Roomier Lookup

[Sandy Garrett]

We have always used a drop list of some sort for a table lookup. One record per line. But this time the deciding information might be past the end of the visible line. Locate will find the target word, but there could be more than one instance. Most of the time the required information is within the drop list's view, but how to handle the odd multiple hit?

[Tom Henkel]

Re: Roomier Lookup

if you use an xdialog box with the listbox option, you can make the display area as wide and as tall as you need.

Please see attached.

xdialog_list_box.jpg

Tom

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Roomier Lookup

If you're using a table field rule table lookup you can design and save your own browse of the lookup table to suit and then make that the "Browse layout to display" in the field rule.

[Sandy Garrett]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Stan, yes, I'm using a table field rule lookup and have tried a custom browse. The rows aren't wide enough to show enough information. There isn't room on the monitor.

My first thought was to look for double height rows. There is a Word Wrap on a browse's column properties format, but it didn't seem to happen.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Blue sky suggestion? Browse displays field and calculated field. Row height set in browse design. Calculated field expression something like

words(fieldname,1,3)+crlf()+words(fieldname,4,3)+crlf()+words(fieldname,7,3)+crlf()+words(fieldname,10,3)

Tested in interactive (simulation)

tst = "abc,def,ghi,jkl,mno,pqr,stu,vwx,yz"

? words(tst,1,3)+crlf()+words(tst,4,3)+crlf()+words(tst,7,3)+crlf()+words(tst,10,3)
= abc def ghi
jkl mno pqr
stu vwx yz

[Sandy Garrett]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Problem - on entering a new record in Master, I need to select which lookup (Boxes Browse). Usually the target is obvious in the Boxes or first screenful of Contents. Rarely the target does not appear until the second or later line of Contents. So I wanted to put a button on the Boxes browse to show a Places form with the complete Content displayed.

Browse control, Open form wants the new record to be saved before the form is shown - not good for new entries.

The attached attempt has at least two problems. A lookup attempt shows

Warning: Field Unbound is not valid

referring to the Boxes browse. Then doubleclicking the action in the browse returns to the original Master form rather than the big Places.

But if the Boxes browse is opened directly instead of through Master's lookup, the action behaves properly.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Sandy

Are you looking for something like this?

Know what we're looking for is most of the battle...

sandy1.JPG

[Sandy Garrett]

Re: Roomier Lookup

The basic problem is the wide range of sizes for the Contents field. Users will be allowed to add records to Contents, and they tend to put the repetitive stuff at the beginning of the description and the distinctive qualifications at the end.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Roomier Lookup

The basic problem is the wide range of sizes for the Contents field. Users will be allowed to add records to Contents, and they tend to put the repetitive stuff at the beginning of the description and the distinctive qualifications at the end.

Ok, is the image I've shown what you want?

[Sandy Garrett]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Your cure is too easy to be useful <G>.

Actually it has too much white space. Most of the records can manage nicely with a single browse row. At least 90%, I'll guess, although it's too soon to be sure. So the single row browse should be the standard with the ability to expand for rare occasions.

It's hard to imagine nobody has bumped into this before. I had to rewrite our uniform descriptions so the distinctions showed earlier in the description, and there was still one where the user has to select blindly and change if the wrong item comes up.

What do other people do when looked up info is long?

The jury is still out on Tom's fix. That Jing is not uncomplicated and my brain needs a rest.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Random thoughts.

An HTML table would display the data better and expand and contract as needed.

Of course, so would an Alpha report with a button on it..

Would the user know a word they are looking for or just browsing for something that causes them to recognize a match?

[Ray in Capetown]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Some more random thoughts
If you change the field type to memo. Leave the browse as one line height if you wish. Put focus on the field...
a) if the browse is in edit mode the pencil icon allows the user to click and read all text within, including paragraph breaks.
b) If the browse is in view mode a second click opens the field in a dialog.
IMHO the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Some more random thoughts
If you change the field type to memo. Leave the browse as one line height if you wish. Put focus on the field...
a) if the browse is in edit mode the pencil icon allows the user to click and read all text within, including paragraph breaks.
b) If the browse is in view mode a second click opens the field in a dialog.
IMHO the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Ray

I've found that a browse works differently when it is in a lookup than as a browse. Some features and functions change.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Roomier Lookup

Sandy

I've found that if the lookup is displayed as a drop down, then the rows can be expanded and contracted.

Not sure if that helps, but might be worth a look.

expand_contract_dropdown_rows.JPG

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Roomier Lookup

What do other people do when looked up info is long?

I'd do something like this.
search4wordinlookup.JPG

You know that daisy is in that entry. Since it's a drop down it can be expanded to multiple rows.

For those playing along at home here is the expanded row...
search4wordinlookup2.JPG

The jury is still out on Tom's fix. That Jing is not uncomplicated and my brain needs a rest.

Tom didn't like the solution and asked me to remove it.