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Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

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    Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

    I have been faithfully attempting the various tutorials in the Alphapedia Getting Started series and already I have stumbled twice because what is in the tutorial does not match with the reality.

    1. In the Reports tutorial, I managed to reach right to the last step, inserting a summary field in the group footer, but the summary field simply does not appear in the footer.

    2. In the Letters tutorial, when inserting conditional text, when I open the 'Create Filter Using Genie', all I find is fields from Customer Table and no combo box to select another table as displayed in the tutorial screenshot.
    I have checked back if I have missed any links, relationships, etc but cannot find any.

    I am simply baffled why the tutorials have not been upgraded to the later versions. I am using v10.

    3. In A5, I find I need to create a set in order to link up two or more tables. In Access, we can create relationships between tables without creating a query, etc. Is this possible in A5 too?

    Any help will be appreciated.

    #2
    Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

    Am I missing out on some etiquette or something here?

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

      Hi Bilal,

      Without seeing a sample of what you have done, it would not be possible to answer 1 & 2.

      Regarding 3, simple answer, no. From an Alpha developer's point of view, having the option to build as many sets in as many structures as required makes it all the more powerful.
      Regards
      Keith Hubert
      Alpha Guild Member
      London.
      KHDB Management Systems
      Skype = keith.hubert


      For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

        Thank you, Keith, for your reply.
        Q#1: Since the summary field simply does NOT appear in the report, a screenshot is not going to prove anything - it would need a video clip!
        Q#2: Please see the attached screenshots and advise if this is a version difference or do I need to create a relationship of the Customer Table to the Invoice Table.
        Q#3: If I understood right, a set is a virtual representation of data across multiple tables, created on demand. If A5 does not have the option of creating permanent relationships across tables, how does the "sets" feature handle data integrity issues?

        Thanking you once again.
        Attached Files

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

          Hi Bilal,

          You can create a video with Jing. It is a free download from here.

          I am not familiar with the tutorial you are referring to. Have a look at Alphasports sample, that is a working sample and may help you better.

          Q3, A set is not created on demand, it is created by the developer to base layouts on. eg an Invoice with Header, Detail_Items and Customer Info.
          You asked, "how does the "sets" feature handle data integrity issues? I dont understand you question. What is your concern here?
          Regards
          Keith Hubert
          Alpha Guild Member
          London.
          KHDB Management Systems
          Skype = keith.hubert


          For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

            Keith,
            Thanks again.
            Q#1. Jing video attached.
            Q#2. Awaiting clarification from other users.
            Q#3. In Access and all other RDBMSs, a relationship between two tables is separate from ad-hoc intertable links or joins created on the fly in SQL queries, etc. These relationships are responsible for handling all data integrity issues. I don't see that option in A5. Hope this is clearer.
            Regards,
            BILAL
            Attached Files

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

              Hi Bilal,

              Thanks for Jing. What build of V11 are you using? I only see the button "Advanced Options" after you have at some point clicked the Other summary function. Try doing it without selecting that option. Just stick with Total.

              Q3: I am assuming you are using DBF tables, is that correct?
              Last edited by Keith Hubert; 02-06-2013, 10:24 AM.
              Regards
              Keith Hubert
              Alpha Guild Member
              London.
              KHDB Management Systems
              Skype = keith.hubert


              For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

                Keith,

                Q1. Resolved with thanks.
                Q2. Pending.
                Q3. Not necessarily DBF tables, but rather any kind of database tables, be it Access, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, etc.
                What I am saying is that a Relationship is an object in RDBMSs, but I cannot find its equivalent in A5. Why?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

                  Hi Bilal,

                  "Why?" I don't know. Have a look at AlphaSports to see how a Set is created.

                  I could make you a Jing, but it would be just what you already have on your machine. Alpha works differently with DBF than Access when connecting tables.
                  Regards
                  Keith Hubert
                  Alpha Guild Member
                  London.
                  KHDB Management Systems
                  Skype = keith.hubert


                  For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

                    Thanks, Keith, for all your help.
                    I hope others on this forum are just as helpful as you!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

                      Bilal, you are welcome. It is always gratifying to get this type of feedback.

                      One thing to bear in mind when using Sets in Alpha, the same tables can be linked in a different order to get a different result. For example you might want to know what products were sold to which customers, or which was the best selling product this year. The possibilities are endless.
                      Regards
                      Keith Hubert
                      Alpha Guild Member
                      London.
                      KHDB Management Systems
                      Skype = keith.hubert


                      For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Hitches with Alpha 5 Tutorials

                        You know, Keith, you have just made me realize that actually A5 sets are identical to relationships in other RDBMS because even in Access and SQL SErver, we can define multiple rlationship diagrams. Thank you.

                        Comment

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