Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

[Peter.Greulich]

Here is the grid scenario:

OnGridInitialize event set a session variable: e.rv.session.test = "abc"

In a field's "validation xbasic" function put: debug(1)

In working preview insert or modify and submit a record, and examine the contents of the e object. There is no session.test variable available.

Why?

[Jay Talbott]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Peter,
I tried your example, and put this in the validation Xbasic:

function validate_FIRSTNAME as p (e as p)
'Sample validation function.
'Data for the current row is available in 'e.data'. For example, e.data.firstname, e.data.lastname
if e.data.FIRSTNAME = "bill" then
validate_FIRSTNAME.hasError = .t.
validate_FIRSTNAME.errorText = "FIRSTNAME cannot be Bill."+e.rv.session.test


end if
end function

And it worked. The error message said:

FIRSTNAME cannot be Bill."abc

You are correct about it not showing up in the Debugger.
Jay

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Hhmmm...you're right it does work. It's just that you can't see the session var in the debugger. Well that's a fine how to do. Thanks Jay!

[ids-dave]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Taking this a setup further, I found this only works if you declare the session variable from within the same component, as in the earlier examples that are using the OnGridInitialize event.

While this does work, it doesn't fit the needs of most applications or the intended value of session variables in being able to declare them once and then share them across grids. In most cases, we/I want to be able to use a session variable that has been declared elsewhere in my application and reference it again and again on other grids/pages. I cannot find a way to use a session variable declared in a different component and make it work in the Xbasic Validation function.

The only work around I can make work is to declare the original session variable into a new session variable from the OnGridInitialize event and then use the new session variable in the Xbasic Validation, but you cannot use the original session variable.

I proved this to myself by first setting up a grid using the example above and it worked as prescribed. But I need to use a session variable that is declared in a different component, and when I changed this example to use that variable, it fails. I found if I set the original session variable to a different name in the OnGridInitialize event, I can then use that 2nd copy of the session variable in the Xbasic Validation function

Iv'e been struggling with this for a while and really appreciate Peter and Jay looking into this. I never would have thought to declare a 2nd named copy of a session variable to make it available in the Xbasic Validation function. This seems to be an oddity to me that really tripped me up until todays lightbulbs went off thanks to Peter and Jay

To recap, this is what I found to get a "real life" session variable to work with the Xbasic Validation feature
1) Working Preview will not work if there are any session variables referenced in the Xbasic Validation feature
2) If you need to reference a session variable that was declared in a different component/grid event, you need to
a.) declare a 2nd copy of the session variable in the grid your working with (OnGridIntialize is a good place)
b.) use the 2nd copy of the session variable in the Xbasic Validation code

[RichCPT]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Peter, I'm glad your post generated some discussion. I posted similar question last Friday, but had no replies.

To All,
Here is something that might be of interest:
In Working Preview mode try using OnGridExecute event instead of OnGridInitialize. And include the "shared" and "default" attributes on the "dim" statement and drop the "e.rv" when using Working Preview mode:

function OnGridExecute as v (e as p)
dim shared session.test as C = default ""
end function

My gird is not editable. So for my test, I placed a button on the grid with an ajax callback to a function coded as:

function dbgShowVar as c (e as p)
dbgShowVar = "alert('You submitted a value of: " + js_escape(e._currentRowDataNew.dsSetName) + "---" + session.test + "');"
session.test = session.test + ", ABC"
end function

I appended another ", ABC" to the session var at the end of the function to prove the session var hangs around between callbacks instead of getting lost.

The above does not work when running the app for real as the "e.rv.session" and "e.session" vars are expected to be used in that case as answered in the thread.

I still find it hard to believe there is not more discussion here on how to get a solution that works for both web mode and Working Preview mode.

I am going to try a temporary pointer and setting it to either "e.rv.session / e.session" or "session" and using the WITH / END WITH structure to get the code to work. I just need a reliable way to know which mode the app is running in. Also, depending on how the session variable is to be used, it can be useful to put something like "delete e.rv.session.test" in the OnGridInitialize. It deletes any existing var of that name when running in web mode and is benign in Working Preview mode.

Does Alpha Five Version 11 fix this discrepancy in coding between real web and Working Preview mode?

- Rich Fulham

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Actually this does work, you just have to run it in localhost. You won't get the results in live preview because session vars aren't shared. I just did an experiment using Alpha Sports where I set a session var in an a5w page, and then ran a grid with xbasic validation which properly trapped the session var.

[ids-dave]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Peter, I found the same results you're sharing - it works when published to my local host and also my production VPS (at godaddy).
Question, when you say "set a session var in an a5w page"... is that the same page the grid is inserted?

BTW - I also used Firebug and couldn't see the session variables much the same as seen (rather not seen) when using debug(1)

Thanks, Dave

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Question, when you say "set a session var in an a5w page"... is that the same page the grid is inserted?

No. Different page.

[ids-dave]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

Peter
Okay - I opened mouth and inserted foot (with a little kick for good measure)

I went back to the grid in question and changed my session variables back to their original values and everything works just as you all have pointed out. My grid is dealing with dates, times and elapsed hours/minutes and I'm thinking I got myself twisted up when debug would not show the e.session objects

Many apologies for my erroneous addition to the originally posted issue

The original problem with debug that Peter posted and Jay confirmed is still a problem (in my case anyway). Dates and time fields are intensive in my app and it would be so much better if I could use debug to inspect some of these values more closely. I understand you can show the data in an alert message, but in some cases I need the field type information that is accessible via debug and Firebug

Thanks, Dave

[RichCPT]

Re: Session variable not available in field's validation xbasic

My version of code works in Working Preview mode, just not in real mode! If the running mode could be determined then perhaps use an "IF" statement to run one method or the other? Anyone know if Version 11 has this same problem?

function OnGridExecute as v (e as p)

dim shared session.test as C = default ""

end function

function dbgShowVar as c (e as p)

dbgShowVar = "alert('You submitted a value of: " + js_escape(e._currentRowDataNew.dsSetName) + "---" + session.test + "');"
session.test = session.test + ", ABC"

end function

Note: For Working Preview mode (coded above) I dropped the "e." pointer variable and used "SHARED" and "DEFAULT" on the DIM statement and I moved the init code to OnGridExecute.

-Rich Fulham