Clearing form fields

[Martin]

I've been away from A5 for a few months; nice to see the familiar names still here, hope you're all well. A simple problem, I hope:

On the press of a button I want to clear the contents of some fields from a form. I have the xbasic code

lastname.value=""

etc., attached to the button, which seems to work ok. Except for two fields. Whatever I do, these fields stubbornly remain set to their previous values. I can't see any particular difference in the nature, rules, etc., of these fields. I have even built in a check immediately after the relevent line, eg:

gcode.value=""
ui_msg_box("TEST",gcode.value)

and it shows the previous value. This is really holding up progress on the job. Any ideas what may be causing this? I've also tried gcode.text (instead of value) but this doesn't work either.

Thanks,

Martin.

[Al Buchholz]

RE: Clearing form fields

Are the fields part of the set linkage?

[Martin]

RE: Clearing form fields

Yes.

[Al Buchholz]

RE: Clearing form fields

I'm not sure what you are trying to do at the application level. Knowing might help formulate a solution.

I do think that the child fields of a linkage should not be changed and apparently can't. Otherwise widows and orphans would be all over the place.

We (speaking for the forum) will surely try to help where we can!

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Clearing form fields

Martin, if they're part of the definition of your set linkage, then you'll probably have to edit the link field values using a form based on the table, and not on the set. If you are working with a table that is primary in one or more sets, and if you change the link field value while working outside the set, you immediately 'orphan' all the child table records that were previously linked. The same thing will happen if you edit the link field value in the primary table while working in a form based on the set unless you have cascade changes enabled in the definition of the set.

The converse is true if you edit link field values in the child table, outside the set. When you change the link field like that you risk inserting a new link field value which inadvertantly links the record to an unexpected primary table record. This will happen if you choose a new link field value that is already in use in the primary table.

My advice to anyone who is editing set link field values is 'proceed with caution'.

-- tom

[Martin]

RE: Clearing form fields

Thanks Tom and Al,

In in the set I have a one-to-one link of two tables (actually there are more tables involved but I'm trying to restrict the description relevent to my problem).

I am using a tabbed form. Within one tab is some general order-type information. Another tab shows the customer. There is only one customer per order. The customer details are input via the customer tab. Usually, the customer is new, and all his details have to be input. An xbasic function then computes a Customer Code, based on his Lastname, Firstname, and existing codes. This seems to work OK. The Custoemr Code than links to a code held on the Order table. About a third of the time the customer is an existing customer, so is selected from a drop down box, accessed via the Customer Code field on the form. All this seems OK. Very, very occasionally, due to a mistake by the operator, it is possible that an existing customer will have been specified on an order, whereas, in fact, the customer is new. In the unlikely event that this happens, the operator needs to remove the existing link to the existing customer, and input a new customer. All I want to do is have a button on the customer tab ("New Customer"), which, when pressed, clears the current customer details from the form and allows the creation and input of a new customer's details.

I've done this by attaching code to the button which clears all the relevent fields (lastname.value="" , etc.). By setting a variable the application knows, when the whole order is saved, to create a new customer record in the customer table, calculate a code for the customer, and link it to the order.

I'm sure you're right that it's to do with the fact that it's the customer Code which is linked to the Order table.

Any ideas how I might get over this? Many thanks for anything.

Martin.

I've got this to work, mostly, but, although all other fields clear on the lastname.value="" instruction, the customer code (gcode.vale="") refuses to. (I have to disable the field after clearing it because the user doesn't input the code, it's calculated by the system).
this happens

[Martin]

RE: Clearing form fields

Sorry previous message sent before tidying up. This is how it SHOULD have read:

Thanks Tom and Al,

In in the set I have a one-to-one link of two tables (actually there are more tables involved but I'm trying to restrict the description relevent to my problem).

I am using a tabbed form. Within one tab is some general order-type information. Another tab shows the customer. There is only one customer per order. The customer details are input via the customer tab. Usually, the customer is new, and all his details have to be input. On saving the whole order, an xbasic function computes a Customer Code, based on his Lastname, Firstname, and existing codes. The Customer Code then links to a code held on the Order table.

About a third of the time the customer is an existing customer, so is selected from a drop down box, accessed via the Customer Code field on the Customer tab part of the form. Very, very occasionally, due to a mistake by the operator, it is possible that an existing customer will have been specified on an order, whereas, in fact, the customer is new. In the unlikely event that this happens, the operator needs to remove the existing link to the existing customer, and input a new customer. All I want to do is have a button on the customer tab ("New Customer"), which, when pressed, clears the current customer details from the form and allows the creation and input of a new customer's details.

I've done this by attaching code to the button which clears all the relevent fields (lastname.value="" , etc.). However, although all other fields clear on the objectname.value="" instruction, the customer code (gcode.vale="") refuses to. (I have to disable the field after clearing it because the user doesn't input the code, it's calculated by the system).

I'm sure you're right that it's to do with the fact that it's the customer Code which is linked to the Order table.

Any ideas how I might get over this? Many thanks for anything.

Martin.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Clearing form fields

Martin, instead of trying to break the linkage in the current child table record, using a form based on the set, I'd have such a button popup a separate form, based solely on the child table. The edit to the link field can occur there and be saved. On return to the original set based form, the form should be resynched. The edited child table record should be gone (having been linked to another parent record by the edits on the second form). By design, set based forms in Alpha Five try very, very hard to prevent the user from being able to disturb the linkages at the child table level.

-- tom

[Martin]

RE: Clearing form fields

Thanks Tom, yes, I see what you mean. In fact, at first, I had a lookup table, which, if the record couldn't be found, allowed the creation of a new record. But my client said why should he have to get used to two forms, particularly as, in most cases, he would be going to the lookup, then straight on to a different form (as most customers are one-offs), then back to the lookup, etc., whereas he could simply input onto the first form. And I couldn't really disagree with him.

I'll think about it over Christmas. I don't know if it's too early but, if you celebrate such things (I don't mean to be presumptious about your background/culture), have a good time and happy new year, etc.

And thanks to you and Al and everyone for all the help!

Martin.