Xbasic Clarity Please

[forskare]

I became interested in this as a result of Howard Reisdorf's post. Following the instructions on pgs 200 & 201 of the Xbasic Reference Manual, value_get(), I created a test field called "testingvalue" and on this field's OnArrive event, I entered the example in the manual as follows:

tbl=table.current()
fld=tbl.field_get("lastname")

"lastname" is an actual field in the current table so the example in the manual and real life field name is the same.

I get the error message "No such field" when testing in the Interactive tab and when running the actual test, the value of the lastname field is not put into the "testingvalue" field either when the "testingvalue" field gets or loses focus.

I understand this code to take the value of the lastname field and put it in the testingvalue field. (both fields are in the same table) What am I missing here?

Thanks,

kenn

[Bill Warner]

RE: Xbasic Clarity Please

If your interest is in getting the value for a field, here's a script that works well:

tbl=table.current()
value=tbl.message

ui_msg_box("",value)

In this case, my field is was MESSAGE. I put the message box to confirm that it was working properly.

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Xbasic Clarity Please

You didn't post all your code so it's hard to see exactly what you want. TGhe part you did post just obtains two pointers "tbl" and "fld". The example you quote goes on:

For example, these statement are all equivalent:
tbl = table.current()
fld = tbl.field_get("lastname")

These are three different, but equivalent, ways to store the field value to a variable:


name = customer->last_name
name = tbl.lastname - this one based on the "tbl" pointer obtained above
name = fld.value_get() - this one based on the "fld" pointer obtained earlier

[forskare]

RE: Xbasic Clarity Please

Hi Stan,

Thank you for your input. The example in the book is confusing for a novice Xbasic user. It states:

For example, these statement are all equivalent:

tbl = table.current()
fld = tbl.field_get("lastname")

name = customer->last_name
name = tbl.lastname
name = fld.value_get()

Interpretation:
Should it read: these statement(s) or should it read: this statement? I took it to mean 'these statements' but then my question was, where does one draw the line between one statement and the other? What all must be included in the statement?

A novice will also ask, what does the word 'name' represent? A field in the current table? A field where the value is to be placed? The word 'name' wasn't mentioned before so a novice is left pondering what it references.

Perhaps the manual could have explained that the first 2 lines are necessary pointers and one of the last three lines must be added. A complete example would have been useful.

Can't wait to get to v5 and a manual that is "novice user friendly".

Again , this isn't something I'm needing to work with but a novice can spend a lot of time trying to intrepret a not so good written manual.

Thanks, Stan for your insight.

kenn

[fairviewcomputing]

RE: Xbasic Clarity Please

The examples in this thread are xbasic. I started with using action scripting, which I thought, did all of the code for you. When I did convert the action scripting to xbasic it came out with a single line of code (that didn't work either). My question is: "Why doesn't action scripting set this up for the user?" (add "correctly")
Howard

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Xbasic Clarity Please

I've complained often enough about the manual, as have others. I gave up hoping for a rewrite.

Probably the most simple restatement would be:

For example, these statements are all equivalent in assigning a field named "lastname"'s value to a variable named "name":

'using table name
name = customer->last_name

'using table pointer alone
tbl = table.current() 'obtain table pointer
name = tbl.lastname

'using table and field pointers
tbl = table.current() 'obtain table pointer
fld = tbl.field_get("lastname") 'obtain field pointer
name = fld.value_get()

I look forward to a good manual as well.

Signed: a novice Xbasic user, as well

[Peter.Wayne]

RE: Xbasic Clarity Please

Ken,

if you put
tbl=table.current()
fld=tbl.field_get("lastname")

in the interative window, it won't give you
the results you expect, because table.current() is not the
form's table in the interactive window.

if you want to set the value of your "testingvalue" field in the OnArrive event of the field on a form, try this:

this.text=table.current().lastname
this.refresh()

[forskare]

RE: Xbasic Clarity Please

Hi Peter,

Works like a charm!!!

Thanks,

kenn