Sort Order (direction) info?

[peterg000]

when the behavior for a browse is set to sort on the title when clicked ... behind the scenes alpha does a quick_sort ... current_order_expn() only picks up the sort field and not the direction(ascending or descending). Is there an alpha function/method that provides the direction info. Interesting enough, that if you look at the browse object title, it show {sort_order} defined in the title ... so im assuming alpha knows the sort order somewhere .. unfortunately {sort_order} can only be used in xdialog ... is there anything in xbasic?

Thanks!!

Glenn

[MoGrace]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Hi Glenn,
I use this UDF:

FUNCTION Sort_Embrws AS V (objectname AS C )
'DESCRIPTION: use in Browse Events for objectname_TitleClick function
dim shared sort_ord as c
col_act = this.active(.t.)
' ":EE_List:BROWSE1"
brws_nme = word(col_act,3,":")
' "BROWSE1"
' toggles sort_ord = objectname + 'a' or 'd'
if sort_ord <> objectname+"a" then
evaluate_template("topparent:"+brws_nme+".quicksortexplicit(""+objectname+"","A")")
sort_ord = objectname+"a"
else
evaluate_template("topparent:"+brws_nme+".quicksortexplicit(""+objectname+"","D")")
sort_ord = objectname+"d"
end if
END FUNCTION
' use in Browse Events for objectname_TitleClick function when you want the
'columns to sort but also have an event for the column rows in which case
'set browse property for columns as "Event" instead of "Sort"
'use the name you gave the Column Title - not the object name for the field.

[MoGrace]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

This is the event that is added to Events by Alpha: Note that the bound field is TERMDATE but my column title is "Term Date" so the underscore is added.

FUNCTION Term_Date_TitleClick AS V (  )
'DESCRIPTION: If the browse click behavior is set to call a user defined event, this method is called when the title row of the browse is clicked.
Sort_Embrws("Term_Date")
END FUNCTION

[peterg000]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Robin,

Thanks you for a very cool technique .... the problem is, once you use the event for the title click to write code, the directional arrow that is maintained in the title goes away. That visual is kinda important to the end user.

Glenn

[MoGrace]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Hi GLENN (sorry about that...),

Have you looked at the XML definition of the browse? Or is this an embedded browse on a form?

If I edit my UDF, I think I can get it to return the direction selected: 'A' or 'D' - is that what you want?

If the action is changed from sort to event and you have added your own images for the browse, then Sort Order Icon will not be used (?) - which I think is some sort of internal function and not an actual icon, but I am probably wrong...

I'm going to try it...

[peterg000]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Right ..... if event not sort, the directional icon doesnt get used. I did look at the browse object quickly to see if I could throw the {sort_order} back in it, but it was there, just wasnt being displayed when using event. I was kinda hoping since Alpha can get the direction so easily with {sort_order}, there might have been some way of getting it in xbasic. One of those things that make you just scratch your head .. :)

I have a form with embedded browse ... in that browse, user can sort any title. On the form there is a button, to run report .... the report is to print off what is in the browse, its current filter and its current order ... the code for the button uses current_order_expn() to set the order for the report, but it doesnt pick up the direction. I was hoping to have a way to query the current direction and then in the code to run report, i could apply invert() to the current order if the browse was in descending order.

[MoGrace]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Well if you are going to let the user sort the browse then he must suffer his report in that order - no? Otherwise he will have to cancel and resort again.

Makes sense to me. Sometimes you just gotta let users learn by themselves!

Since this is an embedded browse, I changed my UDF to return the column_title name + 'a' or 'd' - would that help?

[peterg000]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

I do want the report to sort according to sort selected in the browse .... but cant because i dont have sort direction info. So user thinks they are clicking the column to sort data in descending order and then when they run report, it comes back in in ascending because current_order_expn doesn't pick up direction or sort .... this could be confusing. I may have to completely control the code and the status by using your method, but i wouldn't use quick_sort .... i would do a query with invert(). This would allow current_order_expn() to report on the true order of things. It seems Alpha always gives me the taste of a simpler way .... but when it comes down to it, have to write the long code anyway .... :)

To be honest, this could be considered a bug ..... current_order_expn() should know when the data is in descending order and modify the expression to include invert() for descending order. Oh well .......

Thanks for your help and the ideas Robin ......

Glenn

[MoGrace]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

I usually have 2 versions of common reports. One I call Quick_reportname gets the filter from the current selected record on a form. The other is more 'generic' in that no filter or order is defined in the report at all. This allows me to call the report and add what ever filter or order I need. So if you are calling this generic report with an order expression of 'current_order_expression()' and a filter of 'current_filter_expression(), it should give you what the form is displaying (assuming of course we are speaking of the same table and set...)

Is this what you are doing?

report.preview(reportname,"current_filter_expression()",current_order_expression()")

[peterg000]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Robin,

Pretty much ... except the functions are current_filter_expn() and current_order_expn() ... and everything would be great if current_order_expn() would recognize the quick sort direction, but it doesnt. example ... you have an embedded browse with a field call cdate .... you click on cdate and it orders it in ascending order ... if you pass current_order_expn() to the button to run report current_order_expn() would give you "cdate" ... all is good. if you click on the title for cdate again, now it is sorted in descending order .... current_order_expn() would still pass "cdate" because it doesnt recognize the quick sort direction of descending .... why?? ... couldnt tell you. Thats why im almost thinking this is a bug.

[MoGrace]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

I take it the form is based on a set then? Because if it is based on one table the topparent pointer should show the current sort.

You could always do the button trick in place of browse column titles. Each button would toggle the sort you want and capture the sort order into a shared variable. More trouble to design but definitely gives you more options using a button. You can even toggle the bitmap displayed.

(sorry about the syntax errors - I didn't look up the actual function names)

[peterg000]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Nope .... single table. quick sort for some reason does not update current_order_expn() with the sort direction. I will probably use event and control the status and the order using query rather than the quick sort. Hey, at least i'm getting more practice coding ... :)

[MoGrace]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

I just did a quick filter on a one table form w/ embedded browse and used the file menu to preview the form as a report. Which of course worked fine. Are you using the AS genie? Something is definitely askew here.

[peterg000]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Robin,

If you just creates quick form with embedded browse ... set the click behavior for the browse to sort (in browse properties) ... put a button on the form to open debug ..

Then load form .... click on title to sort ascending .... click debug button ... type debug expression current_order_expn() .... then do the same after clicking on title again (descending) .... you will see that order expression stays just the field (which defaults to ascending) .... current_order_expn() never gets the direction for descending (which would have to be converted to invert() to be saved as an expression .....

[peterg000]

Re: Sort Order (direction) info?

Robin,

Ran through the same test you did, but when i clicked on title to put it in descending order the report printed, but still in ascending sort order ... I looked at the code it generated it it to is using the current_order_expn() which never seams to pick up the descending order .... hmmmmmmm