Unbind Form

[eolsyn]

Hi All,

I am new to alpha. I am hoping someone can help. I would like to create an unbound form if possible, or at the very least, unbind my form from it's current bound table and rebind to a different table. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Unbind Form

Welcome to the Alpha world.

From the control panel, right click the name of your form

Click Copy to

chose the new table/set to base the form on.

You should either give it a new name or delete the previous form if you are not going to need it.

You can keep the same name. but it can be confusing to you visually.

I would suggest that you also set the view mode to detail.
Then you can see the name of the form and the table/set it is based on.

copyto.jpg

[eolsyn]

Re: Unbind Form

Thanks Al. That worked.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Unbind Form

Thanks Al. That worked.

Good deal.

Remember, right click is your windows friend.

[MoGrace]

Re: Unbind Form

Q for Al - can that function be done thru Xbasic? Or do you know if is there an xb function that can programmatically export the form as a package for importing into another app?

Edit: Found it here
a5_copy_layout_to Function

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Unbind Form

Q for Al - can that function be done thru Xbasic? Or do you know if is there an xb function that can programmatically export the form as a package for importing into another app?

Edit: Found it here
a5_copy_layout_to Function

Wow - all of that and my lips never moved.....

I do see in the old help that function a5_copy_layout_to Function listed under Internal Use Only

I don't see the export/import Functions. Let me know if you find them....

Happy hunting. (must be Friday...)

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Unbind Form

'export, opens dialog to save named form, requires entry of package name and location
a5_backup_dd_object_saveToFile(explicit_dictionary as C,object_type as C,layout_name as C)

'import, opens dialog
a5_backup_dd_object_unpack()

You can always create an action script, Menu Commands element, control panel context, and view the xbasic.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Unbind Form

'export, opens dialog to save named form, requires entry of package name and location
a5_backup_dd_object_saveToFile(explicit_dictionary as C,object_type as C,layout_name as C)

'import, opens dialog
a5_backup_dd_object_unpack()

You can always create an action script, Menu Commands element, control panel context, and view the xbasic.

Stan

Good ideas. I love using action scripting to show the functions behind the menus.

I'm looking for the function that is called when the OK button is pressed on the import/export dialog.

Trying some sleuth methods to get that, but not successful - yet..

I'm thinking if we know the OK function, then we can do this without a dialog.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Unbind Form

Possibly but I'm thinking they aren't separate functions and that the two menu command dialogs are wrappers which ultimately use

a5_dictionary_read()
a5_dictionary_write()

to handle the blobs stored in the data dictionaries.

But I've been wrong before this.

[MoGrace]

Re: Unbind Form

'export, opens dialog to save named form, requires entry of package name and location
a5_backup_dd_object_saveToFile(explicit_dictionary as C,object_type as C,layout_name as C)

'import, opens dialog
a5_backup_dd_object_unpack()

You can always create an action script, Menu Commands element, control panel context, and view the xbasic.

Every now and then I do think about Action Scripts - apparently I should have looked there first - Thanks Stan.

[Stephen Ferranti]

Re: Unbind Form

Alan
I have a similar issue. Years ago I created an application and within it was a startup form so the run time users would fine it easy to navigate. I created it on my desktop and then uploaded it to the server. I had a copy on my desktop also. l am revamping that application for a new user but cannot delete the "Customer Startup" form. Since it is on the server that I no longer have access to it brings up a default form when i attempt to use it. I have right clicked and clicked delete in the menu, it asks if I want to delete but won't. I have no problem deleting forms that are on the desktop version. Any way around this

Thanks
Steve

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Unbind Form

Alan
I have a similar issue. Years ago I created an application and within it was a startup form so the run time users would fine it easy to navigate. I created it on my desktop and then uploaded it to the server. I had a copy on my desktop also. l am revamping that application for a new user but cannot delete the "Customer Startup" form. Since it is on the server that I no longer have access to it brings up a default form when i attempt to use it. I have right clicked and clicked delete in the menu, it asks if I want to delete but won't. I have no problem deleting forms that are on the desktop version. Any way around this

Thanks
Steve

Steve

Is the server running A5 development or runtime?

Since the default form is opening, that tells me that the saved form is missing or corrupt.

Are you looking to change the pointer to the startup form? that is under file - workspace - properties.

If the table/set structure is the same on the server and desktop, you should be able to move the table/set structure files from the desktop to the server. ( after an appropriate backup of each)

table - (.ddd,.ddm,.ddx)
set - (.set,.sem,.sex)

Let us know if that helps.

[Stephen Ferranti]

Re: Unbind Form

Al
I am doing the development on my laptop running the development version. I no longer have access to the server running the runtime version and that's where i think the problem comes from. I assume i cant delete a form that the system cant find. I did work around it by starting a new application and copying the table and the forms and reports i needed. I then used them in the new app and did not copy the startup form I didn't want. It looks like it is working fine. It would be nice to have a drop from database option for forms and reports in the event you don't want them showing in the control panel.

Thanks

[pboomwork]

Re: Unbind Form

Stan I think the A5 functions you listed

a5_dictionary_read()
a5_dictionary_write()

Are limited as to what dictionary entries they can read and write. I can't remember what they can and cannot read off hand. However the code in the following post gives an example of how dictionary entries can be read and copied to a different A5 dictionary file. That would be form, browse, script, function anything that shows up in the control panel for desktop application except tables index sets, stuff on the first tab.

The sample code will also work in runtime, and provides further documentation on the dictionary structure, further that is then what is provided by Alpha.

http://www.alphasoftware.com/alphafo...ons-in-RunTime

I hope someone finds this helpful.