Can't get session variable to increment

[Jay Talbott]

I have a need to get a session variable to auto-increment each time a grid is submitted, and then have that value set as the default value of a specific field.
I can get the initial record value set correctly, but subsequent records in the grid will not auto-increment.
I have to "roll-my-own" auto-increment for specific reasons, and I am getting the starting value from a value in a table. When the record is saved, the next value is written back to the table, and that does work. If I open and close the grid (or re-load the web page), the session variable re-populates from the table, but if I create a new record immediately after creating a record, the session variable will not update the value for the new record. The issue I cannot achieve is to get the session variable to increment immediately and place the new value into the field when another value is a new record is created.

I have tried the following code on the CanInsertRecord event on the grid:

function CanInsertRecord as v (DataSubmitted as P, Args as p, PageVariables as p, Result as p)
with PageVariables
Result.Cancel = .f.
Result.ErrorHTML = ""
end with

dim t as p
dim session.next_number as c

t = table.open("seq_cit_no")
t.fetch_first()
t.change_begin()
vc_next_number = increment_value(t.Next_number)
t.Next_number= vc_next_number
t.change_end()
t.close()

delete session.next_number
end function

As you can see, I tried deleting the variable and then I re-create it on the OnGridInitialize event.

Any thoughts?

[Jay Talbott]

Re: Can't get session variable to increment

Just as an update, I have tried many of the server site events, but still cannot get this to work.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Jay

[Steve Workings]

Re: Can't get session variable to increment

Jay -

I see that you're dimming session.next_number in your code.

But I don't see it in play below that -- you're making references to vc_next_number but never assigning one variable's value to another.

Wouldn't you need something like:

session.next_number = vc_next_number and then, of course, not delete session.next_number ?

[Jay Talbott]

Re: Can't get session variable to increment

Thanks for responding, Steve.

I have gotten this so messed up by trying so many different ways, that I should probably just delete all of the event scripts and start over.
Essentially what I am trying to do is allow different users to each have their own auto-increment series. I am doing that by storing a value in a table in a record which has the "next value" and the user id. I don't have a problem when a user opens the grid, creates a record, and closes the grid. The "next value" in the table is updated properly, and when the grid is re-opened, the appropriate "next value" goes into the record.

The problem occurs when a user puts multiple records in the grid at once. The "next value" is getting written to the table, but is not appearing in the grid. The grid retains the original value, but does not increment. I thought it would be easy to advance the session.next_number but it is not incrementing.

I have the "Initial Value" field in the grid set to session.next_number, which works well the first time, but does not advance for the second and subsequent records.

I guess I am confused about which event to use and what xbasic to use to get the session.next_number to increment so that the value on the grid will be correct.

Thanks for the help.
Jay

[Steve Workings]

Re: Can't get session variable to increment

I haven't tried your code, but two things:

1. I think you inserted your code in the wrong place it needs to before the end with.

2. Try assigning session.next_number = vc_next_number at the end rather than deleting the session variable.

[Jay Talbott]

Re: Can't get session variable to increment

Steve,
Thanks. I tried both of your suggestions, but while using the debug during the Working Preview, the session variable seems to disappear after each of the events. Because the a5w page is static, when I put the variable to display on the page, it stays constant, which does not surprise me. But when I hit the submit button, I see the value in the underlying table changes, but as the new record appears, the value in the grid is not updated

This is on the OnGridInitialize event:

function OnGridInitialize as v (e as p)
dim t as p
dim e.rv.session.next_number as c
t = table.open("seq_cit_no")
t.fetch_first()
e.rv.session.next_number = t.Next_number
'e.newValues.citationno = t.next_number
t.close()
end function

This is on the CanInsertRecord event:

function CanInsertRecord as v (DataSubmitted as P, Args as p, PageVariables as p, Result as p)
with PageVariables
Result.Cancel = .f.
Result.ErrorHTML = ""

dim t as p
dim session.next_number as c

t = table.open("seq_cit_no")
t.fetch_first()
t.change_begin()
vc_next_number = increment_value(t.Next_number)
t.Next_number= vc_next_number
t.change_end()
t.close()

end with
end function

And I have the Initial value of the field in question set as session.next_number

What the heck am I doing wrong?
Thanks.
Jay

[parri2bd]

Re: Can't get session variable to increment

Jay-

Does anyone know what the A5 page life cycle is? That determines a lot about this whole situation is going and could help you out. In ASP the postback changes are not always rendered until the next postback if there is one because the values are not always being set correctly.

So this might seem like a dumb question but is this Grid being Reinitialized everytime the page loads during the init sequence of the page load? I couldn't imagine that you would be able to set session variables if there were being re-dimmed on every page load.

[parri2bd]

Re: Can't get session variable to increment

Jay -

After processing some debug(1) statements, the session variable persist through the initial page load. The page life cycle starts out with an OnGridExecute event before the OnGridInitialize event. So when the page is initially loaded the session variable is loaded, but as soon as you fire off an event OnGridExecute is called again.

For whatever reason the Session variable that you initialize in the OnGridInitialize event is not being persisted to the next postback.

The weird part is that if you change the text in a field on the grid a new callback is fired off. Which means that it is automatically firing off an OnTextChanged event to change the grid looks with the submit button and save buttons being activated. The OnTextChanged event does not get fired off for new record rows.

When you figure out the solution I would like to know to see how A5 is handling there page cycle.