disable memo pencil but allow input

[gmeredith17]

I would like to limit data entry into a memo field. I do not want the user to be able to open the memo editor by clicking on the pencil icon. I want them to just enter the data into the memo field on the form.

Can this be done?

[Stan Mathews]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Is the real question/issue that you don't want the user to be able to edit the current memo contents but you want to allow additions?

[gmeredith17]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Is the real question/issue that you don't want the user to be able to edit the current memo contents but you want to allow additions?

No. Although that will be a requirement for a different project where the user is allowed to use the memo editor.

I need the field to have multiple lines including carriage returns but I do not want them to be able to change the font size which the memo editor allows.

[MikeC]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Geoff,
Maybe a quirk in my system, but I can change the font, etc. in my popup editor but the changes are not reflected in the actual memo field (a bug maybe?). Regardless, even if you cannot turn this off how about using xbasic to always have the font size, etc. to be whatever you want?

Like in the OnInit of the form have maybe something similar to

topparent:Amemo.Font.Size = 8

where Amemo is the memo object name. Then even if the changes do apply when changed in the editor, the memo field will still be what is wanted.

EDIT: using build 2237 / 3268

[gmeredith17]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Mike,

I had thought of that as a work around but it isn't great for the user. They may spend time changing the text format and be a little peeved when it doesn't hold. However it seems there could be a bug which is preventing the changes from taking anyway.

Later... The text size does hold but it is only available in the memo editor.


Geoff

[MikeC]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Geoff,

Later... The text size does hold but it is only available in the memo editor.

Right....and thinking about it what I said previously...

I can change the font, etc. in my popup editor but the changes are not reflected in the actual memo field (a bug maybe?).

about it being a possible bug----NOT. A lack of feature really. Nice for some with poor eyesight to be able to edit in larger print. It would be nice to have it translate to the memo but I guess this gives the developer more control (read as more work to do!!) as a font size option could be given for the memo field as well if wanted --or in your case not. Bubblehelp, text, or your help file could explain about the font increase can only be done in the editor itself.

[CALocklin]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Sorry if I seem to be hijacking this thread but I just happened to be ready to post a very similar question and found this thread.

I would like to eliminate that pencil icon completely or "cover it up". As Geoff wanted, I still want the user to be able to edit the text in the textbox itself but I would like to force my users to use the editor I created.

I tried to put a new button on top of that one so the user couldn't access the built-in button but the field always ended up on top of the button no matter what I did.

Why did I create my own?

Because I'm tired of users who complain about the built-in button - i.e., waste my time by calling and asking why they keep getting the "Please save or cancel your changes" warning when they didn't do anything.

Take a look at the demo and you will see why I want to use my own. The key features are:
- It can be opened without putting A5 into Edit mode.
- It can add a new line with date or date/time at either the top or bottom of the memo. (An optional argument in the function call determines whether or not this feature is enabled and whether it's at the top or bottom.)
- There are shortcut keys for all buttons and two shortcut keys for the Save button.

I did not add a "read only" option although it would be easy enough to do. I also did not add an "insertion point" because I see no great need for one - the ability to start new lines at the top or bottom seems sufficient to me.

As for the text size, if my users can't put their glasses on (just like I have to do now) then I figure they won't be able to read the data in the forms either.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

I would like to eliminate that pencil icon completely or "cover it up".

Settle for trapping the mouse activity on the pencil icon?

Using the User object at www.learn alpha.com

[CALocklin]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Danged internet! I've responded twice before and both times my internet went down before I could submit. Unfortunately, while doing other things I accidentally shut down my browser each time. Anyway....

Thanks Stan. With a bit of extra work I was able to get that idea of using a "user control" to work.

I had two problems initially:

#1. The user control (replacing the button) had to be pushed twice the first time the form was opened. It didn't matter what else I did first, the first time I clicked the button, nothing happened. I had to click a second time. After that, it worked perfectly (other than #2) until the form was closed.

#2. I'm using it on a tabbed form and the user control "bleeds" through to the next tab that is activated. It just shows up as a white area if there is nothing but the tab background showing. If there is a browse, field, etc., it's not visible because that object overwrites the "ghost".

SOLUTIONS:

1. Added a short script to the OnActive event that would temporarily activate the button then move back to the first tab as would be normal. (The "button" is on tab 2.) This seems to work fine and I see no screen flashing when it does this - at least not on my system. IMPORTANT: It MUST be in the OnActivate and NOT the OnInit.

parentform:user1.activate()
parentform:tabbed1.tab_set(1)

2. I added a text object in the areas where the "ghosts" were appearing. The settings for this object were as follows:
- No text.
- No border.
- Solid fill.
- Background color same as the tab color.
- Font color same as the tab color - JIC.

It was a bit of extra work to set up initially because of the testing time required but now that I know what to do, it will be pretty easy next time. (And most forms aren't tabbed forms so that won't generally be an issue.)

I now have a really user friendly memo editor button. I even added code to it that automatically switches it to Read Only if either the field or form are set to read only / restrict edit. And, when it's read only, the buttons change to a single "Close" button instead of a "Save" and "Cancel" and, maybe, "New Line" button.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Sounds like you had a bit of fun working out the quirks. Glad the suggestion got you to your desired result.

Thanks for sharing the steps you took to get it working as desired. I'm sure the discussion will benefit those who follow. Your last post should be an example to others who benefit from a suggestion, however slight the help, which leads to a solution.

[gmeredith17]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

Stan, great piece of lateral thinking. Thanks for the tip.

Cal, many thanks for your guide to the problems you encountered and the solutions you provided. I'm sure that will save me hours of problem solving and to be honest I'm not sure I would have thought of the solutions.

Thanks

Geoff

[Stan Mathews]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

It should also be pointed out what a great resource www.learn alpha.com is and thanks given again to Peter for maintaining it.

Some of the articles are quite old but can still have relevance today.

I don't use many tabbed forms and haven't experienced the bleed through mentioned though I have read other posts mentioning it. Might the solution to the bleed through to place a similar text object as the background for the entire tab area.

[CALocklin]

Re: disable memo pencil but allow input

It should also be pointed out what a great resource www.learn alpha.com is and thanks given again to Peter for maintaining it.

Some of the articles are quite old but can still have relevance today.

I don't use many tabbed forms and haven't experienced the bleed through mentioned though I have read other posts mentioning it. Might the solution to the bleed through to place a similar text object as the background for the entire tab area.

Yes, I go to "learn alpha" fairly often but didn't think of it this time. It is still a good resource.

As for the use of a text object to stop bleed through on tabbed forms, yes, that could possibly work in other situations as well. (I'd say "probably" but I haven't tested it.) The only [very minor] issue is that you would need to move the text object to the back of all the fields, other text objects, etc. In my case it was pretty easy to see where the bleed through was so I just put the text box where it was needed - although one is about 5 times larger than needed because there was nothing near it anyway.

There is one other minor issue - it's real easy to forget it's there because it has to match the tab background. We'll see if this causes me confusion months from now after forgetting what I did then editing something else in the area.