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Frustration with web aplication input

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    #1

    Frustration with web aplication input

    I'm a new user to Alpha 5 but I've been around computers for a long time.

    I can't make something simple work for me.

    I have a MySQL database that I'm using to feed a simple grid.

    I have a field that is 10 characters (phone number).

    I've figured out how to use the "display format" properties to do a mask so that the phone number shows as "000 000 0000"...and I've used the unmask in the "display unformat" to undo that masking.

    All that works fine as long as you don't use field validations.

    I've tried many combinations of the field validations to ensure the length is 10, only digits allowed, etc. but I still can't get it to work correctly and inform the user of input errors.

    Is this not possible with a web-app & a MySQL-backed grid? Or am I just doing something stupid?

    I want the field to display as "000 000 0000" but when the user updates the field, he only should have to enter 10 digits and then have the field update the MySQL table and re-display the entered number correctly.

    It appears to me that the display format is applied to the field before it's passed to validation rules (which seems wrong to me) thus I get (in my example) a 12-digit field and validating against, for example, a length of 10 fails.

    Any help would be appreciated because I'm about to give up.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Frustration with web aplication input

    Robert,

    I use the format (123) 456-7890, so to validate, I use a custom expression of:

    len(remspecial(CurrentValue))=10

    Pat
    Pat Bremkamp
    MindKicks Consulting

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Frustration with web aplication input

      Thank you!

      That's all it took for me to get it through my thick skull!

      What I have now:
      • Display format = mask(<value>,"( )| - ")
      • Display unformat=remspecial(<value>)
      • Allow digits, whitespace, special chars
      • Custom expression = len(remspecial(CurrentValue))=10


      With that, the user can input just digits (and/or all the formatting if they don't know any better), and the validation works and the data is stored in MySQL correctly and shows up correctly! With "required field", it ensures that a phone number MUST be present and it MUST be 10 digits, exactly what I was looking for.

      I guess I'm just trying to overthink this. When you are under the gun and handed a new development tool and expected to produce, it can get a little tense.

      Thanks to everyone again and I hope now that I can make some progress on my dorky little app that everyone is wanting.

      If I can make a suggestion, I'd like to see an example video showing this kind of app server input validation. If such a video already exists, my bad for not finding it. I think it's a critical part of designing a web app that may be glossed over by the more advanced users.

      Robert

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Frustration with web aplication input

        This is one thing I have not been able to get to work. I just followed each step above (except, where does this go: Custom expression = len(remspecial(CurrentValue))=10), and it does not work for me

        If the field now contains: 943-564-9012, then when I follow the above steps, it now displays:

        (9) 4-3



        What am I doing wrong?

        Gary
        Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Frustration with web aplication input

          For the display, I use
          transform(remspecial(<value>),"@R (999) 999-9999")

          and for undisplay
          remspecial(<vlaue>)

          Pat
          Pat Bremkamp
          MindKicks Consulting

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Frustration with web aplication input

            Pat,

            That works. Thanks!

            Gary
            Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Frustration with web aplication input

              One other question:

              Why is display unformat needed?
              Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Frustration with web aplication input

                I believe if you don't use undisplay, it will try to save the formatted result.

                I usually store just the numbers because there are too many ways people try to enter phone numbers...dashes, spaces, parens, periods... and combinations of those.

                Pat
                Pat Bremkamp
                MindKicks Consulting

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Frustration with web aplication input

                  Pat,

                  Thanks.

                  I am saving the formatted result, as I cannot see any downside to that, unless anyone thinks otherwise.

                  Thanks for the help.

                  Gary
                  Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Frustration with web aplication input

                    Actually, I do have another question.

                    What would be entailed in having the formatting apply as the user leaves that field and goes to the next?

                    I suppose that would involve javascript?

                    Where would the code go?

                    Is it even possbile in a grid? A dialog? Either?

                    Gary
                    Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

                    Comment

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