SAS/AF Software: Class Dictionary

Overview

The GET_DATA Data Vector class is part of a collection of classes that combine to create the Data Form and Data Table classes. These classes work together to enable you to

view and edit SAS data files
customize the functionality of these classes for your own application development needs.

Before you customize the functionality of these classes, you should understand the structure of these classes and how they communicate.

Most users of the Data Table and Data Form classes need not be concerned with the GET_DATA Data Vector class. In the Data Table and Data Form classes, the GET_DATA Data Vector class is used internally.

The GET_DATA Data Vector class is used for communication between models and viewers in the Data Form and Data Table classes. The GET_DATA Data Vector class is useful if you want to do either of the following:

call certain methods of your own instance of the model class directly
make your own subclass of either the model or the viewer class that calls or overrides certain model methods.

The model methods that use the GET_DATA Data Vector class are

_getData
_setData

The _getData and _setData methods are methods of the Form Data Model class (see the Form Data Model class). The model subclasses of the Form Data Model class, such as the Data Set Data Model class, override these methods to provide functionality specific for their model. Because every model class should be a subclass of the Form Data Model class, the GET_DATA Data Vector class is used by all models' _getData and _setData methods.

Note that the GET_DATA Data Vector class deals with the row or column data themselves rather than the information about the rows or columns. The Row/Column Data Vector class, on the other hand, deals with information about the rows and columns (see the Row/Column Data Vector class). In the table editor, most items set in the GET_DATA Data Vector class are interpreted as cell information. In the form editor, most items set in the Row/Column Data Vector class are interpreted as the data field information.

The GET_DATA Data Vector class is used in conjunction with a data model to send and receive information about the way data are configured. For example, the Data Set Data Model class uses an instance of the GET_DATA Data Vector class in its _getData method to fill in values for the viewer and in its _setData method to set values for the viewer.

The _getData method of the model takes an instance of a GET_DATA Data Vector class as an argument. When the model is called, the viewer is responsible for creating that instance of the GET_DATA Data Vector class. The model _getData method then fills in the elements of the GET_DATA Data Vector class passed to it. When control returns to the viewer, the viewer queries the elements set in the instance passed to the model.

Similarly, the _setData method of the model takes an instance of the GET_DATA Data Vector class as an argument. When the model is called with the _setData method, the viewer is responsible for creating that instance of the GET_DATA Data Vector class. In the _setData method call, the viewer is responsible for filling in the elements of the GET_DATA data vector that it expects to be set in the model. The model then queries the elements set in the GET_DATA data vector it receives and sets values accordingly.

Parent:: sashelp.fsp.object.class
Class:: Sashelp.fsp.GDDVec.class

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