Referenceing a field with a variable

[Alan Stern]

How do I activate a field on aform based on the contents of a variable.

Say I have variable = "surname".
I now wnat to .activate() the field surname.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Alan,

I can't think of a way to pass the value of the variable directly to the object.activate() method on a form. Perhaps others will enlighten me.

In the meantime, here's a brute force approach which iterates through the objects on the current form. If the name and class of an object matches what you're looking for the iteration ends, and the 'current' object is activated.

Hope this helps.

'Xbasic, by Tom Cone
'context:  this script is designed to be run from
'          a button on a form

dim fieldname as C
fieldname = "Customer"   'assign desired fieldname
                         'to the variable

obj = parent.this
count = obj.children()
for i = 1 to count	'list all objects to trace window
	child_obj = obj.child(i)
	objectname = child_obj.name()
	class = child_obj.class()
	trace.writeln(objectname + ",  "+class)
next

for i = 1 to count	'activate field matching fieldname value
	child_obj = obj.child(i)
	objectname = child_obj.name()
	class = child_obj.class()
	if ut(objectname) = ut(fieldname) then
		if class = "field" then
			child_obj.activate()
			parentform.resynch()
			exit for 
		end if 
	end if
next
end

-- tom

[Steve Workings]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Tom's going to kick himself when he see this:

I put a button on a form, with this Xbasic for the OnPush event:


x = ui_get_text("", "What field?")
p = obj(x)
p.activate()


- Steve

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Ouch! (... the sound of someone who's being kicked slowly up the learning curve...)

Thanks!

-- tom

[Alan Stern]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Looks good but get error message ...
"Argument is incorrect data type"

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Alan,

Steven's code works fine from a button on a form. You just have to type the object name correctly. This is the object name on the form mind you, not the name of the field in the table.

How are you using it?

Can you post a working model that shows the problem?

-- tom

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Alan,

Steve's example will activate the object with the object name specified. Your variable must evaluate to a character value that is the complete name of an object, not the contents, since you ultimately want to activate a named object.

Example:

I have a button called "button_1". When a variable called num evaluates to the number one, I want focus to go to the button called "Button_1"

dim num as n
dim block as p

'code to set the value of num
num = 1

block = obj("parentform:Button_"+alltrim(str(num,2)))
block.activate()

You need have an expression that will give the complete object address (which is "parentform:button_1" in the example) when you use obj(), either an absolute adress or a relative address. Otherwise you will get the error message.

Jerry

[tlyon]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Here is how I would do this:

fieldobject = obj(":" + a_form_current + ":" + surname)
fieldobject.activate()

assuming 'surname' contains a valid form object name.

Tom Lyon

[tlyon]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Don't forget, too, that depending on the source of the variable, you may need to use:

fieldobject = obj(":" + a_form_current + ":" + trim(surname))

to strip trailing spaces from the variable.

Tom Lyon

[Alan Stern]

RE: Referenceing a field with a variable

Thank you ... problem solved !!!