CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

[MikeData]

I have a form with custom toolbar and a FINDBYFORM button with a nextrecord plus a previos record buttons. They work fine.
I have tried to use CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() to get the value stored by Alpha in the FINDBYFORM, but it does not show anythig.
I must be using it wrongly.
The problem is, I would like to see a browse with only the matching records based in the FINDBYFORM.
The default browse button in the toolbar, does display all records.
I need to create new button to display the browse or add an additional expression to the toolbar browse button.
Does any one have away of doing it?

[Stan Mathews]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Try

MRU_QUERY("yoursetname.set").filter
or

MRU_QUERY("yourtablename.dbf").filter

[MikeData]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Stan I need to post a code, but I forgot how to keep the indentations. Please advise

[MikeData]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

I found the way to keep the indents.

I get the folowing erros: filter expression not logical two times and argument is incorrect data type
then the browse opens showing all records.
Suggestions?
here is the code:

'query.filter = "MRU_QUERY(\"torder.dbf\").filter"
query.filter = "MRU_QUERY(\"torderset.set\").filter"
query.order = "recno()"

'Open the layout_type showing just the records that satisfy the filter
DIM Shared varP_orderBrowseQk_s1 as P
DIM layout_name as c 
layout_name = "orderBrowseQk_s1"

dim tempP as p
'Get pointer to existing window. In case layout_name is qualified with a dictionary name, extract up to first @. In case formname has spaces, normalize it
tempP=obj(":"+object_name_normalize(word(layout_name,1,"@")))
'Test if pointer is valid
if is_object(tempP) then 
	'Test if pointer refers to a form or browse
	if tempP.class() = "form" .or. tempP.class() = "browse" then 
				dim flagIsBaseFilter as l 
		flagIsBaseQuery = .t.
		
		if flagIsBaseFilter then 
			'Apply the query to the form or browse as the Base query. (this means that 
			'the user cannot turn the query off, only add to the query)
			tempP.BaseQueryRun(query.filter,query.order)
		else
			tempP.QueryRun(query.filter,query.order)		
			
		end if 
		
		'then activate the already open window
		tempP.activate()
	else
		'Window is not already open, so open it
		varP_orderBrowseQk_s1 = :Browse.viewqueried(layout_name,query.filter, query.order )

	end if
else 
	varP_orderBrowseQk_s1 = :Browse.viewqueried(layout_name,query.filter, query.order )

end if

[MoGrace]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

I am curious as to what the IW showed was the expression returned?

[MikeData]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Nothing, as I can see. Only the errros mentined above. then the browse opens fine, but with all records.

[MoGrace]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Try a quick multi filter on the form to get the records you expect and open the IW set to that form and test the MRU_Query() function. Other than that, it might be that you have to redirect the output to a variable first and then set the query.filter with that var's parsed expression.

So that:

filter = "field = "+quote(myvar) ' or in this case use the MRU_query() as you did above.

becomes

field = "actual value" for the query.filter to use. Then

query.filter = filter

might work

[MikeData]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

I tried it, hope I did use the right coding/formating


dim field as c
filter = "field = "+quote("MRU_QUERY(\"torder.dbf\").filter")
query.filter = filter
query.order = "recno()"

Does not work, give same error.

I tried:

dim cs as P
cs = mru_query("torder.dbf")
query.filter = "cs"
query.order = "recno()"


same results.

I must be using the wrong syntax or placing the items in the wrong place

[MoGrace]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

I'm sorry Mike I didn't mean that as an exact code to use other than as an example. What I was trying to explain was how in the Interactive Window, you might see what the expression is supposed to look like after using the multi field quick filter on the form to get the records you want to see selected by the filter. Then given that we could construct a filter to use where the expression has already been parsed before you put it as the query.filter. Hope that made more sense...

[MikeData]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Thanks Robin and Stan for your reponses.
The task that I am confronted, was to me a simple one, as in other programs is inherited or built in.
Alpha has more features than most programs. Yet it appears that my problem is not a simple task.
Using the MRU_QUERY() should do it, but how to use it is not clear to me from the instructions on line.

I am attaching a sample with the buttons in the namesform and I think with a clear explanation of my objective with a note in the form.

There is got to be a way to filter the findbyform.


Please advise.

[MoGrace]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Hi Mike,
I made you a Search Form instead using Xbasic - take a look and see if will work for you.

[MikeData]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Robin, Thanks for the suggested approach. I was returning this afternoon in a long drive and I was thinking along those lines. My approach was to use an scheme where I could load the value of those fields (Just monitoring a few of them and load the values intd a tem variables , just before the click find) and upon clicking to open the browse, do the filtering by the criteria in those fields.
Not very clean and very limited, but I could buy some time until I solve the issue.
The reason for this insistance to solve the problem is that the customer comes from from a DB where this was built in.
In that DB you did not even have to click findbyfrom, just move to the fields you want, fill your criteria, (it could be 1, 2, 3, and more fields) click search, then the program return the records page by page, just like Alpha does. If you want to see that data in browse view, just click a button and presto, only the seleted records were there.
As you can see I have to be able to find the values in the findbyform. Alpha does have it. How do they manage the information from findbyform must be somewhere. Is hard to belive no one had this need before.
Again thanks for the effort, as I will use some of that code to accomplish my approach.
I really need to solve this issue.

[MoGrace]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Mike, you could create a form that opens directly in findbyform or querybyform mode...then a hotspot on the form in the tab order could run the search. Sounds like your users are coming from a DOS program, where a form opens blank until a key field is filled in then finds it if it exists or begins a new record.

Edit: Here's a script using a progressive lookup dialog I use to find an employee by lastname, firstname or fileno. I adapted it to use with your table and form. There is also a function used in the dialog that is included - import them into the Code tab of the Control panel and then try the Go_dlg_frm script.

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

I think you need to use query by form instead of find by form. Find by form goes to the first matching record within the current record set without changing the set of records. Therefore there is no filter used and non to return to any of the functions you are trying to use. Query by form on the other hand does use a filter and reduces teh record set to only those that match the search criteria. Then you could just press the browse button on the toolbar or the F8 key to switch to the companion browse. Or in your button code that opens a seperate browse set the filter option to use currently selected records.

[MikeData]

Re: CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() only returns T. How to get the value of 'FindByForm'

Thanks Tim. I am testing your idea and I will see how simple I can make it for the user.
It does fill the browser and the counter in the toolbar reflects the numbers.

Attached is an updated sample with your idea plus Robin approach.

You can go to the main menuform and see the choices so far.
1 original using findbyform and no filter yet
2 The approach by Robin
3 An approach by Tim using querybyform

One Question: Is there a limit in the number of fields querybyform will accept for criteria?
I did test for 3 , and it works.

I still would like to learn more about the options I did found in the Alpha guide under the title Query Functions and Methods.
That is where I saw MRU_QUERY and CURRENT_FILTER_EXPN() plus many others I have not seen before.

Again Thanks to Stan, Robin and Tim.