Entering Data on a Second Tab of a Tabed form

[Ken Fleming]

What commands are used to allow Changing or entering Data on the Second & Third tab of a tabed Form. It always goes to the first tab when opening the form. I want some automated data entry like the Date and Change a Logic from F to T with actions on a button Then Enter a Check # and Amount on the second tab. Then enter a deposit # and date on the third tab. Nothing I have tried allows any Automatic entry on the second two tabs of the form. Any help will be Much appreciated.

Thanks Ken

[Larry Kipe]

RE: Entering Data on a Second Tab of a Tabed form

I've allways been able to automatically enter data on any tab of a tabbed form by using the absolute name of the item I want to change.

ie.

:MyForm:MyItem.value = "100.00"

[Ken Fleming]

RE: Entering Data on a Second Tab of a Tabed form

I can Enter Data but I Want AUTOMATED Entry, and cannot get it to go past the FIRST TAB with Send Keys. I am New at A5 and do not understand what you are saying at all. I have to see something to really know what it is like.

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Entering Data on a Second Tab of a Tabed form

Ken

I am not sure exactly what you mean by automated entry, but there are a number of methods to get information into a field without direct user input.

First situation:
You want to have a value entered into a record when the record is created. This is done in field rules by setting a default value. If the user takes no action, the default value will be entered.

Second situation:
You want the value of a field to be based on the value of another field. This can be done a couple ways, but the most likely would be to make one field a calculated field in field rules and have its values calculated from another field.

Third situation:
You want the values determined or entered while a form is open. This is normally done using xbasic. The code may be on a button, a form event, or an object event. There are 2 significant options here. You can get a pointer to a table and enter values directly into the table.

tbl = table.current()
tbl.change_begin()
tbl.yourfield = value to save
tbl.change_end()

The other option uses code similar to Larry's suggestion. Every object on a form has an object name and certain properties. For example, if one of the field objects on a form called "MyForm" is named "MyItem", then the complete object name is Myform:myfield. The name of an object by default is the same as the field that is in it, but the name can be changed in object properties. If you want to set the value entered into that object, you would use something like

MyForm:MyItem.value = "100.00"

That line would have to be part of some xbasic code attached to something. Various objects have different properties that can be set.

Whithout more information, it is impossible to get more specific. From your message, it sounds like you are trying to use send_keys() for data entry, which is very inefficient. While this was typical in A4, A5 is a Windows based program and is object oriented. It is much more useful to address the object directly with its name and set its properties that way.

Jerry

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Entering Data on a Second Tab of a Tabed form

By the way, then object name is the same if it is on a tabbed object or placed directly on the form. The tabbed object itself is just an object and it has certain properties of its own. The xbasic manual give many methods to use properties to set which tab has focus, or to move focus to a specific tab.

Jerry

[Ken Fleming]

RE: Entering Data on a Second Tab of a Tabed form

This is really a Simple 3 Tabed Form, with some of the information repeated on all 3 tabs.

It has a Customer Name, Ect. Invoice #, Service Date, and 2 Logics, Paid & Deposited. On entry the Customer Name ect. is entered via a Pick List which also enters the Inv. Amount System Date is Entered and Sets the Logics ALL AS False with Send Keys. When I receive Payment on TAB2 I want to change Logic Paid F to T Enter the System Date from a button then enter a Check # & Amount & Save. Same with Tab3, I want to enter the System Date for a Deposit and Change another Logic from F to T. Seems like this could be done by System Send Keys, works entereing the basic on Tab1. But getting to tab 2 & 3 gets me. I have looked in the xbasic manual and I find NOTHING that give me a clue. I have searched both books and Peter Norton's training book also. I find nothing so far, seems like it would be in the index. Where is it hiden???


Give me a Clue how this works.

tbl = table.current()
tbl.change_begin()
tbl.yourfield = value to save
tbl.change_end()

Is this Coding on a BUTTON??? Does it Allow Enter or Change of data on a form I would think so. I am a very simple minded person and have to see something to understand it. Am doing my best to learn what I can from any example I find & read this board regular for any hints I can pick up. I am use to A4 but like the way A5 works and wish I had made he plunge a LONG time ago. The codeing what is getting me. Any tips as to what I can get to learn would be appreciated Very Much. I have Peter Norton's Book and am in the process of going through it.

To Enter Data on a Form that has data on it, I have to CLOSE it and then REOPEN IT. Seems like there should be a better way. If I do NOT then it locks and blinks like crazy and have to hit the power button.

Any help will be MUCH Appreciated.

Thanks so Much

Ken

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Entering Data on a Second Tab of a Tabed form

Ken

First, you are thinking in A4. I had the same problem when I first went to A5. The best method is to forget nearly everything you learned in A4 because it doesn't apply to an object oriented product.

You didn't mention which A5 program version you are using. Different versions work differently. In A5V4, what you want to do is fairly simple. I strongly suggest you read the section in the xbasic manual on Action Scripting, as well as the sections on object properties

When you change the value in a field, you trigger events attached to the field. If you open a form in design mode, place the cursor in a field and right click. One of the options is actions. These actions (or events) occur when certain conditions occur. For instance, a field object may have an OnChange event. When you change the value in the field, whatever scripting is attached is run. Using action scripting, you can select an action to set the properties of an object. If you set the "value" property, it is just as if you typed the value into the field. The field does not have to be visible to set the property.

Now, if you want the action to cause the tab to change, I don't see that in action scripting. However, you can change the code window to straight xbasic. Then you can set the object property directly. For instance, if you have a tabbed object named tabbed1 (the default name for the first tabbed object created on a form) and you want to send focus to the second tab, this one line of xbasic code will do that.

topparent:tabbed1.tab_set(2)

In this example, I chose just one event. Events (actions) exist for each object as well as the form itself. You may have to play around will putting code on different actions to see if you can get the effect you want.

Learning the concepts of objects and object properties is not easy, but essential to understanding a windows based program. It will take some time and frustration. The xbasic manual is fairly good about covering these concepts, although it does seem cryptic at first.

Jerry