Using radio buttons correctly

[trackmanpete]

I am not sure I am on the right track. I thought I could use the following code to make a selection of records using a dialog box and radio prompts. In my example I would like to select records that have "Coming" in the STATUS field.

'Prompt for a value using a radio button dialog box.
DIM Shared vstatus as c
DIM choice_list as c
choice_list = <<%txt%
All
Active
Applied
Coming
%txt%
vstatus = ui_get_radio2("Select Status Value","Active",choice_list)

The correct dialog box comes up and I can make the selection, but this code doesn't select any specific records (Coming) when I make a selection by clicking on the Coming radio button.

Is there a second step I am not understanding and including?

Thanks,

Pete

[Tom Cone Jr]

Pete, yes.

What you have so far simply sets the choice in the variable vstatus. The radio button is a way to get input from the user. It does not, by itself, run any queries or apply any filters. You next have to query the table (or form) using a filter expression which limits records to those where your field value equals whatever choice is in vstatus. Does this make sense?

-- tom

[Steve Workings]

I am not sure I am on the right track. I thought I could use the following code to make a selection of records using a dialog box and radio prompts. In my example I would like to select records that have "Coming" in the STATUS field.

'Prompt for a value using a radio button dialog box.
DIM Shared vstatus as c
DIM choice_list as c
choice_list = <<%txt%
All
Active
Applied
Coming
%txt%
vstatus = ui_get_radio2("Select Status Value","Active",choice_list)

The correct dialog box comes up and I can make the selection, but this code doesn't select any specific records (Coming) when I make a selection by clicking on the Coming radio button.

Is there a second step I am not understanding and including?

What you've done so far is fine, but yup, there's more to work to do. So far, you've set the value of the vstatus variable. Alpha has no idea what you want after that, so you have to tell it.

In general terms, the next thing you want to do is apply a query to your table. How you do this depends on the location of your script relative to the table you want filtered.

My guess, from reading your post, is that you want the records in the current form to display based on the status you choose. There are lots of ways to do this. One way:

Make a filtered index for each of the choices you have. After your current code, you'd put something like this:

Select
  Case "Active" $ vStatus
     parentform.index_set("Active")
  Case "Applied" $ vStatus
     parentform.index_set("Applied")
  Case "Coming" $ vStatus
     parentform.index_set("Coming")
  Case Else
     parentform.index_set("")
End Select

[trackmanpete]

Thanks

Steve:
Thanks very much for the direction. I did look into the Select - End Select, but struggled with the composition. What I have is an embedded list on my form that I want to do the selection on.

I will try your suggestion, which I think I understand, after getting some sleep. I must learn not to attack these problems in the middle of the night...:)


Thanks again.


Pete

[trackmanpete]

Further dilemma

I finally had a chance to work on my selection process again this morning. I think I understand what Tom and Steve conveyed in terms of the radio buttons just providing me with a variable that will be used to Select a sub group from my embedded list. I tried Steve's code, but nothing happened. I then tried using Action Scripting to create a Query that would first identify my varialble "vStatus" and then use that variable to select the records within my embedded list.

That also did not work as I can't seem to locate any Action Scripting that would make this happen for me. Maybe I am still asleep at the switch.

Any further help would be appreciated, as I would like to use this process for some other actions, including selecting different printing options down the road.

Thanks again,

Pete

[trackmanpete]

Almost

Well, as seems to be the case too many times, I finally did find a limited solution right after posting my questions to the group,

'Default comment text.
DIM records_found as N
records_found = topparent.queryrun("Status = Var->vstatus","R_lname+R_fname+R_mi","","No","<Cross Level>",.f.)

What happens now is that the embedded listing does not reflect the selection, due to my not refreshing the list yet (I think), but at least I have been able to get the select to work.

Thanks again for providing me with the ability to search the right area.

Pete

[Tom Cone Jr]

Pete, shortest path to the solution, as has been mentioned many times on this board, is to post a working model of the database, with instructions telling us how to see / find the problem, and a narrative descriptions of how you want it to work.

Your question seems to have morphed into a new topic. You're asking how to define and run a query but have not described the context for us. Is this for a form? for a report? For the primary table records? For the linked one to many child tables?

A starting point for developing any scripted query, at least for me, is to define and run a query using a known constant value. In your case it would a query that using the constant "coming" as the search criterion for a query based on the Status field. Once that's accomplished, it's a matter of re-writing the filter expression to use a variable instead of the constant.

Does this make sense?

-- tom

[trackmanpete]

As always, your comments are most appreciated and quite clear. My own difficulty is still understanding how all the different actions fit together. I am still not ready for x-basic, so using the Action Scripts has enabled me to go a long way in getting things done. However, knowing even all the power of the Action Scripts sometimes befuddles me. I thought by posting first my struggle and then my own solution, I might "contribute" a little to the forum, as I can't return favors yet with helpful solutions. Having both you and Steve provide me with direction was the impetus I needed to find the correct solution.

My project continues to grow and develop, not only as I learn how to make things within the database happen, but as I think of more things that would be useful to the end user. I am still using training wheels, but am almost ready to take one of them off, I think.:)

Pete

[Tom Cone Jr]

Pete, my previous reply must have crossed "in the mail" with your post describing the solution you found. I'm glad you have it working. Thanks for posting your solution.

-- tom