functionality shifts much of the
mundane work from the developer to the system.
Hierarchical recordsets are available through the MSDataShape provider,
which is implemented by the client cursor engine.
Hierarchical recordsets differ from SQL JOIN and GROUP BY statements in that with a JOIN, both the parent table fields and child table fields are represented in the same recordset. With a hierarchical recordset, the recordset contains only fields from the parent table. In addition, the recordset contains an extra field that represents the related child data,which you can assign to a second recordset variable and traverse.
When you are performing aggregate functions using GROUP BY and aggregate operators, only aggregate values appear in the recordset. With hierarchical recordsets, the aggregate values are represented in the parent recordset and the detail records are in the child recordset.
You can create three types of shapes, and each type has its own strengths
and weaknesses. You need to choose the mechanism that best fits the needs
of your application and the environment you will be running your
application in. The types of SHAPE are as follows:
- Relation Based
- Parameter Based
- Group Based
The first two are similar in that they produce a hierarchy that would
otherwise be represented by a SQL JOIN statement. They differ in that all the parent and child records are read into a local cache before any processing continues in the relation-based hierarchy. This type of
hierarchy has a high initial overhead when retrieving the records, but the
overhead is low after the initial retrieval.
Initially, parameter-based hierarchies only read the parent records and
fetch the child records on demand. Though the initial overhead is reduced,
you must issue a new child query for each parent record that is accessed,
and you must maintain the connection to the datasource for as long as the
recordset is open.
The group-based hierarchy is equivalent to producing an aggregate SQL
statement joined to a detail SQL statement or performing aggregate
functions on non-normalized data. You cannot update the summary columns and
calculated columns because they might be derived from more than one record.
Like relation-based hierarchies, all records must be read up front.
Hierarchical recordsets are made available by the SHAPE clause. Simplified syntax is provided first, then examples with diagrams. Because the SHAPE syntax can get quite complex, the formal grammar for the SHAPE clause is provided at the end of the article to allow you to extend the examples. You can also use the program at the end of this article to test your own SHAPE statements. The examples use tables from the Northwind sample database.
Simplified Syntax
SHAPE {parent-statement}
APPEND Aggregate
| ({child-statement} [As Alias]
RELATE parent-field TO child-field | parameter-marker
[, parent-field TO child-field | parameter-marker ...])
[, Aggregate | ({child statement})...]
SHAPE {non-normalized-statement} [AS Alias]
COMPUTE Aggregate
| Alias
| ({child-statement} [As Alias] RELATE parent-field TO
child-field | parameter-marker)
[, Aggregate | Alias | ({child-statement}...)]
[BY grouping-field [, grouping-field]]
SHAPE {non-normalized-statement} [AS Alias]
BY grouping-field [, grouping-field]
NOTES:
- If you select identically named fields from different tables, you might need to alias them to ensure that the SHAPE parser works.
- The SHAPE APPEND functions similarly to an OUTER JOIN in that a parent record is returned, even if no child records exist for it.
- Aggregates can only operate on fields in the immediate children of the recordset. To operate on fields in grandchildren, and so forth, you must produce intermediate aggregates. See the Group Hierarchy with Aggregate example at the end of this article for an illustration.
- If you use an aggregate function with the SHAPE APPEND syntax, the aggregate value will occupy a field appended to the parent resultset, which also contains the fields from the parent statement. In contrast, the SHAPE COMPUTE and SHAPE BY create a new parent level for the aggregates and the non-normalized-statement becomes the child recordset.
- The SHAPE provider requires that you include Alias for the non-normalized-statement in COMPUTE clause when using SHAPE COMPUTE. Failure to do so results in a message that the functionality is not supported, even though it doesn't result in a syntax error.
Examples
Simple Relation Hierarchy:
SHAPE {select * from customers}
APPEND ({select * from orders} AS rsOrders
RELATE customerid TO customerid)
which yields:
Customers.*
rsOrders
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+----Orders.*
In the previous diagram, the parent recordset contains all fields from the
Customers table and a field called rsOrders. rsOrders provides a reference
to the child recordset, and contains all the fields from the Orders table.
The other examples use a similar notation.
Parameterized Hierarchy:
SHAPE {select * from customers}
APPEND ({select * from orders where customerid = ?} AS rsOrders
RELATE customerid TO PARAMETER 0)
This results in the same hierarchy as the simple relation hierarchy.
Compound Relation Hierarchy:
This sample illustrates a three-level hierarchy of customers, orders, and
order details:
SHAPE {SELECT * from customers}
APPEND ((SHAPE {select * from orders}
APPEND ({select * from [order details]} AS rsDetails
RELATE orderid TO orderid)) AS rsOrders
RELATE customerid TO customerid)
which yields:
Customers.*
rsOrders
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+----Orders.*
rsDetails
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+----[Order Details].*
Multiple Relation Hierarchy:
This sample illustrates a hierarchy involving a parent recordset and two
child recordsets, one of which is parameterized:
SHAPE {SELECT * FROM customers}
APPEND ({SELECT *
FROM orders
WHERE orderdate < #1/1/1998# AND customerid = ?}
RELATE customerid TO PARAMETER 0) AS rsOldOrders,
({SELECT *
FROM orders
WHERE orderdate >= #1/1/1998#}
RELATE customerid TO customerid) AS rsRecentOrders
which yields:
Customers.*
rsOldOrders
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+----Orders.*
rsRecentOrders
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+----Orders.*
Hierarchy with Aggregate:
SHAPE (select * from orders}
APPEND ({select od.orderid, od.UnitPrice * od.quantity as ExtendedPrice
from [order details] As od}
RELATE orderid TO orderid) As rsDetails,
SUM(ExtendedPrice) AS OrderTotal
which yields:
Orders.*
rsDetails
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+----orderid
ExtendedPrice
OrderTotal
Group Hierarchy:
SHAPE {select customers.customerid AS cust_id, orders.*
from customers inner join orders
on customers.customerid = orders.customerid} AS rsOrders
COMPUTE rsOrders BY cust_id
which yields:
rsOrders
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+----cust_id
Orders.*
cust_id
Group Hierarchy with Aggregate:
NOTE: The inner SHAPE clause in this example is identical to the statement used in the Hierarchy with Aggregate example.
SHAPE
(SHAPE {select customers.*, orders.orderid, orders.orderdate
from customers inner join orders
on customers.customerid = orders.customerid}
APPEND ({select od.orderid,
od.unitprice * od.quantity as ExtendedPrice
from [order details] as od} AS rsDetails
RELATE orderid TO orderid),
SUM(rsDetails.ExtendedPrice) AS OrderTotal) AS rsOrders
COMPUTE rsOrders,
SUM(rsOrders.OrderTotal) AS CustTotal,
ANY(rsOrders.contactname) AS Contact
BY customerid
which yields:
rsOrders
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+----Customers.*
orderid
orderdate
rsDetails
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+----orderid
ExtendedPrice
OrderTotal
CustomerTotal
Contact
customerid
Multiple Groupings:
SHAPE
(SHAPE {select customers.*,
od.unitprice * od.quantity as ExtendedPrice
from (customers inner join orders
on customers.customerid = orders.customerid) inner join
[order details] as od on orders.orderid = od.orderid}
AS rsDetail
COMPUTE ANY(rsDetail.contactname) AS Contact,
ANY(rsDetail.region) AS Region,
SUM(rsDetail.ExtendedPrice) AS CustTotal,
rsDetail
BY customerid) AS rsCustSummary
COMPUTE rsCustSummary
BY Region
which yields:
rsCustSummary
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+-----Contact
Region
CustTotal
rsDetail
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+----Customers.*
ExtendedPrice
customerid
Region
Grand Total:
SHAPE
(SHAPE {select customers.*,
od.unitprice * od.quantity as ExtendedPrice
from (customers inner join orders
on customers.customerid = orders.customerid) inner join
[order details] as od on orders.orderid = od.orderid}
AS rsDetail
COMPUTE ANY(rsDetail.contactname) AS Contact,
SUM(rsDetail.ExtendedPrice) AS CustTotal,
rsDetail
BY customerid) AS rsCustSummary
COMPUTE SUM(rsCustSummary.CustTotal) As GrandTotal,
rsCustSummary
Note the missing BY clause in the outer summary. This defines the Grand
Total because the parent rowset contains a single record with the grand
total and a pointer to the child recordset.
GrandTotal
rsCustSummary
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+-----Contact
CustTotal
rsDetail
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+----Customers.*
ExtendedPrice
customerid
Complex Hierarchy:
This example illustrates a hierarchy that contains one parent rowset, two
child rowsets, one of which is parameterized, and a group detail.
SHAPE {select customers.* from customers} AS rsDetail
COMPUTE rsDetail,
ANY(rsDetail.companyname) AS Company,
({select * from orders where customerid = ?}
RELATE customerid TO PARAMETER 0) AS rsOrders,
COUNT(rsOrders.orderid) AS OrderCount
BY customerid
which yields:
rsDetail
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+----Customers.*
Company
rsOrders
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+----Orders.*
OrderCount
customerid
Grouped Parent Related to Grouped Child:
SHAPE
(SHAPE {select * from customers}
APPEND ((SHAPE {select orders.*, year(orderdate) as OrderYear,
month(orderdate) as OrderMonth
from orders} AS rsOrders
COMPUTE rsOrders
BY customerid, OrderYear, OrderMonth)
RELATE customerid TO customerid) AS rsOrdByMonth )
AS rsCustomers
COMPUTE rsCustomers
BY region
which yields:
rsCustomers
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+-----customers.*
rsOrdByMonth
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+-----rsOrders
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+---- Orders.*
customerid
OrderYear
OrderMonth
region
SHAPE Clause Formal Grammar
<shape-command> ::= SHAPE <table-exp> [AS <alias>]
[<shape_action>]
<shape-action> ::= APPEND <aliased-field-list>
| COMPUTE <aliased-field-list>
[BY <field-list>]
| BY <field-list>
<table-exp> ::= {<native-sql-statement>}
| ( <shape-command> )
<aliased-field-list> ::= <aliased-field> [, <aliased-field...]
<aliased-field> ::= <field-exp> [AS <alias>]
<field-exp> ::= ( <relation-exp> ) | <calculated-exp>
<relation_exp> ::= <table-exp> [AS <alias>] RELATE
<relation-cond-list>
<relation-cond-list> ::= <relation-cond> [, <relation-cond>...]
<relation-cond> ::= <field-name> TO <child-ref>
<child-ref> ::= <field-name> | PARAMETER <param-ref>
<param-ref> ::= <name> | <number>
<field-list> ::= <field-name [, <filed-name>]
<calculated-exp> ::= SUM (<qualified-field-name>)
| AVG (<qualified-field-name>)
| MIN (<qualified-field-name>)
| MAX (<qualified-field-name>)
| COUNT (<alias>)
| SDEV (<qualified-field-name>)
| ANY (<qualified-field-name>)
| CALC (<expression>)
<qualified-field-name>::= <alias>.<field-name> | <field-name>
<alias> ::= <quoted-name>
<field-name> ::= <quoted-name>
<quoted-name> ::= "<string>" | '<string>' | <name>
<name> ::= alpha [ alpha | digit | _ | # ...]
<number> ::= digit [digit...]
<string> ::= unicode-char [unicode-char...]
<expression> ::= an expression recognized by the Jet
Expression service whose operands are
other non-CALC columns in the same row.
VBA SHAPE Test Program
The following VBA program code enables you type in your own SHAPE command and display the field hierarchy or indicate the location of the syntax
error.
WARNING: USE THE CODE PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Microsoft provides this code "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of
merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.
- In the ODBC Administrator of the Control Panel add a DSN for the
Microsoft Access 97 ODBC driver called OLE_DB_NWIND_JET pointing to the Northwind (or NWIND) database.
- Create a new project. Add two text boxes (Text1, and Text2) and a command button (Command1).
- Make both textboxes large enough to display several lines of text and set the following properties:
Multiline: True (Visual Basic only)
Scrollbars: Vertical
Font: Courier New 10 Point
- On the Project menu, choose References and add a reference to Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects Library.
- Add the following code:
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim cn As ADODB.Connection, rs As ADODB.Recordset
Me!Text2.Text = ""
Set cn = New ADODB.Connection
Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset
cn.Provider = "MSDataShape"
cn.Open "dsn=OLE_DB_NWIND_JET"
On Error Resume Next
rs.Open Me!Text1.Text, cn, adOpenStatic, adLockReadOnly, adCmdText
If Err Then MsgBox Error
ListChapteredFields rs, 0
rs.Close
cn.Close
Set rs = Nothing
Set cn = Nothing
End Sub
Private Sub LogText(ByVal sLine As String)
If Me!Text2.Text = "" Then
Me!Text2.Text = sLine
Else
Me!Text2.Text = Me!Text2.Text & vbCrLf & sLine
End If
End Sub
Private Sub ListChapteredFields(ByVal rs As ADODB.Recordset, _
ByVal Level As Long)
Dim I As Long
For I = 0 To rs.Fields.Count - 1
LogText Space$(Level * 3) & rs(I).Name
If rs(I).Type = adChapter Then
ListChapteredFields rs(I).Value, Level + 1
End If
Next I
End Sub
- Run the project. Type the SHAPE command into Text1, click the command button, and the hierarchy appears in Text2.
NOTE: The following text provides an example of using the Microsoft Jet OLEDB provider with the SHAPE provider:
cn.Provider = "MSDataShape"
cn.Open "Data Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0"
NOTE: If you misspell field or table names when using the Access 97 ODBC driver or JOLT providers, you will receive the following message:
Too few parameters. Expected n.
Other providers might produce a different message.
REFERENCES
ADO 2.0 Hierarchical Cursor Specification
For additional information about SHAPE APPEND syntax and how to traverse hierarchical recordsets, please see the following
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q185425 ADO Hierarchical Recordsets via SHAPE APPEND via C++/VBA/Java
© Microsoft Corporation 1998, All Rights Reserved.
Contributions by Malcolm Stewart, Microsoft Corporation
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Version : WINDOWS:2.0,2.1 SP2
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto