Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

[Delta Force]

A5V11 allows the initial value of a field to be sepcified as a constant, e.g. =abc, the result of a function, e.g. =date(), or major variables like session or page variables.

However, can it be initialized as the previously saved value? and what is the syntax?
Or is there a way to simply not clear it and leave the previous value there? (in my version of A5V11, even when this [initial value] field is not specified as NULL, i.e. empty, the field is still cleared when new record entry is in effect).

[Davidk]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Would this video help? It's M8

http://www.ajaxvideotutorials.com/V1...InGridPart.swf

[J.R. Noe]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Thanks for posting that David, that may be what i have been looking for.

Not to complain, well maybe a little, but I have noticed some videos, including this one, cuts off some of the code needed to make it work. The last part of the video does not show all of the code to the right of the screen and the narrarator never scrolls over to show it. Most users will know what is missing, but not all of us do, so it is a guessing game. I also wonder why Alpha cannot include a text file containing the code beside the video link. That would save time and mistakes trying to re-write the code.

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Firstly, I echo what JR had to say.

Secondly, I have reviewed M8 a couple of times. I felt that this approach is good for the grid view and something similar can be done for the detailed view. However, I am looking for a solution without coding (I prefer no coding whenever possible), and without having to do round trip between server and client.
It seems that the initial value property of a field in the Detailed View can do the job, if I can only set it to the value of the previous entry of the same field (similar functionality as depicted in M8). Is this possible?

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

David and any A5 guru,

I am getting really close now. I used this event handler for my Detailed View. According to the M8 video, the e.dataSubmitted.XXX variable stores the value of the field just submitted. So I set the new value of my Note field to this submitted value. However, Alpha complaint that the e.dataSubmitted subelement is not found. Why is that?? Thanks for any help offered.

===========================
function onInitialValueCalculate as v (e as p)
'This event fires before the New Record rows are displayed. It allows you to compute initial values for fields in the Grid.

e.newValues.Note = e.dataSubmitted.Note

end function
======================

[Davidk]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

I don't think the no coding thing is quite here yet... besides... c'mon... this is fun. Anyway... e.dataSubmitted doesn't exist in the onInitalValueCalculate event - thus the error. However... you are close. Since e.newValues can take a variable - let's give it one.

In Grid OnGridIntialize put this...

Session.lastSavedValue = ""

We're setting up a session variable to use later. There may be a way to test for a variable's existence, so we don't have to do this... have to go look for that... I keep forgetting... but, for now, it's ok.

Next, in the Grid AfterInsertRecord event, this...

Session.lastSavedValue = e.DataSubmitted.ProdPrice

Here we're assigning the submitted value of the field - to the session variable.

Finally, in the onInitalValueCalculate event...

e.newValues.prodprice = Session.lastSavedValue

Now, any new row field will have the last saved value of that field. Seems to work pretty good. Any very little coding :)

You could do this all on the client side too... so no server involvement. Back with that in a bit.

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Thanks for the reply David,

It is so close now.
I did what you suggested, but still no luck (the field was blank). I then set the Session.lastSavedValue to "session" for OnGridInitialize just to test it, ran it again, then the initial value appears as 'session', which tells me that AfterInsertRecord seemed never fired.

Is my suspecion correct? and if so, why didn't it fire?
I am beginning to wonder whether this approach is applicable to the DetailView entries?

Also, I prefer the client side approach if at all possible. Look forward to your next words of wisdom.

[Davidk]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

For Client side, Javascript only, you could do this...

In the Field, onChange event...

window['wvarLastValue'] = {grid.Object}.getValue('G','ORDNAME',{Grid.RowNumber});

In the Grid, Client side events, afterRowPopulate...

var rowNum = {Grid.Object}._selectedRow;

var rowNum = {Grid.Object}._selectedRow;
if(typeof window['wvarLastValue'] != 'undefined') 
{
	{grid.Object}.setValue('G','ORDNAME',rowNum,window['wvarLastValue']);
}

For Detail View it depends on how your getting the detail. Is it the built-in detail view, or a detail view Grid you're linking to?

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Thank you very much. I will chew on them.

[Davidk]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

For a built-in Detail View, you can use something that Selwyn touches on in the M8 video. He reports that you cannot use OnInitialValueCalculate, in a Grid, because it only gets fired once... when the Grid is first displayed. He does say, however, that it fires each time a new record is requested in a Detail View.

So, set up a session variable, as previously noted, in the OnGridInitialize event.

Session.newDetailValue = ""

In the AfterInsertRecord event...

Session.newDetailValue = e.DataSubmitted.TestData

And, in the OnInitialValueCalculate event...

e.newValues.TestData = Session.newDetailValue

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Dave,

We are so close. I did exactly what you suggested, but AfterInsertRecord didn't seem to fire, so the field is left blank. To prove that, I set the Session variable to "Initialized" instead of "". Then, the new records showed a default value of "Initialized" instead of the last submitted value.

To prove further, I set the same session variable in AfterInsertRecord to "AfterInsert". Still, the field remains "Initialized".

It is puzzling why AfterInsertRecord didn't seem to fire (after the save icon is clicked to submit the DetailView data)??

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Interesting finding:

Upon further trials, I found that AfterUpdateRecord is the event got fired. So, if I put the assignment statement in this event rather than AfterInserReord event, then use the "Save and enter New Record" button to enter a new record, then the prior value will correctly show up in the field as default value of the new entry.

A partial success, but still don't know exactly what action triggers the AfterInsertRecord event.

[Davidk]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

I guess you'd need both. If you're adding a new record then AfterInsertRecord should fire and if you're just updating information then AfterUpdateRecord will fire. Put the Session var in both and you should be covered.

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

Upon furhter debugging, I found some very interesting subtlety about afterInsertRecord Event, perhaps related to the difference between the Grid view actions and the Detailed view actions.

1. When the "save" button, on the DetailView, is clicked, afterUpdateRecord Event is fired. (expected)
2. When the "save and enter new record" button, on the DetailView, is clicked, afterUpdateRecord and afterInsertRecord Event are fired. (expected)
3. When the "new record" button, on the Grid View, is clicked, afterInserRecord Event is not fired. (Unexpected)

The question is about #3. Why? Is this is designed feature, or ??
(latest finding for #3, afterInserRecord event did fire, when doing a live preview on a broswer. It seemed not to fire when using the working preview)

Thanks!

[Delta Force]

Re: Other choices of "Initial Value" of a field.

This post is no longer needed.