Required fields

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Required fields

I've looked at the trial database you uploaded. The problem is what we thought, and has been described in earlier posts in this thread.

The form is based on a three table set. Two of the fields in the parent table have field rules establishing them as 'required'. This means that before Alpha Five will permit you to save a record to the parent table, these fields must be filled in.

You have included fields from both of the child tables on the same form, which is understandable. However, you set the tab order so that when data entry begins the user is working on a field in the parent table. Then, after the first field is filled in, focus shifts to a field in one of the child tables. When this happens Alpha Five tries to save the pending parent table record, and cannot since all of the required fields have not yet been entered.

I think this happens because Alpha Five, at least in the current version, is table oriented, not set oriented. You're looking at the form and seeing one 'set' level record. Alpha Five sees records in three tables. As you tab from field to field across the face of your form, each time you leave a 'table' Alpha Five will save your work in the table you were editing... or at least try to.

To say it again. The field in tab order position #2 on your form belongs to a child table record. When focus moves away from the field in tab order position #1 it moves from a field in the parent table to a field in a child table record. The parent table record is saved... and the save fails because other required fields in that record are still blank.

The fix for this is to adjust your tab order for fields on the form so that the user finishes with required fields in the parent table record before focus is permitted to be shifted to a field in either of the child tables. This will require some doing because while some users will dutifully tab through all the fields... others will use the mouse and may jump to a field out of sequence.

Many of us have decided it's often better to write our own validation routines, so that a more flexible data entry system can be designed.

Another idea would be to remove the child table fields from this form entirely. You could put a button on the form to open a separate form and do data entry into one of the child tables separately. A second button could do the same thing for the second child table.

-- tom

RE: Required fields

Tom,

I built a very simple example set which I attach.
Just try to enter a record into the Setform form n you'll get the error message immediately. This is not how the field rule shd work. This wd never happen in A4 V6.2 (good old DOS times !).

Ales

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Required fields

Ok. Both required fields are in the parent table. On your form the tab order arranges them in positions 1 and 5. *But* what about the fields in tab order positions 2, 3, and 4? Are they all from the parent table, or are you bouncing back and forth between the two tables in your set? This is what I was trying to describe for you...

[Ohlen Cartmell]

RE: Required fields

Exiting the first required field causes the second required field rule message to activate? If there are scripts attached to form events, I'd eliminate them 1 at a time to see if there is interference of some sort. Then check to see if there's a hidden field on the form that is causing the field rule to activate? If this doesn't work, then eliminate field rules 1 at a time to see if something is interfering.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Required fields

Sorry, can't say that I've ever run into what you describe. Is it possible there are other processes at work which cause Alpha Five to try to save the new Parent Table record? Perhaps some sort of field rule?

You mention that you are using table lookup field rules to supply data from child tables in the current set. Is the NAME field involved in any of the links between parent and child tables? Is the NAME field involved in the table lookup field rules? For example, is the NAME field used to filter candidates in the lookups?

Maybe you could post a trimmed down version of the database here so we could look at the problem with you?

-- tom

[Ohlen Cartmell]

RE: Required fields

When using a tabbed form, Alpha saves the record when you change tabs. So, if you have a required field on the 5th tab and open the form on the first, you'll get the message when you try to change tabs which makes it impossible to complete filling in your record. The way around this is to eliminate the required fields in the field rules and put a script in the Can Save event of the form. The script checks that the required fields are filled in and prevents the record from being saved if not.

RE: Required fields

Tks Tom. But the required fields where I hv the problem are ALL in the parent table. Only values for these required fields are derived fm lookup child tables - but all lookup records already do exist in the child tables n nothing additionally is to be saved at the child table level.

Ales

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Required fields

In Vers. 4 of Alpha Five the field rules are defined at the table level, not at the set level, as you may be accustomed to using Alpha Four.

If your tab order traverses through a series of fields, some of which are in one table, and some of which are in the second (which is possible since your form is based on a set containing two tables), Alpha Five may be trying to save the current record whenever focus moves from fields in one table to fields in the other table. Since a required field hasn't yet been filled in, when it saves the partially completed record the error occurs. -- tom

Fortunately there are always some new users reading this message board n even if my problem already explained, it will still be new for some people.
Hv A5 V4.5 b. 266
Hv a simple set. In the field rules defined 2 required fields. First is first on the form the next required field is let say the fifth tab stop. When I enter first field and proceed to the next I get the "Field is required: NAME" error message, even though I even didn't land at that field.
What is causing this error n why ? I searched the message board, fond something when there are tabbed forms, but I hv a simple form without and subform or tabbed form (to be honest, it shdn't be problem also on a tabbed form if e.g. parent table fileds are divided onto few tabs).
How to solve this ?

Tks
Ales