Calculated field displayed

[enstorms]

Have a calculated field on a form with the following:

vcOrderTotals = calc->Vctotals + Req_Amt_Tot

The vcTotals is totaling a field in an embedded browse. All is working just fine except when I am entering a new record. Cannot get the vcOrderTotals field, which I have displayed on the form as a ReadOnly, to reflect it's value. (I have this code in the OnArrive event of the first field.) In my debugging exercise, first two attachments, another question comes up. I am assuming that calc->vcOrderTotals is the calc field itself, and the parentform.vcOrderTotals is what is displayed on the form. What I don't understand is why the field itself shows zero, while the displayed value shows properly here, but not on the form? (I don't have the calculation in the code itself. Just put it there to see if I could get it to display.)
The only way I have found to get it to display the value of the calc field it to issue a field.refresh() in the OnDepart event of the first field. However, what is displayed is shown in the 3rd attachment. If I don't issue the refresh(), zero is displayed (4th attachment). It does get calculated when I save the form.
Would like to figure out what I'm doing wrong here. Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Ernie

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Calculated field displayed

Cannot get the vcOrderTotals field, which I have displayed on the form as a ReadOnly

Unnecessary. A calculated field is, by definition, read only.

If vcOrderTotals is a calculated field then any script lines referring to the form object or the underlying calculated field, where a value assignment is concerned, are pointless.

A form level calculated field should show a new value when you alter the value of one of the form object values involved in the calculation and depart the field.

[enstorms]

Re: Calculated field displayed

Stan,
That makes sense. There is no ReadOnly property for a Calc field. I guess what I meant to say was "Disable" so it can't look like it can be changed by selecting it. The "Req_amt_total" field is a Field Rules calculated field. It calculates fine. I know that the calculated field will update itself if one of the parts in the calculation change, which it does. However, most of the time, on entering a new record, none of the parts will change. That was why I am trying to figure out a way to manually make it re-calculate. Maybe there isn't a way.

Hope the following makes sense. One of the parts to the field rules calculated field has a field rules default value of 1. On entry into the form, I am doing a lookup into another table to get a value to set the other part to that calculation. Once this happens, I would like to force my calculated field to re-calculate. Is there any way?
Appreciate your help, as always.
Ernie

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Calculated field displayed

One of the parts to the field rules calculated field has a field rules default value of 1.

That's a table level field rule setting and you said you were defining a form level calculated field.

How have you set up the default creation?

When Default Values Are Created

Normally a default value is created when the cursor enters the field for which the Default rule is defined. You can control when the default value is created.

Check Set default value at start of data entry to have Alpha Five apply default value(s) when the new record is created.

Check At end of enter, set default value if field not touched by user to have Alpha Five apply default value(s) when the record is saved.

Sounds like you chose the second option.

[enstorms]

Re: Calculated field displayed

Stan,
It's set up for "start of data entry".
Ernie

[CALocklin]

Re: Calculated field displayed

Stan,
It's set up for "start of data entry".
Ernie

In other words, it's a table level calculated field and these won't update until the whole record is saved. If you can create a form level calculated field (not just a copy of the table level field but a separate 'calc field' created in the form itself), this will update as you change each field on the form. (OK, it doesn't update until you actually leave the field but that shouldn't be any big deal. Besides, what would be the point to updating as you typed in each new digit of a number like 423.14?)

Your initial comment created confusion: "Have a calculated field on a form with the following:" Yes, your field is now shown on the form but it apparently wasn't created on the form and that makes a big difference in how they work. This difference is one of those things that isn't intuitively obvious but is very useful to know.

FWIW: In most cases where I need a calculated field, I just create it on the form or report that I need it on. Occasionally it's handy to have that field in the table also for sorting or searching but notice that I didn't say "I need it in the table" because you can almost always just do the calculation on the fly. There are probably some situations where it isn't feasible to do the calculation on the fly but it usually is. I try to avoid doing it both in the table and on the forms so that I don't end up with different calculations after a series of edits/updates.

[enstorms]

Re: Calculated field displayed

Cal,
Sorry about all the confusion. Still getting used to how to refer to things like calculated fields. Here's the "real" scoop.
The calculated field I'm dealing with IS a "form level calculated field" (vcOrderTotal) This field calculates a total based upon:
vcTotals (another "form level calculated field") that is totaling a field in an embedded browse. It takes this total and adds it to the value of a table field ("Req_amt_tot") which is a "Table level calculated field".
"Req_amt_tot" takes a count field in the table and multiplies it by another numeric field in the table.
Have got a zip file but it's a little over the limit. A couple of DDM files are 2.5 to 4.5mb. I've got to figure out what's going on here with them. Haven't taken time to look into that. Ok, reduced a set and got it under 5mb. Open form "order_form" then press the button "New order for selected..." It opens the "order_details_form". The order_header table has the calculated field (req_amt_tot). Hope you can make sense of all this.
Appreciate the help.
Ernie
P.S. The code I'm using is on the first field (Cust_Id) of the order_details form.

[MikeC]

Re: Calculated field displayed

Hi Ernie,

A bit late into this and most of the work has already been done getting to know exactly what it is you want and where to find it and such...but one way to "force" the value to be recalculated is to change a field and then change it back ... such as your Req_order_cnt field----you can use Action Scripting if you want


On the Save and close button of the detail_order form---
Set Properties of Objects / choose first to see the properties of the Order_details form and then choose the Req_order_cnt field value and specify expression and put the explicit form name as it is not in focus (see screenshot) and add 1 to it. Save record for the order_details form (have to choose "select other form to do this). Then right away do the same two steps but subtract 1.

Yeah I know, a work-a-round but I have seen other such convoluted methods before to force what is wanted when no other way is forthcoming--am hoping someone in this thread comes up with a better way truthfully.

[enstorms]

Re: Calculated field displayed

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the help. If you've looked at the zip I sent, take a look at the order_details form. Look at the events for the first field, Cust_Id. In the OnDepart event, (I had it commented out in the zip file) I have this:

topparent:Vcordertotals.refresh()

This does in fact force the calculation, but produces a "garbled" look to the number as in, I think, the third image of my original post. This is better than just showing zero, so will accept it for now. Would be nice to know why it shows up that way, or a better way of getting it to re-calculate.
Thanks again.
Ernie

Later: Found the problem with the "garbled" field display to be a "repaint()" issue. So after the above code, I issue:
topparent:Vcordertotals.repaint()
This clears it up.