Child Browse-->Save Parent

[Peter.Greulich]

The child browse consists of line items (hours * rate = fee). The user changes the value of a line item. I want the total function value (of the child items) to be written to the Total field of the parent table. There is also a single expense item in the parent table which must be included as part of the parent total. What is the best way to do this?

The issue is the way in that the child save is not captured in the form's OnSave event. Where can I put the code so that it always updates the parent total field regardless of whether a user changes a child line item or a parent expense?

Peter

[forskare]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Peter,

I had a similar issue and I placed parentform.refresh() on both the OnEnter and OnActivate events of the parent form. Might have been an over kill but it works.

Makes me happy.

kenn

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Hi Ken,

It's not a refresh issue, rather where to put code to save either parent or child changes or both.

Peter

[Bill Warner]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Peter, if I understand correctly, you have a total from each record in a one-many child, and you want the parent field to reflect the sum of the TOTAL fields from all child records. Also, you want to add to that a value from the parent.

If the parent value is entered prior to entering the child records, you could have the TOTAL field from the child post to the parent field (adding). So, if the parent value started as 20, and each of 2 child totals was 7, the parent field would show 34.

If you're going to change the parent total after entering the child records, this will get a little trickier. In this case, you might want to have a second field in the parent that is a calculated sum of the parent field plus the posted field from the child.

I've used posting from child to parent a lot, and it seems quite reliable.

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

If you're going to change the parent total after entering the child records

Yep.

Your posting method would work, but I want to find another way because the child table has different parents, so posting can't be used.

Thanks,
Peter

[Bill Warner]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

OK, thinking out loud...how about a calc field in the parent that uses DBSUM to retrieve the value from the child. each time you add or change a child record, you would have to re-evaluate the parent, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Maybe??

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Ok, more to the point. How di I force the parent to reevaluate when the child value changes? Keep in mind this is a child browse, so users typically arrow down to the next record (which saves the child value) or they may use the save button the parent form.

Peter

[Steve Dentler]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Perhaps the row change events (CanRowChange-test for the mode of the browse) and OnRowChange-set initial value in the field to test against the value on departing) might work. But a safer method might be to not use the browse at all for the data entry. Capture the data in form variables and update the browse and parent records as required.

[CraigSchumacker]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Peter:

If I might be so bold, here's how I would do it...

I'm guessing your doing your data entry for the child records in a browse, so, if this is correct:

Define a global variable in the autoexec called, say, "update_required" as logical.

In the field rules for the table, place a statement setting the variable to .T. on the onsaverecord event. Do the same for the OnChangeRecord event.

On the OnArrive for the embedded browse, set the variable to .F.

On the OnDepart for the browse, using XBasic, If the variable is .T., determine the total for the child records, then write the total to the parent field. (If the variable is .F., end) Then, lastly, set the variable back to .F.

Place the same code on the OnRowChange event.

A screen refresh() would be a good idea, now, to ensure the new total is reflected.

You might want to add a button to close the form. Although the OnDepart will fire if the 'X' is used to close the form, I would set it up so that the form can only be closed with the button being pushed.

This will only work if you just use the one form for data entry, so...

If you are interested, and need more details, let me know...

Craig

[Peter.Wayne]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

there are lots of ways to do what you want, but one of the
easiest was described by barry rochford in
http://www.learn alpha.com/InvoiceTotal/InvoiceTotal.htm

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Thank you Peter. Yes, I remember Barry's article quite well. I do use that method on certain sets. From a button script it works flawlessly. My problem is updating the total from the child browse - the total needs to be updated when the child value changes or the parent expense value changes.

Peter

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Thanks Craig. Your method is a little complex, but in any case it depends on the browse OnDepart event to update the total. I need to have the update occur if a value is changed on one child record - as the user may typically change one record after the other.

Peter

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Capture the data in form variables and update the browse and parent records as required.

Thanks Balto, CPA.

I think I'm ready to throw in the towel at this point. I will just display the callc field total (which updates just the way I want in all cases) and save the Calc->Total value in the forms CanExit event. That should work. If not, to quote Arnie "I'll be back".

Peter

[Steve Dentler]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

I think I'm ready to throw in the towel at this point. I will just display the callc field total (which updates just the way I want in all cases) and save the Calc->Total value in the forms CanExit event. That should work. If not, to quote Arnie "I'll be back".

Peter
-----------------------------
It should work fine for you and I sure don't want to complicate things. I'll just mention that I tend to follow Murphy's Law on these things and if you were to deploy this on a mult-user system, it's possible to get some unexpected results.

e.g.
I enter the record and change the header to $20 and move to the browse thereby releasing the lock. While I'm in the browse, another user enters the header and changes the value to $10. I exit the record and cause a write operation using the $20 value. The other user exits the record causing a write operation using the $10 value. It's probably an unlikely event and I'm over complicating it. I just finished a form which handles this event in the Beta and wound up with quite a bit of code on the form since I didn't want to use referential integrity. But RI might prevent this...I didn't test it.

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Child Browse-->Save Parent

Good point (yes it is a network application). Since this form will be used as a dialog, I will code a lock on the parent record, so a second user can't access the record while in edit mode.

Peter