edit variables

[Schulzie]

Hi Phorum,

In a form for a 1 to many set, I have a button to set defaults for 4 variables in an embedded browse from the child table. How can I edit those values for the case where the user makes a typo. I posted this earlier but did not mention that the fields were variables. There are 2 other fields in there that are not variables and they can be edited normally.

ed

[Bill Warner]

RE: edit variables

You can put a variable field on a form, just like you put a normal field. Then, you can edit it on the form.

[martinwcole]

RE: edit variables

Keep in mind though, that putting variables on forms as "fields" can also cause forms to crash, for some inexplicable reason - especially if their values are "blank" when the form loads, and especially if date fields. I had one problem form that had several vaiables on it that I used to write info to a file when they exited the form. The fix was to write the record first and then use the form to actually "edit" the record.

It is also in some inexplicable way related to certain HP and NEC printer drivers.

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: edit variables

>>It is also in some inexplicable way related to certain HP and NEC printer drivers.

[whanigsberg]

RE: edit variables

Martin,

"The fix was to write the record first and then use the form to actually "edit" the record."

I would be grateful if you could describe in detail what you did here as it may shed light on one of my own "inexplicable errors."

Thanks very much,
Bill

[Tom Patten]

RE: edit variables

Martin,

I would like to hear more about your approach. I have a number of crashes, and they all happen when changing forms; specifically going to a form I use to set variables prior to printing.

I have started setting the variables, with "best guesses" as place holders to see if it helps, based on your suggestion. I'm optimistic because so far, no crashes - but it is early.

thanks

Tom

[Schulzie]

RE: edit variables

Hi Tom,

I didn't do anything fancy (mostly because I don't know how), I set 4 variables in a form with ASK variables. So far so good, who knows what may happen next though.

Ed

[martinwcole]

RE: edit variables

Well, on my client's main form ("master form") i had a button "Enter new Payments" - this would load a form that had an embedded browse of "charges with an amount due" with the filter for the form set to [customer_number=var->cnum].
Cnum is an application wide global variable for what customer I may be working with.

the client would (tab order 1) enter a date(variable used as a field) then a (tab order 2) payment amount (variable used as a field, payment method(same) and payment source(same).

Then he would either let the form automatically apply the payment to amounts due for specific items, or manually enter the amounts paid in each appropriate browse column.

When saved, the code would create a new "payment history" record and "payments distributions" records for specific items.

This is a complicated, highly screened, and automated form that I spent about 8 weeks developing, with a lot of code on the form and in field rules. I am very pleased with it.

But the problem I ran into was that it would crash on certain computers - specifically ones with HP G55 & G85 printers, but not on HP R60 and other printers. Jim Chapman also reported similar problems with certain NEC printers.

I tried forever to get it to work - but only this one form would crash - and so badly, you often had to reboot to recover.

The client told me, "Hell, Martin, don't waste time solving HP's mistakes - we'll buy new printers. How many hours of your time would that cost, anyway!!" But I felt that if I didn't find a fix, it would bite me somewhere else, so I secretly persevered. I had too much time in that form to discard it.

I noticed that if I edited the payment, more or less the same form, it worked great.

So - on the "master form" when they "enter a new payment" I write a new "payments history" record, with logical defaults for what were the "form variables", and when they are entering the new payment they are actually editing a sort of blank payment. And when they save it they are changing values and writing new records for distributions.

God only knows why this works - but it does.

I learned a lot about working with browses when entering or editing data. To get the cursor to move where you want to move to, I have in field rules code done a lot with code like this:


for a particular field, like carrierapply(when making payments for insurancecarriers)
onwrotefield
if is_object("payments") ' the form we are talking about
sys_send_keys("{down}")
end if

this causes it to go down one row in the same column(carrierdue) since you would never split a payment between client and carrier. It makes for a professional and speedy entry form, in my opinion - otherwise the cursor moves to the first field in the next row and you have to either enter enter enter enter or tab tab tab tab to get over to where you need to be.

hope this helps somebody!

[whanigsberg]

RE: edit variables

Martin:

Thanks very much for the clearly written description. If I take you correctly, the moral is that you had difficulty (although not always) when the user input was entered into a form control bound to a variable but when you wrote around it so the user entered data into a control based on an actual field the problems went away.

If that's what you're saying, I've had the same problem. And this summer is when I am going to bite the bullet and slay it. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Bill

[Tom Patten]

RE: edit variables

Thank You - That was helpful.

Tom

[whanigsberg]

RE: edit variables

Let me add, Martin, that like yours, my form is enmeshed in a web of other events, rules and processes so it seems likely that it is some interaction of all these elements that is causing us difficulty.

Bill

[Schulzie]

RE: edit variables

Hi Guys,

I got around the problem by adding a button to the form where the typo was that takes me back to the form where i set the ask variable
ed