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best and fastest way to search for records

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    #1

    best and fastest way to search for records

    What is the best and fastest way to search for records?

    Is there a “simpler FIND”?
    Something like: clear the form, move to field LAST_NAME, type the last name, press a Fkey and the record will be there.

    Is there a function or utility to be call that will show, the last LAST_NAME field and as you fill in the field, the matching records will be showing?


    Now this are the options I know…..


    For example I want to find a Last name in the LAST_NAME field.

    A) There is FIND in the tool menu: Select “FIND TEXT” and click the options.. The record will be found.

    B) Press right click in the LAST_NAME and select “Quick Filter For..” then type the last name wanted.
    You press “run find” and the record will appear.

    C) The query Genie, it is very sophisticated with all the possibilities to find the records.

    These options are cumbersome for quick find.

    D) I have follow the post and work it
    http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...+record+search

    This is much better, but it only allows to pick the first letter. As a result, sometimes you have to scroll quite a bit.

    Has any one got a better way?
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: best and fastest way to search for records

    I am being lazy today, but will try to answer anyway.

    Control B, (search by form) lets you put the information you want into the field you want on the form.

    Pressing F9 then performs the query, returning any records that match the criteria.
    Gregg
    https://paiza.io is a great site to test and share sql code

    Comment

      #3
      Re: best and fastest way to search for records

      I notice the use of Control B which is Query By form and Control F which is Find By form. Both requires the full name to find records.
      It would be nice if either option will take a wild card or accept partial name.
      I could use something simpler.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: best and fastest way to search for records

        Mike,

        Have you tried progressive lookup? It's in AlphaSports, on the customers form. Click on "find customer". It takes a bit of coding, but I think it does what you are looking for.
        Cliff

        Coffee tastes better if the latrines are dug downstream from an encampment.
        - US Army Field Regulations, 1861

        Comment

          #5
          Re: best and fastest way to search for records

          Mike,

          The asterisk "*" is the wild card.
          Gregg
          https://paiza.io is a great site to test and share sql code

          Comment

            #6
            Re: best and fastest way to search for records

            The "best" search, the "fastest" search, and the "simpler" search are design choices based on the needs of the application. Absent specifics all we can do is supply generalities.

            Is there a “simpler FIND”?
            Something like: clear the form, move to field LAST_NAME, type the last name, press a Fkey and the record will be there.
            If the primary index for your form is based on the Last_name field Ctrl-K is the fastest way to find and retrieve a matching record. No query need be run against the table. I find this efficient, simple, and "best" for many applications.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: best and fastest way to search for records

              Just to get this all in one place.

              The asterisk "*" is the wild card.

              CTRL-F is find by form.
              This will find the first record that matches the criteria you enter.

              CTRL-B is query by form.
              This will find all records that match the criteria you enter.

              The F9 button will get alpha5 to perform the desired search if you don't want you use the mouse to click the Run button.
              Gregg
              https://paiza.io is a great site to test and share sql code

              Comment

                #8
                Re: best and fastest way to search for records

                Thanks for all the responses.
                Tom, for the time being, I will use the Control K.
                Cliff, I have seen in the past the customer form in Alphasport and had admired the functionality of it, but I did not appreciate it until now. I will implement it.

                Gregg, the wild card does not seem to work for me.
                For example if you use
                Control K and type *worth in Lname
                you will expect to find all record with worth at the end in that field.
                Or De*, you will expect the records starting with De. It does not
                Am I using correctly?

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: best and fastest way to search for records

                  Mike, you misunderstand a fundamental distinction. Ctrl-k is not running a query against the whole table. It's simply fetching the first matching record. The entire range of records in the table remains "in scope". There is no wild card available for this, nor is one needed. Contrast that with Query by Form (Ctrl-B) where Alpha returns ALL the records that match the search string. This is a subset of the entire range of records. Only records that match the search criteria are "in scope". Here the wildcard is available. A review of the searching/selecting records chapter of the User Guide will give you more useful information.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: best and fastest way to search for records

                    Tom, Thanks for the clarification and guidance. Very appreciated.

                    I have also implemented the suggestion from Cliff using the search features in the alpha sport customer sample.
                    The looks is great and it works very well. One minor detail...
                    The combo box searchby that uses the Var vcsearchby, does not allow me to change to any other fields in the table, as it does in the alpha sport sample.
                    All it does when selected is to show Lastname, No other choices.

                    It does show all the fields from the table during the setup under the choices tab by clicking PREVIEW.

                    Where is the code or what triggers the option to make that combo box to give me the choices, just like in alphasports?

                    The All and find customer buttons works very well.
                    The multi-state button is perfect.
                    Clicking in the browse work just as well.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: best and fastest way to search for records

                      Check the properties of the combo box object - inspect the "Choices" setting. Should be "computed automatically", using "Field List", and the "current table". If that doesn't get you where you need to go post a zipped copy here with instructions for us to follow to retrace your steps.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: best and fastest way to search for records

                        I did confirm the set up of the combo box and it is the same as in the Alpha sports.
                        I did change the "current table" setting to the "name of the table" in the combo box and it works.
                        Just to mention the form is based on a set not a table.
                        Could this difference would have been the reason for malfunctioning?
                        Could I run into problems down the road using this change?
                        Any comments?

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: best and fastest way to search for records

                          Could this difference would have been the reason for malfunctioning?
                          Yes. How do you suppose Alpha can tell which table is "current" when your form is based on a set? Each time the form opens all the tables in your set are opened. Which one is Alpha supposed to use in populating the combo box?

                          This setting (current table) makes sense only in a form based on a single table, right? Otherwise, you should specify the table by name. It was your mistake to copy over the exact settings from a table based form and try to apply them to a set based form without understanding the differences. But, this is how we learn, so keep cllimbing, and good luck with your project.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: best and fastest way to search for records

                            Thanks, I really look every where and could not see the differences, until you mention "current table". That "spark" and I noticed the difference.

                            Comment

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