Web browser in a form

[George Corder]

Richard's post gives a rundown on how to add a live web browser of Google maps and UPS tracking within a form on the desktop.

Filemaker 8.5 has a little more user friendly interface to this here along with a video.

Any plans on adding any of this ease of use to Alpha for this type feature? Just thought that some newer users may not want to get into the function creating.

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: Web browser in a form

Richard's post gives a rundown on how to add a live web browser of Google maps and UPS tracking within a form on the desktop.

Filemaker 8.5 has a little more user friendly interface to this here along with a video.

Any plans on adding any of this ease of use to Alpha for this type feature? Just thought that some newer users may not want to get into the function creating.

Yes - we have some very big plans in this area - we are going to be adding the concept of 'super controls'. They will appear in the drag drop list. an example of a super control would be a 'ups traking page'. when you put a super control on a form a genie will pop up asking for configuration information. there will be no programming required of the user.

[Doug Page]

Re: Web browser in a form

Selwyn,

You are a god!

Thank you. Doug

[George Corder]

Re: Web browser in a form

Thanks Selwyn.

[Digitaled]

Re: Web browser in a form

super control would be a 'ups traking page'.

I could use that about right now..

[G Gabriel]

Re: Web browser in a form

When I first read this question and before any responses from anyone, I thought to myself: why can't alpha just devlop a layer between the user and the Activex and add more controls that you can drag and drop in design mode?

Well, what do you? according to Selwyn, that's what alpha intends to do. Great.

Of note, when I went to develop the web viewer following Richard's instructions, I found it very easy to do, now I moved all my bookmarks from Netscape & IE to alpha. Works great.

This is a very nice feature, one of my favorites so far.

I don't know how far out in the future Selwyn plans these super-controls, but for now, you could do your own for the most popular web pages and it really is very easy.

As an added bonus, when I moved all my bookmarks to a table in alpha, that table also has fields for login ID's & passwords so when you visit a page, you don't have to remember nor look for your ID/password. Talk about COOL! the script will load the ID/password (that's my hope at least). Will add few more fields for those stupid questions: your favorite pet name..etc.

Now, I am trying to work on a script that adds web pages to my table i.e. bookmark a page.

[Digitaled]

Re: Web browser in a form

Gabriel
If you get the (script will load the ID/password (that's my hope at least).
Working please share.

I have a password and ID and website tracker all ready made as i have so many passwords to so many web sites.

That would be a fantastic feature if you could just click on the web site link and it opens in a active X window and auto fills in the User name and Password.

Or if it just opens the web site in a active X window and then some how has a stay on top pop up giving you your User name and password so you can copy and paste it in.

When I first read this question and before any responses from anyone, I thought to myself: why can't alpha just devlop a layer between the user and the Activex and add more controls that you can drag and drop in design mode?

Well, what do you? according to Selwyn, that's what alpha intends to do. Great.

Of note, when I went to develop the web viewer following Richard's instructions, I found it very easy to do, now I moved all my bookmarks from Netscape & IE to alpha. Works great.

This is a very nice feature, one of my favorites so far.

I don't know how far out in the future Selwyn plans these super-controls, but for now, you could do your own for the most popular web pages and it really is very easy.

As an added bonus, when I moved all my bookmarks to a table in alpha, that table also has fields for login ID's & passwords so when you visit a page, you don't have to remember nor look for your ID/password. Talk about COOL! the script will load the ID/password (that's my hope at least). Will add few more fields for those stupid questions: your favorite pet name..etc.

Now, I am trying to work on a script that adds web pages to my table i.e. bookmark a page.

[G Gabriel]

Re: Web browser in a form

Ed:
I was working on this and as I went to try it on one of the bank accounts, and as would Murphy would have it, that website was not accessible.

I am going to do some more work on it soon and report. Also, although I don't use UPS that often, just for the heck of it, I will develop a little nugget for those who would like to use it. All it is, is just one more function.

[jkukuda]

Re: Web browser in a form

If your so inclined you might look at the following links, between them and Richards example you can accomplish a lot.
http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...ad.php?t=63926
http://learn alpha.com/WebBrowser.pdf

I wonder if Richard would be nice enough to put an example of how to use the documentcomplete function on a form that can be utilized by xbasic to determine the page is finished loading.

I have never been able to get the activex busy property to be recognized by xbasic. That would also tell me when the document has finished loading

[Richard Rabins]

Re: Web browser in a form

I will ask Dave McCormick at Alpha (who created the sample application with the web browser embedded on an Alpha Five v8 form) to look into doing this.

[Richard Rabins]

Re: Web browser in a form

fyi -- If you look at the attachment you will see this sample application ships with Alpha Five version 8. It is called "sunrise properties."

Thanks

[jkukuda]

Re: Web browser in a form

In interactive mode this works
?ClerkBrowserEngine:ACTIVEX1.activex.Busy
?ClerkBrowserEngine:ACTIVEX1.activex.ReadyState

but in xbasic this dosen't work
dim x as l
while x = .t.
x=ClerkBrowserEngine:ACTIVEX1.activex.Busy
end while

dim ready as n
while ready <> 4
ready=ClerkBrowserEngine:ACTIVEX1.activex.ReadyState
end while

Please find me an answer.

[Cian Chambliss]

Re: Web browser in a form

John,
By 'Doesn't work' do you mean:

1) produces an error message.

or

2) Never exists the loop.

If the answer is 1 - what is the error reported?
If the answer is 2 - if you add a ui_yield() call inside the loops (which allows windows to process messages that are in its queue, which might be required for some activex controls) - does the problem go away?

Thanks,
Cian Chambliss.

[jkukuda]

Re: Web browser in a form

by dosen't work I mean that it races thru the script without waiting for the screen to load. What I want is for xbasic to wait until the web page is loaded before continuing.
I tried UI_YIELD() and nothing changes.

Where are the docs on this stuff? How do you use it?
_A5ShowPropertyDialog()
_A5EventHandler

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: Web browser in a form

by dosen't work I mean that it races thru the script without waiting for the screen to load. What I want is for xbasic to wait until the web page is loaded before continuing.
I tried UI_YIELD() and nothing changes.

Where are the docs on this stuff? How do you use it?
_A5ShowPropertyDialog()
_A5EventHandler

Why don't you post a copy of your application so that we can see your code and duplicate the problem.

You probably need to have the ActiveX control invoke the rest of your Xbasic script once the activeX is ready.