Assignment of Date Value

[EYoo]

I have the following on a form attached to OnArrive of trans_date field.

v_mode=parentform.mode_get()
if v_mode="Enter" then
trans_date=date()
end if

I dont want to use the field rule and this is the only form I want to enter the current date value to the field when in Entry mode. But the current date value does not get assigned to trans_date field - what is the correct syntax?

TIA -Eugene

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Assignment of Date Value

The text box control is an object. Each object has properties. Your script can set (assign) values to the properties. Check the help file topic "Properties", and then study the list of available properties by right clicking the object while form is in design mode.

Here you probably want to set the "value" property of the control, like this:

v_mode=parentform.mode_get()
f v_mode="Enter" then
     parentform:[I]trans_date_control_name[/I].value =date()
end if

where "trans_date_control_name" is the object name (not the field name).

Notice the punctuation. Colons are used to delimit objects. The period tells Alpha that what comes next is a property.

Notice also that the control that displays the field value is a different object than the field in your table. Calling it a "field" is ambiguous nomenclature, though often encountered. It helps me to remind myself that the "fields" I drag on to my form layouts are layout objects (controls) that are automatically bound to the underlying data structures. But, they're not the same. The data structures exist "behind" the form. And the field values are displayed "through" the objects. Make sense?

Questions?

[EYoo]

Re: Assignment of Date Value

Thanks Tom,

I have coded in a while and I am getting old. your reply reminded me of the proper syntax; this.value=date() did the trick.

Now all I have to remember is how to put the cursor at the end of selected text like the field rule.

[MikeC]

Re: Assignment of Date Value

Eugene,
No need to remember everything....searching for cursor in the index of the online help brought me to this page http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...RSOR_SET().htm

Think that is what you are wanting......

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Assignment of Date Value

I have not used this feature yet but new to v10 is the ability to use 'field rules' at the form level. It seems a bit of a misnomer to me but that is what it is. I just did a test and you can set a default value in one form and it does not apply in another form. Same with the cursor position rule.

Hmmm. Maybe this is a handy feature after all.

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Assignment of Date Value

Oops. I forgot to mention how. Right click on the control in the form. It is the last/bottom choice.

You can also apply these to variables that are accessible to the form..

[EYoo]

Re: Assignment of Date Value

Thanks Mike & Tim,

Mike, I was looking for .textselect(1,-1); I began to snap out of my programming amnesia. The following is what I have:

v_mode=parentform.Mode_Get()
obj_ptr=this.this
if v_mode="Enter" then
this.value=date()
obj_ptr.textselect(1,-1)
end if


Tim, thanks. As much as I 'like' coding, I'll take no coding anytime.