Tablecount variable

[netgeorger]

I am working from a form to an external table not in a set with the form table.
this is the help file example:
TABLECOUNT("PURCHASE.DBF","MANAGER = '" + vManager + "' ")
this what I wrote:
tablecount("Children.dbf ","ChClient_Id=' "+VClientId+" ' ")

this is the error that is sent back

Error:
expression_result= eval("tablecount('children.dbf','chlient_id='[unknown DOS error]C:\alpha Databases\Wills1\+VClientId+.dbf

I don�t understand this error except it seems there is something wrong with the variable desription.

if I write:
tablecount("Children.dbf ",".T.")

My script will correctly get the number of records in the table on the form and in the external "children" table
using the xbasic enter record action which is what the rest of the script is about. So that seems to work.

but I need to get the count of records just for a particular client not the whole table.

in the action script I set the client Id on the form to a variable
then I set the N relationcount field which is done through the action script to the tablecount function using the variable
but I can never get it to work even though I can get a 0 on the expression builder as a result which is the wrong count.

I can only think there is something wrong with the varible description, syntax, refresh or I don`t know
I have tried all kinds of things to no avail.
any insight will be appreciated
Thanks George Kenney

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Tablecount variable

Does your script assign a field value to the vClientId variable?

Do the data types of your fields and variables match?

Are the table and field names spelled correctly?

[netgeorger]

Re: Tablecount variable

Does your script assign a field value to the vClientId variable?

Do the data types of your fields and variables match?

Are the table and field names spelled correctly?

Tom thanks for your quick reply I have rechecked all.
1. my script assigns the field value from the assignment form
which is based on the assignment table as a global variable
in the action script set variable to field on form

2.The data types of the field on the form match the value of the variable as character type.

3. I believe the table and field names are spelled correctly.
I get the table name from the dropdown in the tablecount function of the expression builder I keep looking for some abnormality and it is good to keep looking. hmmmmm.

I actually thought that the function wouldn�t address a table
outside a set but then I got it to work on the whole table.
with tablecount("children",".T.") the rest of the script flowed on through.
there must be something wrong with the variable part. I tried
to use a Dim in the action script at the top but it had no effect. Maybe it is my spanish keyboard eventhough I get the same look of character. I mean I just don�t know I�LL try the function on another table in another database.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Tablecount variable

This should be (relatively) easy to fix. Can you post a stripped down copy of the database here so we can study it?

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Tablecount variable

What scope did you assign to the vClientId variable?

Why not just use a calculated field on the form?

[netgeorger]

Re: Tablecount variable

What scope did you assign to the vClientId variable?

Why not just use a calculated field on the form?

Thanks for your response I don�t think a calculated field
will do me because I am trying to do this for a whole list
of tables. the tables are not in the set or related to the
assignment form as I have too many. I use a drop down list
with a branch script and then run a message box to run the
particular list selected script this is where I thought to
put the tablecount function.
thanks
George Kenney

[netgeorger]

Re: Tablecount variable

This should be (relatively) easy to fix. Can you post a stripped down copy of the database here so we can study it?

Tom Thanks for the offer
It took me a bit to strip down the database to just
what is needed I suppose. I have tried to get the tablecount
function to work with a variable but I can�t seem to get it
to happen. maybe I am suppose to use a quote function with
it the client Id is character and the VclientId is character.
the field the function returns to is a numeric field. I am reaching out to an external table but I can�t get it to work on
a related table either I am probably mixing apples and pears somewhere. if you could be so kind to look at this I would appreciate it.
Thanks
George Kenney

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Tablecount variable

I think there is a problem in the way the action scripting genie is translating single and double quotes. Action scripting needs to account for the various places from where someone might run the code so it uses the eval() function to facilitate this. The eval() function takes a character expression. It looks like the genie is not translating the expression into a character string properly. I was sure that in the past the string in the eval function would have the escape character (\) placed in the appropriate spots.

This seems to be the similar to this thread. http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...ad.php?t=80045
I would report this as a bug.

For now this seems to work.

tablecount("Children.dbf ","ChClient_Id= "+quote(vClientId1))

Another work around is to convert the action to inline xbasic and modify the expression there to what you initially tried.

expression_result =  tablecount("Children.dbf","ChClient_Id= '"+ vClientId1+"'")

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Tablecount variable

Tim, I concur. The Action Scripting editor is mangling the tablecount() expression that George supplied to the genie.

George, you can see this if you highlight the action and then click the spectacles on the toolbar to "examine" the xbasic code the editor is generating. Notice that many of your quote marks have become apostrophes. This is being done to accommodate the eval() function's use, but it's implemented badly.

I hope you'll send a copy of this database example to Alpha with a formal bug report. Use the "Send a Bug Report" option on the Alpha Five Help menu. Include detailed directions for them to follow (using actual form and button names) so that they can easily find and replicate the problem on their equipment.

Incidentally, George, the examples you found in the help file discussion of the tablecount() function were written long ago. If memory serves they were written before the quote() and s_quote() functions became available to us. When time permits maybe I'll update the examples to use these functions.

-- tom

[netgeorger]

Re: Tablecount variable

I think there is a problem in the way the action scripting genie is translating single and double quotes. Action scripting needs to account for the various places from where someone might run the code so it uses the eval() function to facilitate this. The eval() function takes a character expression. It looks like the genie is not translating the expression into a character string properly. I was sure that in the past the string in the eval function would have the escape character (\) placed in the appropriate spots.

This seems to be the similar to this thread. http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...ad.php?t=80045
I would report this as a bug.

For now this seems to work.

tablecount("Children.dbf ","ChClient_Id= "+quote(vClientId1))

Another work around is to convert the action to inline xbasic and modify the expression there to what you initially tried.

expression_result =  tablecount("Children.dbf","ChClient_Id= '"+ vClientId1+"'")

Tim
Thanks so much I don�t think I would have ever figured this out.
I was starting to think that the quote function might have something to offer as I had seen it in other examples of the tablecount function but I thought it just turned whatever into a character object I had looked them up in help but I kept thinking it had something to do with my variable
the scope, the name, where it came from or something.
I could see in the error message that the qoutes were
not being reflected in the eval statment just single qoutes but I didn�t know if that was normal or not. I tried looking at the code but I don�t know enough about code to see anything unusual.
Anyway I really apperciate your help
George Kenney

[netgeorger]

Re: Tablecount variable

Tim, I concur. The Action Scripting editor is mangling the tablecount() expression that George supplied to the genie.

George, you can see this if you highlight the action and then click the spectacles on the toolbar to "examine" the xbasic code the editor is generating. Notice that many of your quote marks have become apostrophes. This is being done to accommodate the eval() function's use, but it's implemented badly.

I hope you'll send a copy of this database example to Alpha with a formal bug report. Use the "Send a Bug Report" option on the Alpha Five Help menu. Include detailed directions for them to follow (using actual form and button names) so that they can easily find and replicate the problem on their equipment.

Incidentally, George, the examples you found in the help file discussion of the tablecount() function were written long ago. If memory serves they were written before the quote() and s_quote() functions became available to us. When time permits maybe I'll update the examples to use these functions.

-- tom

Tom
Thanks for your help with this I will try to send in the bug report people complain about the help files but I have seen other help files and Alpha is head and shoulders above the rest. At least after reading a help file in Alpha you actually have a clue as to what to do and you don�t have to reread it three times to realize you don�t know what they are
talking about. There are so many man hours in
those help files I don�t see how it could ever be updated.
Thanks so much
George Kenney