Form View and Last Record

[johnkoh]

Hi,
How do you open a form and display the last record when you use the Form.view("form_name") function?

If result ="List_name" then
form.view("form_name") and Last Record?

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Form View and Last Record

I prefer using Form.load(). In pseudo code the sequence would be:

a) load the form, hidden
b) set the desired index primary (after all "last" has no meaning absent a sort sequence)
c) fetch the last record
d) show the form
e) activate the form

Very easy.

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Form View and Last Record

Hi John,

See <TBL>.FETCH_LAST() in the help file.

[johnkoh]

Re: Form View and Last Record

Tom and Keith

Thank you. I think I should mention the Ui_Popup_menu(). I am working the "Menu"

menu = <<%str%

Contract
Change Order
Work Schedule
Customers
%str%

result = ui_popup_menu(menu)

if result = "customers" then 
	form.view("Customer")
else if result = "contract" then 
	form.view("ContractsList")
else if result = "work Schedule" then 
	form.view("workschedule") ..... End If

[johnkoh]

Re: Form View and Last Record

I found another way.
I used the "Goto last record" on OnIt Form Event so that a form opened and displayed the last record.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Form View and Last Record

I found another way.
I used the "Goto last record" on OnIt Form Event so that a form opened and displayed the last record.

Remember that the "Goto last record" is relative to the current index.

Hence Tom's suggestion to set the index......

Choose wisely grasshopper.... ;)

[johnkoh]

Re: Form View and Last Record

Al,
Thank you.
But sometime, I just need the "simple" way.

I do not know about beyond of the "Current index".
I want to open a form and go to a last record.
Does "current index" have some other matter in order open a form?

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Form View and Last Record

b) set the desired index primary (after all "last" has no meaning absent a sort sequence)

I found another way.
I used the "Goto last record" on OnIt Form Event so that a form opened and displayed the last record.

As Tom and I are trying to explain, 'last record' does not tell Alpha enough information.

For every table there is at least one last record and can be as many as the number of indexes/queries plus one.

So the 'last record' definition and action is dependent on the index/query that is currently being used. These are choices that the user or programmer may change as the system is used. So you need to define which 'last record' you mean.

You do that by choosing the index or query that defines the sort order that you intend to be active when the 'last record' is chosen.

Or you can choose the record number sequence and get the last chronological record (or last physical record )

To rely on chance that the expected index is in play is to play russian roulette and lose.

Look at action scripting - Index/Sort - Set Index

That will start you on the proper path.

[johnkoh]

Re: Form View and Last Record

Al,

I appreciate the value of your tour.

I did not know it. I want to stay

That will start you on the proper path.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Form View and Last Record

Yes, Al is right (again). If the sort sequence (index) for the table is "record number" means the record with the highest (largest) record number. If the sort sequence (index) is last_name (ascending) the last record is last in A to Z order. If the sort sequence (index) is by date, then... well you get the picture. Our problem is that you know what "last record" means, but you haven't told us. So my pseudo code supplies a generic solution that will always work.

[MikeC]

Re: Form View and Last Record

I felt the need to add a bit to this (yeah, I know...when don't I feel the need!!).

I like this thread as it is one of the first I have read in the past few years that actually attempted to explain something that is virtually always assumed that people know about...that is, in regard to indices.

But even though Al and Tom have explained a lot, I think a complete newbie to programming would still be at a loss.

To put it in a very basic way, an index could be thought of being analogous to an index you find for books, encyclopedias, etc. . It is an order of a list that helps you (Alpha) find things faster. And you can have many indices created for the same list in order to find whatever you are looking for at different times to speed the looking process up.

An index can be created directly from within the table (right click on a table, choose Define Indexes) or dynamically with xBasic or Action Script. Alpha will many times create an index automatically when you have created filters and such.

Many users may not create any indices of their own, but without them it can make it much more difficult to code correctly as Tom and Al have pointed out....that and there are many functions that require or will be faster with an index and so a user who does not know about them will be limiting themselves severely at times.

Have fun!