editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

[martinwcole]

has anyone ever attempted this
I know many use xdialog for editing regular memos, but so far I have been unsuccessful in creating an xdialog with an rtf memo field that opens with the text from a current rtf memo field

[Raymond Lyons]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

Never attempted as an xdialog but was trying to do something similar with rtf memo and did not like the result, so I switched to an HTML memo field and then used the code similar (not identical) to that shown below, which opens an A5 html editor (same as clicking the pencil icon if displayed on a form) with the value of the current html memo field (though this is not what I do for my purposes).

What I was doing was rolling my own email Send form for a special purpose and by the user clicking a button (not the pencil icon, which on my read only field is not even displayed) wanted the user to be able to have a canned message with a bitmap logo that could be added to, edited, spell checked and for which I could pre-define the font, font size, font color,etc. Then I use email_smtp_open() and email_smtp_send() to send the message, using neither the A5 email client nor the Windows default. In my case the current HTML memo field is always empty and I never write anything to it. I just use a dummy field in a small, almost dummy table to display the initial and the edited message before sending it, and I use code in the form's OnActivate event to display (not save) the initial canned message the user can edit, if they choose to. In my case, none of the sent messages are ever saved, though of course they easily could be.

The code below, of course, is not an xdialog, but maybe it will be helpful for what you are trying to do, and maybe it could be incorporated in an xdialog?

Raymond Lyons

dim t as p
dim html_code as c
t = table.current()
html_code = t.email_ed    'get the the current text (html code)
p = a5_html_modal(html_code,"Ray's special Email Message Editor",.t.)

If p.lastbutton = "OK"    'i.e., Save
    t.change_begin()
    t.email_ed = p.text    'the edited message
    t.change_end()
    parentform:email_ed.Refresh()    'if displaying on form
'DON'T NEED for my purposes: else if p.lastbutton = "Cancel"
'    msgbox("Lastbutton","Cancel")
end if

'p returns two properties
'p.lastbutton  - ok or cancel
'p.text - the text the user edited, which you can then write the data back to the table if you want.

[martinwcole]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

thanks Ray
I experimented with HTML memos, but opted not to use them over rtf memos - the reason being that my users want to copy and paste from word to the memo field - and after extensive testing realize that while neither work for everything, the rft does a much much better job than the html

when you paste something from word, that has say numbering and bullets and font colors, etc., when you first paste to html, it looks great - but if you scrtinize closely you will notice that case is last after a font color change, commas are sometimes replaced with periods - and when you preview on a report the numbering and bullets will display horribly

BUT if the user never does copy and paste they are great. But people are so darn spoiled these days, and want to copy and paste from different places to different places - and a lot of software lets them.

If I get no response, I'll just continue to let them work in the editor.

[Raymond Lyons]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

Martin,

Could it just be a problem when using Word? Because I just did a bunch of testing using my scheme with text copied and pasted from the Open Office word processor. When I test previewed it in a report, everything came out just as you would expect--at least as near as I can tell. I used color changes, size changes, bold, italics, lots of commas and periods and at least 6 bullets with various changes in them.

I don't even have Word loaded on my computer anymore (don't like it), so I can't test with it.

Ray

[martinwcole]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

Yes, most likely its word - but - the client uses word - and they ain't going to convert to open office - so in this single case - its a moot point - but I really appreciste that you told me about open office, though - options for the future!!!

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

Martin,
Imagine a table called license with one field "Text_string" that is Rich Text Memo and you want to display the text from record 1 in an XDialog.
Below is code that I hope helps.

DIM SHARED result as C
ok_button_label = "&OK"

dim crtf.object as P
dim crtf.text as C

tbl = table.open("license") 
tbl.fetch_goto(1) 
license_stringA = tbl.Text_string 
tbl.close()

crtf.object = rtf.create(license_stringA)
crtf.text   = crtf.object.rtf_text

result = ui_dlg_box("XXXXXXXX License agreement",<<%dlg%
{on_key=Enter}
{frame=1,1}
{region}
{rtf=%wr%100,40crtf};
{on_activate=dlg_arrive}
{endregion};
{line=1,0};
{region}
<*OK>
{endregion};
%dlg%,<<%code% 
1=1
if a_dlg_button="dlg_arrive" then 
a_dlg_button = ""
sys_send_keys("{home}")
end if
end
%code%)

[martinwcole]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

A "blank" rtf record is silently, automatically created when a user enters a new parent record. (The memos are kept in a separate 1-to-1 table, and there is never more than one memo per parent record.)

My goal is to provide an xdialog for editing, where they would add to or modify the memo, and then save it back to the memo. This is a technique commonly used for editing regular memos.

Thanks. I will play with this and see if I can modify it for that use. I'll have to have a way to display the rtf tools.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

Martin,
If you want to edit text in example I provided then change:

{rtf=%wr%100,40crtf};

to

{rtf=%w%100,40crtf};

You will of course need to make other changes to save the record, navigate, etc..

[martinwcole]

Re: editing an rtf memo in an xdialog

thanks - will play with