How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

[Davidk]

I understand the checkboxFilter, and I almost understand the statement below, but not really.

'e.checkboxFilterArgumentXML - (for SQL Grids only) if the Grid is based on SQL tables, the e.checkboxFilter property will use arguments (e.g. customerID = :pkValue1)
' - this property contains the XML version of the arguments

Using Debug I can see that checkboxFilterArgumentXML contains data from the checked rows... but how / when would you use it? There's no other reference to this property here in the forum and nothing in help and the videos don't detail it. Anyone use it?

[Steve Workings]

Re: How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

I use it quite a bit. I wish I could show you a picture but confidentiality rules for now. Anyway, I present a large list of items for selection by checkbox -- sometimes anywhere from 2 to 500 items. I need to enter a record for each item checked. So I'm displaying the Item name, but returning the Item_ID, and I can find my entire list of checked Item_IDs in the value. Here's a snippet that you may find helpful:

Items = extract_all_strings(e.checkboxFilterArgumentXML,"<Data Type=\"C\">","</Data>",crlf(),.f.)
Items = word_unique(Items) 

sqlInsertStatement = <<%txt%
INSERT INTO Order_Items (Order_ID, Item_ID) VALUES (:Order_ID, :Item_ID)
%txt%

' Iterate through list, creating records:
for each line in Items
	args.add("Item_ID",line.value)
	flag = cn.Execute(sqlInsertStatement,args)
next

Does that help?

[Davidk]

Re: How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

Absolutely... thanks Steve. I hadn't considered parsing through that string yet... didn't occur to me. I thought there might be something else out there I didn't know about. That works beautifully.

[frankbicknell]

Re: How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

Thanks for bringing this to light. I think I will find many uses for this procedure.

I have just one question.
Wouldn't args.set be more appropriate here?

for each line in Items
args.add("Item_ID",line.value)
flag = cn.Execute(sqlInsertStatement,args)
next

[Steve Workings]

Re: How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

You're correct Frank. I noticed that when I posted it. Both work -- I'm not enough of a SQL expert to know if there's any real disadvantage to what I did in this snippet, however.

[Davidk]

Re: How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

I'm not either, but at first blush it looks like either will do the basic job. .set() does a bit more, if you want it to, for usage. Found this in the wiki...

http://wiki.alphasoftware.com/SQL+Arguments+Object

[frankbicknell]

Re: How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

I'm not sure either. It seems to me that add would first have to destroy the argument if it exists then create a new argument whereas set would just change the value. But what does 'optionally the usage' mean?

from the wiki
::Set Sets or adds an argument value and optionally the usage.

[Davidk]

Re: How would I use checkboxFilterArgumentXML?

This is what it is... but I've little idea what it does.

SQL::ArgumentUsage Enumerated Type

This is an enumerated type with one of the values below.

InputArgument : Data value must be set before calling.

InputOutputArgument : Data value must be set before calling.

OutputArgument : Value is irrelevant, but must be set to determine the type before calling.