Duplicate a record found in a set

[trackmanpete]

In Quickbooks one is able to duplicate a parent and child record from a set by the click of a button (for example, making a duplicate invoice record that has client name and then line items for that cliend). I would like to do the same in Alpha and was wondering if it is possible, looking at a default browse record that lists both parent fields and children fields, to duplicate that entire record using an Action Script? Or will have have to do a two step process of duplicating the parent record and then duplicating the child record?

When I am in the default browse for the set and go to the pulldown menu for Record, the duplicate record is greyed out.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Pete, I don't think there's a single function that will copy the parent table record and all related children, and then enter them both automatically in new records in both tables.

This is of course possible to do in Alpha Five, indeed Dr. Wayne describes it in detail in his earlier book "Application Programming With Alpha Five Version 5" (it may even be addressed in his new book, "Xbasic for Everyone 8", available in the store at Alpha's website. [Yes, it's in Ch. 35]

IIRC a single script is developed that copies the parent table record to a blob, then creates an array of blobs for the linked children. Child table records are assigned to each element in the blob array, and then new records are created in the two tables, and blobs are assigned to each. It will run just fine from a single button push, just like Quickbooks!

[trackmanpete]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Thanks, Tom. I have the book, so I will take a look. I am not familiar with blobs, other than those I sometimes find in my pool, so that will be interesting.

[John Gamble]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Pete

I requested this function from Alpha, 3 or 4 years ago at one of the annual get togethers.

In the meantime using action scripting & operations

1. Copy parent & applicable child records to temporary files.
..e.g. Header to headert, detail1 to detail1t......

2. Update temporary files to change the key.
.. e.g. Order # +"01"

3. Append temp to master files.

never could get to run from 1 button, timing issue ?

Run as three operations.

John

[trackmanpete]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

John:
Thanks. I found Peter Wayne's code and will try that as well. I was thinking about putting a request for a duplicate button on the wish list, as it seems like something that could be a plus. The reason for the duplicate invoice or actually in my case a duplicate estimate is that I would like to keep the old estimate and then add on changes to the original estimate and still have a copy of the old estimate as a comparison. As I stated originally, Quickbooks provides this, but I am sure there is some extensive coding behind the scenes there as well. Thanks for your input. I will try your suggestion as well.

[trackmanpete]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Ok, I tried copying the code from Dr. Wayne's new Xbasic for Everyone, chap 35 of duplicating both the parent and child records. I can't save the code as I get an error message that says "mismatched end loop or if-block". I can just about follow the xbasic code, but for the life of me I don't understand the error message at all. I took out the "while" to "end while" code and there is no problem, so it must be in that particular loop where the code is not correct. Any suggestions would be appreciated...

dim hdr as p
dim items as p
dim old_parent as b
dim old_child as b
dim old_hdr_recno as n
dim new_inv_no as c	

hdr=table.current(1)
items=table.current(2)
second_items_pointer=table.open("inv_items",file_rw_shared)

old_parent=hdr.record_data_get()
old_hdr_recno=hdr.recno()
hdr.enter_begin()
	hdr.record_data_set(old_parent)
	hdr.date=date()
hdr.enter_end(.t.)
new_inv_no=hdr.inv_no

items.fetch_first()	
while.not.items.fetch_eof()
	old_child=items.record_data_get()
	second_items_pointer.enter_begin()
	second_items_pointer.record_data_set(old_child)
	second_items_pointer.inv_no=new_inv_no
	second_items_pointer.enter_end(.t.)
	items.fetch_next()
end while
second_items_pointer.close()
parent.resynch()

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Pete, the line that seems odd to me is:

while.not.items.fetch_eof()

I'd write it this way:

while .not. items.fetch_eof()

Otherwise the code seems fine to me. Can't trouble shoot this for you without copies of the tables and set. It's possible a mismatched data type or field name is throwing things off, so double check that if adding the blank spaces doesn't get it for you.

[trackmanpete]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Tom:
Thanks so much for your help. I went back and used Peter's second example (as you had originally suggested, I think) and that worked . Now, duplicating works just like Quickbooks! I wish I could really understand xbasic, because this is very neat!
At least I typed in the code correctly on my second try. Thanks also to Dr. Wayne's code...

Thanks again.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Pete, the key to understanding xbasic is to go slow. Study each line. Check the help file discussion. Don't try to grasp the next line until the first line has been studied and you understand it. If you have trouble finding the help file topic for a given command or statement post a message here and we'll point you in the right direction. Learning where things are found in the help system is part of learning xbasic. It's a big mistake to adopt someone else's code without understanding how it works. There may be limitations inherent in a given approach that wouldn't be apparent without study. It's your code. Understand how it works. You're responsible for it.

[richard2007]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Pete,

i am trying to use this function and am using dr waynes second method. i am getting an error,

dim casefile as p
dim target as p
dim old_parent as b
dim count_items as n
dim i as n
casefile=table.current(1)
target=table.current(2)
count_items=count(casefile->caseref,GRP->casefile)
if count_items>0 then
dim records[count_items] as b
i=0
target.fetch_first()
[COLOR="Red"]ERROR: Argument is incorrect data type[/COLOR]

did you get this error and how did you solve it.

thanks

[trackmanpete]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Richard:
This is the code that works for me. You will have to sort through the field names..I put in the message to test my count items. Let me know if this is helpful to you. I just tried it again and it works for me. I had 3 line items.

.

dim hdr as p
dim items as p
dim old_parent as b
dim count_items as n
dim i as n

hdr=table.current(1)
items=table.current(3)
count_items=count(invoice_items->invoice_Number,GRP->invoice_header)
if count_items>0 then
	ui_msg_box("help","Will this work")
	
    dim records[count_items] as b
    i=0
    items.fetch_first()
    while i<count_items
    	i=i+1
    	records[i]=items.record_data_get()
    	items.fetch_next()
    	end while
    	end if
    	old_parent=hdr.record_data_get()
    	hdr.enter_begin()
    	hdr.record_data_set(old_parent)
    hdr.enter_end(.t.)	
    if count_items>0 then
        for i=1 to count_items
        		items.enter_begin()
        		items.record_data_set(records[i])
        		items.invoice_Number=hdr.Invoice_Number
        		items.enter_end(.t.)
next        		
    end if
parent.resynch()
end

'Refresh data in current form at parent level.
'Can only resynch data in View mode, so save record first to be sure that layout is in View mode.
topparent.Commit()
topparent.Resynch()
topparent.Refresh_Layout()
'Refresh  'Browse2' in current form.
topparent:Browse2.refresh()

'Go to first record in current form at Browse2 level.
topparent:Browse2.fetch_first()

[richard2007]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

more - dont know how, but its working now.

[richard2007]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

pete,

just seen your reply. i see you added some extra code at the end.

this will be useful.

thanks for the code

richard

[jaryder]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Pete,

As Tom said,

It's your code. Understand how it works. You're responsible for it.

I am not crazy about using table.current(1) and table.current(3). First off, six months from now when you look at the code will you remember what file is current(1) and what file is current(3)? Second of all if you or another programmer changes the definition of the set, current(3) may be accessing the wrong file.

Much safer and more readable would be

hdr=table.get("header")
items=table.get("items")

The there are no questions at all on which files you are accessing.

Just my two cents worth. (OK less than that with today's economy)

Jeff

[trackmanpete]

Re: Duplicate a record found in a set

Jeff:
Thank you for your insight. Tom is correct in that I should learn this coding business. I don't have a firm grasp of it and probably never will. It was suggested to me to look at Dr. Wayne's code and I did that, adjusting it slightly to work for me. Your suggestion certainly makes good sense and is a nice gift on a day when gifts are in short supply.