tab order not saving

[Becky McNichols]

I have changed the tab order in a form several times (by example) and it doesn't seem to stick when I save it. The next time I go in to look at the tab order they're all messed up. I have saved multiple times before leaving the form design. Any suggestions? Thanks

[Becky McNichols]

Re: tab order not saving

Can anyone help me with this??

[Stan Mathews]

Re: tab order not saving

Can anyone help me with this??

Since we're not looking over your shoulder, is there any possibility you'd consider making a copy of the table, emptying records in the copy, zipping the new table and support files, and attaching it here. Much simpler to work on something like that than trying to think of all the possibilities.

[Becky McNichols]

Re: tab order not saving

I'm having this problem with several forms, but the one I'm working on now is a 4-tabbed form called "costshare1" on salesset.set (attached). When I set the tab order by example, it doesn't stay. I tried to set by table, the tab stops on the first tab stay, but what I change beyond that doesn't. I can make changes by table, apply, & close. When I open that box again, the new changes are there, but when I save the form, they disappear. I've tried to compact the database and try again - same thing. The order I want tab stops in is (tab stop number-object name):
1-date
2-T19G
3-custid1
4-custid2
5-custid3
6-radio1
7-radio2
8-radio3
9-land cat
10-legal_desc
11-BUTTON7
12-Field2
13-Browse2
14-Hrs_Ac
15-windsp
16-field1
17-labor1
18-labor2
19-equip1
20-equip2
21-field4
22-rental
23-memo
24-trtmt_total
25-BUTTON18
26-tax
27-taxrate
28-date_pd
29-check_no
30-dep_rec
31-penalty
32-pymt_rec
33-BUTTON20

beyond that - I don't care what tab order the remaining fields are in.

I might mention that I have recently brought this app into A5v7 from A5v4 and am in the process of making sure they're updated correctly.

Thanks to anyone who want to try this and let me know what I'm doing wrong. -Becky

[MikeC]

Re: tab order not saving

Becky,


I have to leave for work but did find that if I set the tabbed object to be the first tab it works.

Mike

[Stan Mathews]

Re: tab order not saving

Becky,

I'm not sure you're doing anything wrong but you may be doing something that the tab order was never designed to handle. If I understand what I'm seeing.....

You can set the tab order of objects on any given tab in the order desired.
Having done that, the objects on that tab which are not included in the specific order setting, but which have their tab stop property set, are given the next positions.

Supposing you choose objects on the first tab to be first in the tab order, if you choose an object on the third tab to follow those, all objects on the third tab will follow as tab stops before any objects from the second tab.

If you choose an object on the third tab to be the very first in the tab order, all objects on the third tab will be "tabbed to" before any other objects chosen for the tab order.

This is merely to say that I don't think you can switch between sheets of the tabbed object by setting the object tab order. You could probably use the ondepart event of an object on tab 2 to direct the user to an object on tab 3, and the ondepart event of that object to direct the user back to the next object you wanted on tab 2.

[Becky McNichols]

Re: tab order not saving

I did have the tab order set on this same form in A5v4 (before converting to A5v7) in the way in which I'm trying to accomplish now - jumping from tab to tab with some objects on tab2 coming before tab1, etc. Maybe I can't do it in A5v7?

I wondered if the objects on tab 1 that I did not want as tab stops were causing a problem before I moved on to tab2, so I am in the process of redifining those objects under Field Properties -Setup- and unchecking tab stops. I think it may work, but kind of a hassle. It sure was easier in the old version!

[Becky McNichols]

Re: tab order not saving

I just finished formatting (unchecking) all of the objects I did not want as tab stops, which took them off of the list of choices when I go to set tab order by table. I arrange them in the order I want, press apply, then close. When I go to Form view from the design screen, the tab order works fine. As soon as I save the form, go back out to the control panel and open it again, the tab order is all messed up. The first stop is now somewhere on Tab 3. What's going on?

[MikeC]

Re: tab order not saving

Becky,

By eliminating the tabs on T19G (tab #2) and custid1 Tab #3) I am very close to getting your tabs in the order you want---whenever you change tabs the tab order starts out from these as there is but one tab set for a tabbed page and seems to have to be tab set #1 for it to work. I'm figuring that once you can get most of it working then other script can be added like Stan had mentioned to make it exactly like you want.
But found some script on button7's OnArrive event which makes the next tab page show up (page 2):

tabbed1.tab_set(2)
sys_send_keys("{TAB}")
end

Got rid of it--As this button is hidden there is no way to tab to it and am wondering why you want to tab to it??

Is there more script in other places that are interfering with the tab order like this?? It makes it sort of hard to figure out things when not all the information is given! (or forgotten! :-) ) Really was getting confused for a bit until I noticed the script.


EDIT:

For the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tabs you could add a script to the

OnTabChange event to set focus to the next tab sets you want such as:

sheet = topparent:TABBED1.tab_get()
t=table.current()
if sheet=2 then 
	topparent:field2.activate()
  elseif sheet=3 then
	topparent:Hrs_ac.activate()
  elseif sheet=4 then
	topparent:Tax_exmpt.activate()

end if

And eliminate the

dim hdr as p
sys_send_keys({F9})

as it interferes with the field getting focus. I don't know exactly why you have this here but if needed could find a spot for it.



I also had to get rid of the Browse2 tab stop as once you tab to the browse you end

up having to tab through all the browse fields--if this is what you want then there may be a way to have a script go to the next wanted tab once all the fields have been tabbed through.

Tabbing from Field6 (Memo field of 3rd tab-County Treatment) to the Trtmt_total field doesn't work so ...am out of ideas for that! Had to get rid of that tab stop too. :(

I would have sent back the updated sample you gave but as am using version 5 I don't know if it would cause problems or not.

But all the tab stops work by eliminating the tab stops that interfere now.


Mike

[Becky McNichols]

Re: tab order not saving

There are reasons for the "invisible" buttons as tab stops. They were set up so when the user tabbed through the form (in the old version, when everything was working fine), continuing to tab through data entry took them to the page they needed to be on next. I don't have the luxury of getting rid of objects when they present a problem in the tab order. Some of the ones you're deleting, I need to have.

Anyway, I did get the tab order set up the way I want in the design mode. The problem is when I save it and get out. It's all messed up when I go back in.

Thanks for your time!

[MikeC]

Re: tab order not saving

Becky,
The embedded browse2 can be tabbed to, but once there you are sort of trapped and I don't know of an event to use to go to the next tab in sequence.

See if this accomplishes something similar to what you need. The only "changes" I made were:

Eliminated the tab stops on:
1. browse2--created an alternative
2. trtmt_total--field rules make this a calculated field and so no data
can be changed.....why do you need a tab stop here???
3. button18--no longer needed for tabbing
4. button7--no longer needed for tabbing

Browse2 tab stop alternative:
1. Added a button which has a tab stop and is highlighted with a different color with OnArrival event--goes back to win3D with OnDepart event.
2. The OnPush event activates the first field of the browse. The user can then get out of the browse2 by pushing shift-tab to go the prior field and then continue on, bypassing the browse simply by not pressing the button.

I also add back in the script you had on the OnTabChange event:

 dim hdr as p
    sys_send_keys({F9})

Could you explain why you are dimming something but then not obviously doing anything with it???

Of course, open this up as a different database --not to be placed in your current one!

Mike

[MikeC]

Re: tab order not saving

One more thing---I believe the main problem overall is the attempt to tab to the trtmt_total field...as a calculated field determined via field rules it is automatically disabled and when you try to activate it by tabbing it causes a problem in Alpha. No error dialog is produced but it is an error nonetheless and could very well be the main issue--I haven't tried to just eliminate this to see if tabbing works without it as got it working and am all "tabbed" out now! :-)

If for some reason you need to have a tab stop on this field you are going to have to get rid of the field rule I believe. You can always just have the trtmt_total field be equal to the calculation so that a tab stop could be used and then just have it read only.


Mike

[MikeC]

Re: tab order not saving

Becky,

Just by chance I found a way to "have it your way" ! :-))


Add this script to the OnKey event of the form and then you can tab through the browse. Of course this prevents tabbing within the browse but the arrow keys could be used for that.

if parentform.active()="browse2"
   select
       case a_user.key.value="TAB" .and. a_user.key.event="down"
         a_user.key.handled=.T.
         Hrs_Ac.activate()
   end select
end if

I also found out why the tab would not work for your trtmt_total field...you have the field rule "skip" set to .T. . Delete this value if you truely do want to tab to that field.

If you look at the Database I sent back to you and make the modifications I did everything works and the tabs are stable.

Mike

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: tab order not saving

In order to simply leave a browse and advance to the next object in the tab order you could use the built in Alpha shortcut key of F6.

[MikeC]

Re: tab order not saving

Hi Tim!

I did try using that but got a few inconsistant results when in the browse fields so didn't mention it...thinking on it I should have! The odd results I had at times could very well have been a result of being in Enter mode due to her dropdowns...the lookup and combo fields....???? Although I now have the tab order working in this problem I am hoping that Becky can reproduce my efforts.

Mike

edit--going back and trying F6 I cannot reproduce the issue! Go figure!