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Disappearing forms

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    Disappearing forms

    Hi,

    I have two forms, both based on the same table. They have different names, eg, one is "form", the other is "form1".

    I want to have a script which will effectively backup the table to a different table, using the copy record command, and place a button on the form to run this script.

    I have used the script recorder to record the script that I will use, using the copy records genie to do so. The genie works and copies the records.

    The problem is that after using the copy records genie the second form disappears; it leaves a copy of the first form in it�s place, including the form name.

    I have done this several times with the same result. Is there a problem using the copy records genie?, but I don�t see why it could affect the forms in that way?

    I guess it must be the way in which I am using the copy records command, or maybe the way in which I am trying to record it.

    Any advice would be appreciated.

    Brian Dennis.

    #2
    RE: Disappearing forms

    Try a different name for the second form. Entirely different. -- tom

    Comment


      #3
      RE: Disappearing forms

      Hi Tom,
      Thanks for the advice. Tried it and it works of a sort.
      The results seem to be as follows:-
      There are two forms based on the master table, no forms based on transaction table.
      I copy all records to a second table, and overwrite that second table each time.
      -If form names are similar and the dictionaries are copied, one of the forms disappears.
      -If form names are similar and dictionaries are not copied, it works ok.
      -If form names not similar, dictionaries copied, new forms are generated for the second table - ie. working correctly, but would have to rename those forms.

      Do you know how dissimilar the form names should be to avoid this problem?
      Does this problem happen in other situations ?
      I like to have similar names to the forms/browses for each part of the application. I guess the easy way is to avoid copying the dictionaries ?

      I am setting up the second table as a kind of backup, in case I do something stupid when updating the first table, which I do quite often. One day I can see myself updating "all records" instead of "marked" records.

      Thanks for your input,

      Brian Dennis.

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Disappearing forms

        Brian,

        In Alpha Five each object must have a unique name. (this is actually a requirement of Windows)

        It's never a good idea to use names for your custom objects that Alpha Five is already using for it's internal components. So for example, I think it's not a good idea to call a custom form, "Form". Nor is it a good idea to name an object after a built in function, like "Date".

        In your case however, these are not the reasons you're seeing the behavior you are getting. Instead, it's another aspect of the 'object naming' rules that Alpha Five follows.
        When you give an object a unique name, but then open two instances of it in the same session, Alpha Five must rename the second instance to keep them separate. It does so automatically by appending a numeric identifier to the end of the original object name. You can see this easily if you drop two copies of a field on to the same form layout. In your original scenario using Form and Form1 the second instance of 'Form' will be renamed 'Form1' by Alpha Five automatically, thereby trashing the real 'Form1' you had previously created. So, inadvertantly, your name for the second form conflicted with the name Alpha had to use when you opened the second instance of the first form.

        Hope this helps.

        -- tom

        -- tom

        Comment


          #5
          RE: Disappearing forms

          Hi Tom,
          Yes, it explains things well.
          -I haven�t named any forms "forms", I just used that to explain things; but I�ll be sure to avoid those kind of names.
          -I�ll have forms which I would have names as "client1", which in future I'll make "clientA", "clientB", etc.
          -Is there a way of renaming existing forms? I realise I would have to redo all actions pointing to those forms.

          Thannks for the help

          Brian

          Comment


            #6
            RE: Disappearing forms

            Brain

            To rename a form, open it in design mode and then under "File" from the menu, select "Save AS" with a new name. Then delete the first form. You should also compact the database when done to remove the deleted form information.

            Jerry

            Comment


              #7
              RE: Disappearing forms

              Doesn't the Copy Records command create a new table? If so, and if you copy the data dictionary, the new table will have all the same layouts as the original table - including the names.

              If you really want to keep the other form, create the backup table and modify/rename the form as necessary. Then, to run a backup, open the table, zap the existing data, and append the data from the original table.

              FWIW: My A5v4 backup routines use File.copy() to copy either just the data files (.dbf,.fpt, and optionally the .cdx) or just the app files (.se*,.a*,.dd*) to a different folder (or drive, floppy, zip drive, etc.).

              Comment


                #8
                RE: Disappearing forms

                Jerry,
                Thanks, got it now.
                Brian

                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: Disappearing forms

                  Cal,
                  Thanks, yes - my main problem wss that I was copying everything and thus generating another bunch of all forms, etc.
                  As well as that I was using the name of the first form with a "1" after it as the name of the second. Thanks to this message board I now know better.

                  Thanks to everybody for the help.

                  Brian.

                  Comment

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