The report that didn't close

[Greg Fong]

I have an invoicing form (invoicing) based on a table "invoice". On the form is a browse for the "invoice" table and a button (Edit Invoice) that calls up another form (Invoice Editing Form) based on a set invoice=>invoice_Detail. On this second form there is a tabbed object with two tabs. The first tab holds data from the "invoice table" the second tab holds the browse for the invoice_detail table. I have a button on the second tab called "print invoice" The report is also based on a set comprised of invoice=>invoice_detail. The xbasic code in the button is derived directly from action scripting.

The problem occurs after the "print invoice" button is pressed and the preview option is chosen. After the user clicks on the X to close the preview window I find that the (Edit Invoice) button will not work.

After closing the app I find that the report object still exists as well as (Invoice Editing Form) object and the (invoicing)object.

While stepping through the debugger I find that the debugger fails to continue stepping through the code after running the following line:

:Report.preview("invoice_r","BETWEEN(RECNO(),"+ current_record+ ","+current_record+")")

The confounding thing is that I have a button in the (Invoicing) form that contains the same code it runs perfectly and doesn't leave objects behind.

Perhaps there is another way to ensure that a report window actually closes when the user presses the X.

The following is the code found in the on_push event of my (Edit Invoice) button:

this.disable()

dim A_ASK_PRINT as c
A_ASK_PRINT = ui_get_radio(this.text, 1, "Print", "Preview")
if A_ASK_PRINT = "Print"
goto print
elseif A_ASK_PRINT = "Preview"
goto preview
else
this.enable()
goto cleanup
end if

print:
current_record = alltrim(str(recno(),10,0))
:Report.print("invoice_r","BETWEEN(RECNO(),"+ current_record+ "," + current_record+")")
this.enable()
goto cleanup

preview:
current_record = alltrim(str(recno(),10,0))
:Invoice_Fm.Hide()
:Report.preview("invoice_r","BETWEEN(RECNO(),"+ current_record+ "," + current_record+")")

this.enable()
:invoice_fm.show()

goto cleanup

end
cleanup:
this.enable()
debug(0)
end


END

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: The report that didn't close


Greg,

If the edit form is called as a 'dialog', and you then try to print while the dialog is open, I think that may be your problem. try closing the 'dialog' form, and printing from the main form... or don't open it as a dialog.

-- tom

[Greg Fong]

RE: The report that didn't close

I tried not opening it as a dialog and I still got the same situation. Printing from the main form works fine. The button was a suggestion from the client to save having to pop in and out of forms to perform tasks. I should be able to stick a print button anywhere. What bothers me is that I have a couple of other print setups like this that work well.

I try to open all my forms in dialog to better control the user. I just don't relish the idea of them opening multiple windows and getting lost in windows land. My experience with this type of design has not been good. Maybe someone out there can set me straight on how I should twist my brain around this type of programming. Perhaps there is another way to keep users from hopping from one window to the next.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: The report that didn't close

Greg, doesn't sound like the 'dialog' form is the issue, since the report still hangs in preview mode if the form is not opened as a dialog.

One idea might be to move the button off the tab page and place it on the dialog form itself. If that works, you can arrange to hide and show the button, so that it is visible only when tab page 2 is active.

Also, maybe there's something flaky in the report. Try building another, simpler report, and see if it behaves the same way.

-- tom

[Greg Fong]

RE: The report that didn't close

Why would the report hang like that? I tried the first suggestion of moving it off the tabbed object but it didn't work.

What if it is a flaky report? is there a way of repairing it? Or do I have to (shudder) recreate it?

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: The report that didn't close

Greg,

Sorry about the 'flaky' terminology. Is so ambiguous to be meaningless.

If your report runs fine from the main form, but fails on the called form, whether dialog or not, it's likely a context issue. Your report is expecting certain preliminary conditions to be present, and there's something about your called form that's blocking it. Can't begin to debug it for you. Could be a problem with table alias names, for example.

I suggest you create a very, very simple report, based on the same set of tables, and figure out how to run it from the called form. Use it as a model, for comparison purposes, to figure out why your complex report is failing when run from that particular form.


Another way of looking at this is to verify that your report will run from the default form for the same set of tables. If it will run, then try to figure out how your called form is different from the default form.

Another idea. Figure out if your report can run from the called form, if the main form is not open. i.e. open the called form from the control panel. Can you print the report then? This would be another useful clue. What's different about opening it from the control panel, than opening it when called from your main form?

-- tom

[Greg Fong]

RE: The report that didn't close

The report actually runs fine when launched from the form in question. The values are correct and everything is calculated as expected. The big problem is that everything is left hanging after the preview screen is closed when the print command is called from the form in question. If the report is called from any.other form there is no problem.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: The report that didn't close

So, have you tried my suggestions to see if the preview display closes out correctly in other contexts, or with simpler reports in the original context?

-- tom