Button Saves when Canceling

[Alex Levy]

I have an embedded browse on a form that is controlled by buttons for save,edit,enter,cancel. The button for cancelling changes (new record or edit)saves the changes change while executing the script. The Xbasic function is: parent:BrwsName.cancel()

When I press the Cancel button on the A5 menu bar, it works, but when the same function is put into a script it behaves like a save. I have even tried using send_keys {ESC} and the program still saves the changes or the new record. I'm stumped.

Any suggesstions?

Thanks

Alex

[Schulzie]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Try... sys_send_keys("{esc}")
efs

[Alex Levy]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Yes, that is what I mean. Actually, the action scripting editor has a Send Key option.

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Alex

What is probably happening is that the changes are saved automatically when you move focus off the browse to push the button. If you use the toolbar, focus will stay on the browse. Actually, if you have cancel options on the toolbar, why bother with a button at all?

Jerry

[Alex Levy]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

I think that is what is happening. The Cancel button performs other functions and sets properties on the form.

Having a cancel button is consistent with the design of the application which has enter, edit, delete, & save buttons.

Hopefully there is a workaround to this.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Alex,

This may be another instance where doing the data entry in a browse is not the best choice. Why not popup a separate form and gain better control ?

-- tom

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Alex

Ther is a workaround that does work, but it is a little convoluted and takes adding code in a couple different places. The idea is to prevent the save whn focus is moved off the browse. The first point is that the CanArrive event fires before the browse loses focus. The second point is that you can trap the save by using the CanSaveRecord event in field rules for the table in the browse.

First, I create a global logical variable by opening the table structure and creating it there. For example, I have a logical variable called "save" and its default value is .T.

On the CanSaveRecord event for the tqable I have the following

if save = .F.
save =.T.
cancel()
end
end if

This will cancel any save if the global is set to false. On the CanArrive button for the Cancel button, I have the following

tbl = table.current()

if tbl.mode_get()>0
save=.F.
parentform.commit()
save=.T.
cancel()
end if

This cancels the save before the button is actually pushed.

Jerry

[russ Boehle]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Jerry, Thanks for the bit of code. I've been having this problem also and figured it was me. This workaround will be useful but it seems like this would be something for Selwyn to fix in the next release.

Thanks
Russ

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Russ

I actually don't see that this is something that needs "fixed". If you consider that anytime you move focus off a record, either as a single record on a form during a fetch or from a record on a browse, something has to happen. The record cannot just be left in enter or change mode. Placing focus on a button from a browse requires something to happen to the record in edit mode, since you could just place focus onto another record. You are, in a sense, fetching another record.

Tom has the right idea. If you are determined to use your own buttons, perhaps a browse should be for viewing only and all data entry should be from a form for an individual record. Then focus can't leave that record.

My preference is to use the tools Windows provides in the form of menus and toolbars. Most users are very familiar with using menus and toolbars and they work well in most cases and don't have the loss of focus issue. Some younger users never saw a DOS program and find some buttons redundant carryovers from old technology. Actually, a toolbar is just a series of stylish buttons in a common row. I find it just as easy to build a custom toolbar as it is to design a bunch of buttons.

Sometimes I do use the occasional button for a specific purpose (or on an a dialog that doesn't have menus or toolbars) but I try to avoid them as much as possible. The code I posted was from a series of buttons on a form opened as a dialog that simulate and look like a toolbar.

Jerry

[Alex Levy]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

One of the by products of Alpha Five is that such control allows as many programming styles as there are users. Most of the time I would agree with that a new pop-up window instead of editing in a browse ( is a better design with more control, especially being a student of Tom Cone. :) But this is an application where the user needs to be able to look at all the entries simultaneously and edit them on the fly and a window would be distracting.

I was looking for a way to make Alpha Five behave like Alpha Four, Ver 6 does. The workaround suggested by Jerry does work. I appreciate the help.

Alex Levy

[Alex Levy]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

I might have spoken too soon. It worked once then went back to saving the record.

Alex

[russ Boehle]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Most of the time if using a browse I use the on doubleclick to edit a record or a button for new ones. I think it is simpler to have the primary buttons on the form and less used stuff on the toolbar, and more general stuff on the menu bar. Just my preferences though.

I do occasionally use a browse for data entry where it makes sense as it can be a lot quicker. For instance in Accts reveivable where an amount and check number is all that is necessary for an entry it seems a lot of wasted motion to go to a form just for 2 bits of data. This I keep in a browse. It really isn't too much of a problem as cancel seems to work the way I have it set up. I send an {esc} then cancel then set to modal. I guess I spoke too soon when I said this was a problem. My memory, being rather suspect at this point only recalled the problem with it, not the solution.

Russ

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

Alex

I was a little hasty in posting the code. The application I took it from has other things going on. A much simpler method is to eliminate the code on the CanSaveRecord, forget the global variable, and just use this on the cancel button CanArrive event

if topparent.mode_get() "VIEW"
topparent.cancel()
end if

This will cancel the save before the button is pushed and allow the button to operate normally. The only oddity occurs if the user tabs to the button, but doesn't "push" it. The save is still cancelled, but then almost any method you use will do the same.

Jerry

[Alex Levy]

RE: Button Saves when Canceling

This time it works like I want it to and have tested it a few different ways. I did modify it for my application. I had to add a line of code "this.push()" or else the button would halt and had to be pushed again.

I also forgot to mention that this is a tabbed form with several browse tables. You have to specify the browse in which to .cancel() or very unpredictable rsults will occur.

With those adjustments it works well. Thanks again for your help.

Alex