Set Order Problem on Query Form

[Charles Norman]

I produced a custom query form. It works fine until I select 'Set Order Criteria.' Instead of one grey box for each field, boxes appear only on some of the fields and scattered in places where there aren't any form fields. I attempt to click boxes to set the order and nothing happens.

Has anyone else run into this problem?

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Please post a copy of the database here so we can see it. Will make troubleshooting much more efficient.

--tom

[Charles Norman]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Thanks for the offer, Tom.

I'm new at this. I looked at the file attachment guidelines and I don't see how I can condense my database down to 1 MB. I have a tabbed form based on a set. The 'project_set.sem file alone is over 3 MB. The whole database with only 5 records and elimination of all memo and OLE linked objects is still 3.6 MB.

Charles :)

[Charles Norman]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Oops! I forgot to zip the files before checking to see if it was under 1 MB. I was amazed that 3.63 MB of files compressed into a little over half a MB!

The 'Set Order Criteria' happens on the 'Query' tab page. You'll see a whole bunch of grey boxes that have no association with any fields on the page.

I have another puzzle with this database but I'll post that on a separate message.

Thanks for offering to look into this problem.

Charles :)

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Could not open your forms. They seem to be based upon a set which includes the Payments table. However, the Payments table is missing from the zip file you posted.

Here's a tip. Before uploading (attaching) a sample database here, copy it to a new folder on your machine. Try to run it from the new location. If you can't run it there, we won't be able to when we download it from the forum.

It occurs to me that maybe the complexity of your form is causing the problem. I suggest you review Dr. Wayne's article "Simplify your applications" at www.learn alpha.com, especially if you're designing something that's intended to run on a local network.

-- tom

[Charles Norman]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Hi Tom!

I just unzipped my projects.zip file in a separate folder and was able to run it without a problem. Maybe it got corrupted during the upload/download. I also forgot to indicate that 'Proposals' is the lead form for the application. I'll be inserting a entry menu form later.

As to the complexity of the database I have no standard of judgment as I've only been working with Alpha for a month and this is my first application. I used to do programming in dBase 4 Dos. This is my first experience with object oriented application development. I'll definitely read the article you mentioned. So anyway I appreciate your patience helping me learn the ropes here.

Let me know if you think the zip file was corrupted and I'll upload it again.

Thanks Tom! :)

[Jay Talbott]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Charles,

I too tried to open the offending form, and could not becasue two tables reside on your "e" drive. They are the payments table and the menu_dyummy table. Tom Cone often warns against placing dbf files outside of the application folder, and rightly so.

Please re-organize your database so the files are all in one folder. We can then help you better.

Regards,

Jay Talbott

[Charles Norman]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Thanks Jay!

I didn't even realize the payments.dbf file was in a different directory until I looked at the 'Details' view. Mow I have a different problem. I copied the payments.dbf file into the same directory as everything else and erased the original one. Now the browse object that used it doesn't work. Is there an easy way to make the browse object look for payments.dbf in the new location? And then there's the button script that referred to the payments file at thte other location. How do I handle that? It will be a job figuring out how many other references I have to the payment.dbf file.

Oh, bother! Charles :)

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Charles,

By designing a database with tables scattered between two or more folders, you've inadvertantly required Alpha Five to 'hardcode' pathnames to the tables outside of the database folder. I suggest you look back at the E: drive to see if the table's dictionary files are there. If so, copy them to the database folder.

Then reopen the database.
Then drop the Payments table
Then add the Payments table back

I don't know if the Set is screwed or not. It probably is. So you may have to delete and recreate it. Do this first: Copy the set's dictionary files to safety, then restore them after the set has been recreated.

If you don't know what files are dictionary files, get your User's Guide out and check the Appendix.

Good luck, and let us know how things go.

-- tom

[Charles Norman]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Hi Tom!

I finally got things straight. (I hope) I had to delete the payments table from the set and then add it back. I'll certainly be more careful to save everything in the same folder. It's a big hassle to change the dictionary references once they've been set. I'm so sorry you and others took the time to download the database only to have it not open properly.

Anyway the database is attached as Europave.zip. Enter the application through the 'Proposals' form. I'm having a problem with the Query tab page. When I enter the query mode and select 'Set order' or 'Order Criteria' a bunch of grey boxes appear which have no correlation with the control boxes on the form.

Thanks, Charles :)

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Charles, I think maybe the tabbed object on your form is causing the problem. The 'Set Order' tool on your toolbar is not working correctly in your form.

To see how it should work, opent the default form for the same set that your Proposals form is based upon. Activate Query By Form, then select the 'set order' icon. You'll see the little grey selection boxes. Click them in the order that you would want the query list sorted. A second grey box appears with each to permit selection between ascending and descending sorts if you desire.

Alpha Five is trying to do the same thing with your form, and is failing. Unless someone can suggest a fix, I recommend you remove the 'set order' tool from your toolbar, and implement it in the form itself, if you want your user to be able to change the sort order of the result set returned by the query.

-- tom

[Charles Norman]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Thanks again, Tom. I WILL remove the 'Set Order' button if I can't fix the problem.

I have another question regarding this database. I'm reluctant to put it in a separate question and have to upload the database still another time. Is it alright to send people to another thread to find the databse file I'm referring to?

On the Invoice tab you'll notice a Calculate button. It's to refresh the Balance after the user enters a new payment. But when I press the button (after adding a new payment) I have to click the form somewhere else before the Balance field shows the update. Any suggestions on how to get the refresh with a simple press of the button? Ideally the Invoice screen would update upon pressing the 'Save Record' button on the 'Add Payment' form.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Set Order Problem on Query Form

Charles,

I think the logical place to adjust the balance on a project is when the new payment transaction is recorded to the payments table. Once the balance figure is adjusted and saved, you just need to refresh the object displaying the balance on your form.

Your problem is similar to a classic invoicing application where the running balance is being kept in the invoice_header table, and payment transactions are recorded in a linked child table.

Incidentally, the script you're using to open the AddPayments form in dialog mode is flawed. It fails to close the called form. Check the Xbasic reference manaual at about pg 262 or 263 for further information. When the user closes the Addpayments form, it's just hidden. This is an indiosyncracy of the dialog mode you're using.

-- tom