How to determine if a dialog is for a new or update record action...

[dionmccormick]

I use the same dialog to both create a new record and update an existing record. I would like the ability to do some pre-processing when I open the dialog for existing records. I am trying to find a way to determine how the dialog is being used (new/update) when it opens.

I noticed this in the latest pre-release:
"Dialog Component - Action Javascript - Open a Dialog to Edit Current Record in Grid Action - When you use this action and the mode is set to 'EditExistingRecord' the Dialog component will now populate a dot variable called 'e.rtc._data' that can be used in the Dialog's 'onDialogInitialize' event to get access to the data that is being loaded into the Dialog Component. "

Gave me the idea that there is some kind of dot variable like 'e.rtc._data' for me to find out if it is a new or existing record. Does anybody have any hints or idea's on how to find the purpose of the dialog once it is opened?

[danh]

Re: How to determine if a dialog is for a new or update record action...

I'm doing it by passing in an argument value. If it's a new record, it's 0, it it's an existing record, it greater than 0.

So, in the grid, for the button that opens the dialog to enter a new record, set the argument value to 0. And for the button that opens for editing, set the argument value to the primary key in the grid.

Then, in the dialog, in properties, set the argument to "Set value at run-time".

And finally, in the onDialogInitialize event, put in this code,

dim vRecID as n = e.rtc.args[1].data
if (vRecID > 0) then
'existing record,
... do your pre-processing ...
end if

Hope this helps.

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: How to determine if a dialog is for a new or update record action...

if you look at the javascript that is returned to the browser when you populate a dialog with existing data you will see code like this:

var _o = DLG1_DlgObj.stateInfo;
 _o.keys = {};
 var _d = {};
 
_d['CUSTOMER_ID'] = '5';
 _d['FIRSTNAME'] = 'Evan';
 _d['LASTNAME'] = 'Feldstein';
 _d['COMPANY'] = 'Abrams and Sons';
 _d['BILL_ADDRESS_1'] = '327 Joseph Chadderdon Rd';
 _d['BILL_CITY'] = 'Acra';
 _d['BILL_STATE_REGION'] = 'NY';
 _d['BILL_POSTAL_CODE'] = '12405';
 _d['BILL_COUNTRY'] = 'USA';
 
_o.keys.CUSTOMER = {};
 _o.keys.CUSTOMER._key = ['5'];
 

DLG1_DlgObj.populate(_d);
 DLG1_DlgObj.prepare();

the portion of interest here is:

var _o = DLG1_DlgObj.stateInfo;
 _o.keys = {};
_o.keys.CUSTOMER = {};
 _o.keys.CUSTOMER._key = ['5'];

this portion stores the primary key of the records in all of the bound tables inside a javascript object in the dialog object.

when the dialog is submitted, if this primary key info is submitted, we know that you are doing an update.

on the other hand, if there is no primary key information, then we know you are doing an insert.

so, you could look inside the dialog object to see if there is a primary key.

[dionmccormick]

Re: How to determine if a dialog is for a new or update record action...

I'm doing it by passing in an argument value. If it's a new record, it's 0, it it's an existing record, it greater than 0.

So, in the grid, for the button that opens the dialog to enter a new record, set the argument value to 0. And for the button that opens for editing, set the argument value to the primary key in the grid.

Follow up question. I am using the Action Javascript command "Open a Dialog component to Edit Current Record in Grid, or add a new Record". Are you setting the argument value in that genie or are you doing it in "Text Mode" or "Server-side Xbasic"? I have looked at the genie in the Action Javascript but can't locate where you would set arguments....

[danh]

Re: How to determine if a dialog is for a new or update record action...

It's in the genie, in Target Dialog Definition there is an option called "Argument bindings". I believe you need to name the argument in the dialog first, and then it will show up here for you to give it a value.

[dionmccormick]

Re: How to determine if a dialog is for a new or update record action...

Outstanding. That works great. I was able to declare it on the dialog and then use the arguement binding to set it during run time. Very, very handy. Thank you so much for your guidance!

[mixter]

Re: How to determine if a dialog is for a new or update record action...

This is a great discussion, helped me understand more about the UX,
and sorry to revive an old topic but I thought I'd post a variation on this theme
(new record or update existing in a UX)

My scenario is:

Parent UX has primary key named JobID

Have a List on the parent UX that looks like "tabs" that triggers navigation to panelcards in the body of the page
(I used the MenuList Genie that builds a List with those funky font-awesome icons)
and each Panel Card has an embedded UX

Child UX is embedded in a panel card, with argument binding on the JobID
the embedded object has properties
show mode = when page is loaded (and delay render til visible = true)

So when the appropriate "tab" in the menu list is clicked,
and the child UX is shown, I wanted to either
- show the existing record related to the parent
- if there was no record yet, create and insert a few (conditional) default data fields from other tables into the child record, based items related to the parent JobID

So in the Child UX, in the onDialogInitialize I simply added a call to run a stored procedure which attempts to insert a related record based on the JobID key

On the SQL Server side I defined the primary key of the child table with attribute
IGNORE_DUP_KEY = ON
(which means if a record already exists, the stored procedure insert will quietly do nothing)

So essentially, the stored procedure creates the default child record, if none existed previously.

The embedded UX then populates using either the pre-existing record or newly created record.

function onDialogInitialize as v (e as p)

'get the JobID passed in by the parent UX
dim varID as n = e.rtc.args[1].data

dim cn as sql::connection
cn.Open("::name::TEST")
dim strSP as c
strSP = "spWebInsertIntoTblJobWeb " + convert_type(varID,"C")
cn.Execute(strSP)

'this action requires varID above to populate the UX on the key
ExecuteServerSideAction("Populate Dialog from Tables::Populate_a_Dialog_with_data_from_one_or_more_tables")

end function

And you guys above were doing this way back in 2011... the early vanguard of alpha web apps!