Empty Field Warning

[Keith Hubert]

Hi All

I have 2 date fields on a form. I would like a warning to come on the screen if either field has not been filled in.

All help greatfully received.

Keith Hubert
London.

[Bill Warner]

RE: Empty Field Warning

You can do this in field rules, in the Data Entry tab. The first item is Required. Change it to Always Required, and the user will not be able to progress past the field, or save the record, without filling in the fields.

[Keith Hubert]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Thanks Bill for your sugestion. I do not want to use field rules as the two dates are used for different reasons. I would like some sort of script that would activate on exit. I think that would be the right place?

Keith Hubert
London.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Keith,

One approach would be to require the user to push a button to save changes or to cancel changes. The form must not close while changes are pending. The Save Changes button could validate the form. The script could look at the contents of the two fields and if it's not up to snuff (or is simply blank) the save changes script could inform the user and end without either saving or canceling changes.

-- tom

[Mick Magnuson]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Hi Keith
There are a few ways to do this, just depends on how strict you want to be. One way is to put to put a script on the OnArrive on the next tab stop *after* the date field.

t=table.current()
IF t.date={}
ui_msg_box("Warning","Date not entered, please enter a date to continue")
sys_send_keys("{Shift-tab}")
cancel()
end if

Downside to that is if the they use the mouse to select a different entry field out of sequence, the OnArrive never fires. Also, this will still let them save without checking the date field. Just one way to create a "friendly" reminder.

Mick

[Keith Hubert]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Hi Guys

Thanks for your suggestions. I like the idea of the warning, but am worried about if the mouse had been used to get to either of the date fields. So what sort of script should I use in the "close form button" that warns only if either of the two date fields have been left blank. Would Micks script work?

Keith Hubert
London.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Keith,

A 'Close Form Button' sounds too ambiguous to me.

In most cases I'd have a Save button, a Cancel Button, and a Close Button. Close would be programmed to do nothing but alert the user if a change was pending. Save would validate the record's fields before committing the changes to the table.

In some instances you might want the form to close automatically after the Save or Cancel, if so you might not need the Close form button.

-- tom

[Keith Hubert]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Tom

Thanks for your quick reply. As you say the script should be on the "save button" could you please advise what the scipt should be. Whilst I am just begining to learn the syntax I have yet to understand what is used, where and in what order.

Thanks for your help.

Keith Hubert
London.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Keith, here's an easy example, which I've commented heavily.

Have fun tearing it apart to see how it works.

-- tom

[Keith Hubert]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Thank you Tom

I will let you know what I have learnt.

Thanks again

Keith Hubert
London.

[Keith Hubert]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Tom

The script works great, however what I wanted was to make sure that either of the 2 date fields had been filled. I have been trying to use "or" and "else" but I cant get it right. What do you sugest?

Keith Hubert
London

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Keith,

Your script could test whether field1 .and. field2 are empty. If both are empty display explanatory note to the user and block the save.

Alternatively, your script could check field1, if it's not empty, save the record. If it's empty, then check field2. If field2 is empty display the warning and block the save, otherwise save it.

The attached file illustrates the former approach, cause it seemed a bit easier to me.

-- tom

[Keith Hubert]

RE: Empty Field Warning

Thank you very much Tom.

This has helped me very much, I have been able to put extra controls on some of my other buttons also. I dont know how long, if ever, I could have worked this out and now it all looks so easy. I'm sure this must of helped some others here too. Thanks again.

Keith Hubert
London.