Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

[SMARTII]

Once I get this in the most efficient manner, I have at least 70 to do on a similar basis.
Ok, V9 Paltinum Desktop...
I have a form:
On the form is the following:
County Name called DLRCNTY.
County ID called CNTYNO. It is Char as it can be 001..009...010...290.

When the user enters the DLRCNTY value, ex: "HARRIS"
Then the next field is CNTYNO.
I want the CNTYNO filled in by fetching (Looking up) the correct CNTYNO from a "Library" dbf called "county.dbf"
It is indexed by its field called "COUNTY_NAME" and has the value I want in CNTY_NO.
So, "on arrival" in the form at CNTYNO, the program does a lookup, using the previous field (DLRCNTY) value.
a lookup would be:
lookup"county.dbf","COUNTY_NAME="+DLRCNTY,"CNTY_NO")
Literally:
lookup("county.dbf","COUNTY_NAME='HARRIS'","CNTY_NO")
1.

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

Hi Tom,

Why do yo want to do a second lookup when you can fill all the fields you want from the first lookup?

From what you are describing everything is in the "County" table.

Unless I'm missing something and what you want to do is a filtered lookup for the second field.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

I'm with Keith. Why not use a table lookup field rule on the DLRCNTY field, and define it in such a way as to "autofill" the CNTY_NO field?

[SMARTII]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

Hi Tom,

Why do yo want to do a second lookup when you can fill all the fields you want from the first lookup?

From what you are describing everything is in the "County" table.

Unless I'm missing something and what you want to do is a filtered lookup for the second field.

Ok, Keith,
Let's stick with the 1st lookup that gets the CNTYNO from the county dbf.
(The 2nd one is for use on other forms or operations where the CNTYNO is known, but not the DLRCNTY. So we'll let that rest for now.)

If I understand, the consensus is that I should forget the lookup at the form level and place it at the DTA.DBF table level with a field rule.
i.e. "This is usually done in the table's field rules, not as event code for a form."
Ok,
My ancient progamming taught that the base table should be a simple as possible with no calculations where possible.
I'll have to change my thinking.
So, I went back to the DTA.DBF table and did the field rule using the function I posted.
It works just fine now on the FORM, even though that CNTYNO field is no longer editable by the user. So it's really not a default, but a Calc'd field only.
If no edit possible, I'll live with that for now, at least in this particular FORM.
If there is any other lookup alternative ways of writing the FUNCTION I posted, feel free to offer them.
In the meantime, thank you all for your productive help. This Forum is what keeps me encouraged to stay with A5. Oh. and the many Videos and books like Xbasic for Everyone, A5 Functions manual, and when I get better at it I want to add the Code Utility program to see if it can speed up my production.

Best to all,
Tom

[SMARTII]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

BTW:
The first post chopped off the FUNCTION I wrote at least I can't see it:

FUNCTION cntylups AS C (sndval AS C,which as c)
DIM RTNFLD AS C
DIM SNDFLDVAL AS C
'------------
if which = "id"
SNDFLDVAL = "COUNTY_NAME = " + S_QUOTE(SNDVAL)
RTNFLD = "CNTY_NO"
elseif which = "name"
SNDFLDVAL = "CNTY_NO = " + S_QUOTE(SNDVAL)
RTNFLD = "COUNTY_NAME"
else
SNDFLDVAL = "COUNTY_NAME = " + S_QUOTE(SNDVAL)
RTNFLD = "CNTY_NO"
cntylups = "need which"
exit function
end if
cntylups = alltrim(lookup("COUNTY.DBF",SNDFLDVAL,RTNFLD))
END FUNCTION

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

Tom, perhaps it's me. But maybe you're misunderstanding the advice thus far. Instead of defining a calculated field that uses a lookup function to retrieve the desired field value, why not make both fields user entered, but define a table lookup field rule. This will give you the opportunity to lookup the county from a popup (or drop down) list, assuring no typo errors, and will let you "autofill" the related county number field. Take a look at the topic "Creating a Table Lookup" in the User Guide.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

Tom C,
I believe Tom M want it automatic, without user selection derived from one field imput... kind of.

Tom M,
You have me confused. The first post said you wanted to achieve a value for the county number field (CNTYNO) from the value of the county name field (DLRCNTY) by a lookup to the COUNTY table using the county name as the filter. The function you wrote has parameters that allow either name or id to be used. It reads like it should work, if you populate the parameters appropriately, which is not part of the function and must be passed to the function somehow. So, what is you question/issue/problem, now?

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

Mike W, you may be right. But at the top he said:

When the user enters the DLRCNTY value, ex: "HARRIS"

I've found that picking a name from a list is much more reliable than asking the user to type it in from scratch. Consider the problem a subsequent calc expression will have if the user mistypes...

Much better to ask user to pick the county name right off the lookup list and avoid typing altogether.

[SMARTII]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

I also like the idea of a pick list using the county table. But in this ONE case/form the county is always the "home" county of the user's company, so it would probably just get typed in faster. I may even set it to default to that based on the zipcode they enter before the county name.

HOWEVER, later on, in the sales DBF / Form the buyer's county could be any one of hundreds that the user may not know how to spell as 'Monongahela", "SCHLEICHER" or "NACOGDOCHES" come to mind. As well, some zipcodes are cross-county. Mine included. I get law suits all the time from the wrong county:) But I always inform them on the day before appearance.
The pick list will get used, but just not on this form.
So, as he said, 'I'll be back."

thanks.

[SMARTII]

Re: Automatic Lookup for a default value in Forms

Mike W, you may be right. But at the top he said:
I've found that picking a name from a list is much more reliable than asking the user to type it in from scratch. Consider the problem a subsequent calc expression will have if the user mistypes...

Much better to ask user to pick the county name right off the lookup list and avoid typing altogether.

Ok, I'm back...a better A5 programmer thanks to all of you bouncing ideas off of me and each other!
I gave the idea of a pick list lookup at the County Name field some more thought.
Although the particular form, as I said has few records, I do have 2 clients (National Rental Car Co's) that have as many as 40 locations to track in this Table/Form.
So, when I finally got it through my head that A5 can have baskets full of operations/Code in the native table. (I was taught forever to avoid such and keep the native dbf as simply a repository of data.) things began to make sense.
I modified the DTA.dbf by adding a lookup to the County dbf.
The Lookup linked County.COUNTY_NAME->DTA.DLRCNTY. In addition I asked it to fill in the CNTYNO from the County.dbf as well.
Then I just opened the User FORM and Voila! As soon as the user types enough of the county name to make it unique, A5 filled in the rest of the name in the correct case, and filled in the CNTYNO as well! In addition, they can click the little "down" button on the right of the field and the whole list of counties pops up.
Now this won't excite anyone but me, (A5 101??) but this is a major break through in my FORM design! Actually it's the table design that makes it work. Now, since they have to have the County Tax Collector name as well, I'm adding that to the lookup auto-insert.
I had this down pat in my old software and now I have it here!

I'm trying to get this big Application done before rigor mortise sets in completely.
Thank you all so much. I've been a teacher/mentor for 15yrs, so it's great to be the teachee for once.
Tom McC