search fails ?

[Harold Jacubowitz]

When you index on both 'name'+'address' why does the
search fail to work on the 'address' field ?
Only works on the 'name' field.

Harold

[Jean-P. B�dard]

RE: search fails ?

Harold,

You cannot search if the field on which you do the search is not indexed. What you are trying to do is like searching an address in a phone book.

I suggest that you create a new index on the address or on address+name, if an address can refer to more than one name, and you should not have any problem.


JP

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: search fails ?

For indexes based on character fields I believe the search works from left to right. Your search probably failed because Alpha Five did not find any 'names' that matched the 'address' you were searching on...


For example, if the index is Name + Address, here's what the index might look like if you could see it:

(These are all supposed to be fixed length, but I don't know how the message board will handle the blank spaces...)

Albacore 202 Madison St.
Jones 101 Smith St.
Zulu 404 Apple St.


If you try to search for '202 Madison St.' the 'find' will fail because '2' is not the leftmost value in any of the index entries.

-- tom

[Harold Jacubowitz]

RE: search fails ?

Sorry guys I think you're not on the spot.
The index is build on name+address and the search is performed -either - on the name or the address field. Only full,starting with the utmost left character, searches are being requested. Still fails. Also tried to invert the index.

Harold

[Stan Mathews]

RE: search fails ?

I think part of what Tom was pointing out, even with "full" searches, is that unless you know and use the full text length of the fields you will have problems.

Searching for

"Jones********220 Madison St********" (** for spaces)
is not the same as
"Jones220 Madison St"

If your index is built on Name + Address, the first example is what the index tag is built like. Unless you construct a way to do some "right padding" of the search criteria, what is being searched for probably resembles the second example.

You might try reconstructing your index and base it on rtrim(name)+rtrim(address).

[Doug Chanley]

RE: search fails ?

Harold,

This may be a little more cumbersome but it will give you the option to
search on either field. Just create new indexes 1)Name 2)Address & use
something similar to the code below & attach it to your search button.

''XBasic
ON ERROR GOTO error_handler
ui_freeze(.t.)
search_type = ui_get_radio("Search For",1, "Name","Address")

name_found = ui_get_text("Enter Search String", search_type)

p=obj("formname")
P.index_set(search_type)
p.find(name_found)
ui_freeze(.f.)
error_handler:
err = error_code_get()
msg = error_text_get(err)
ui_msg_box("Error", msg)
ui_freeze(.f.)
END

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: search fails ?

I say again.

If your index is defined as name + address, you can never find a record by searching (finding) only for an address. The index key used to 'find' records consists of a name plus the blank spaces which follow it *and* the address plus the blank spaces which follow it.

'Find by key' is not a 'locate' type function which scans specified fields and returns any matching values found any where within it.

If this, too, is not on the spot, how about telling us how you are doing your 'search'? (All the tedious details will help.)

-- tom

[Harold Jacubowitz]

RE: search fails ?

Ok, thanks this looks more to the point. I'll try it out later tonight.

Harold

PS: is ther no way to get the messages "centered" on the
message board screen ?

[Allen Klimeck]

RE: search fails ?

this script uses two indexes lastname & address when you press the button with this script it will ask you for a last name or address when you enter a one word last name or two or more word address it will select the index and find the closest match.(the number part of the address counts as a word)


dim findwhat as c
findwhat = ui_get_text("Find","Enter Last name or Address","smith","")
'for this to work address must be two words or more
'and last name must be one word
select
case findwhat = ""
'nothing to find

case val(findwhat) = 0 .and. w_count(findwhat) 1
'more than 1 word
parentform.index_set("address")
parent.find(findwhat.value)

end select

topparent.resynch()

[forskare]

RE: search fails ?

Another way is to search using the Find by Form. Although it has a slight flaw, it is a great search tool. After selecting the FBF icon, click in either the name or address field. If the name field, type even part of the name, the more letters you type, the closer the match. No need to use the * as a wild card. You can then move to the address field and type part of the address or all of it. Press F-9 or click the lightening bolt.

FBF will find the closest or exact match to the criteria you entered. Depends on how much criteria you entered.

The great thing about FBF is that you can search any field or combination of fields. It's supposed to act like a query but not filter out the remaining records.

Now the flaw. When exiting the form, A5 uses FBF like a query and the record/s which were found are the only record/s showing. Hence, when you re-enter the form, you must click the "show all" icon.

I have a button that pops up a browse, I can enter a letter or letters and the closest match is found. For instance, when I type C all the names that beging with C come into view. As I add letters, the browse moves to the closest match. When I find what I want, I press the enter key and the record appears on my form which matches the record I chose on the popup browse. And, it's not seceptible to the FBF flaw.

Hope this is of some help.

kenn

[Harold Jacubowitz]

RE: search fails ?

Ok,
I tried this one but when runing it returns an "argument incorrect
data type" error.
ON ERROR GOTO error_handler
ui_freeze(.t.)
search_type = ui_get_radio("Search For",1, "Name","Address")

name_found = ui_get_text("Enter Search String", search_type)

p=obj("formname")
P.index_set(search_type)
p.find(name_found)
ui_freeze(.f.)
error_handler:
err = error_code_get()
msg = error_text_get(err)
ui_msg_box("Error", msg)
ui_freeze(.f.)
END

[Stan Mathews]

RE: search fails ?

Did you create the indexes as specified in the post?

[Doug Chanley]

RE: search fails ?

Hi Harold,

I did not try the script before I posted it, but decided to check it out
to make sure that it worked. It worked fine for me, it reports error
message 0 via this line "ui_msg_box("Error", msg) " which means that there
was no error. So if you don't want to know if there wasn't an error you can
modify the script as follows.

I am not sure why you got the "argument incorrect data type",if you built the
2 new indexes "name" & "address" and used the name of your form for the line
p=obj("formname") it should have worked. I agree with Tom & the others, I don't
see a way to use the index name+address to search for either the name or address,
although it wouldn't supprize me if someone out there with a little more
experience could come up with something.



ON ERROR GOTO error_handler
ui_freeze(.t.)
search_type = ui_get_radio("Search For",1, "Name","Address")

name_found = ui_get_text("Enter Search String", search_type)

p=obj("formname")
P.index_set(search_type)
p.find(name_found)
ui_freeze(.f.)
error_handler:
err = error_code_get()
if err=0 THEN 'don't want to know that there was no error
goto bottom
end if
msg = error_text_get(err)
ui_msg_box("Error", msg)
bottom:
ui_freeze(.f.)
END

[William Perry]

RE: search fails ?

I have an index that is used to find inventory items that may be identified by some of several possible fields. To deal with the spacing problem that is discussed above the index expression is as follows:

index = ltrim(alltrim(field_1) + " " + alltrim(field_2) + " " + alltrim(field_3) + " " + alltrim(field_4))

This would allow you to search on address only if there were no name present in the record, and you could enter a name and address with just one space (regardless of the name's length), but I agree that it would not allow for either/or when both are present.

-Bill

[Harold Jacubowitz]

RE: search fails ? not anymore !

First of all thanks to all of you for the help.
The correct answer was already available, thanks to Dr Wayne !
here it is: ( slightly modified to fit my needs, but only on
minor details )
It works flawlessly, as requested.
========================================================
DIM GLOBAL global_search_text as c
DIM GLOBAL global_search_field as c

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' MAKE SURE THE USER ISN'T STILL ENTERING/MODIFYING THE CURRENT RECORD.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
stbl=table.current()
IF stbl.mode_get() > 0
ui_msg_box( "ERROR", "In data entry mode. Please save record before running
the LOCATE operation.", 48)
END
END IF

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' IF DESIRED, THIS SECTION CAN BE USED TO INFORM THE USER HOW THE BUTTON
'WORKS.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'response=ui_msg_box( "INFORMATION",
'"This command will find the FIRST occurrence of the text you enter." +chr(013)+
'"- To find additional occurrences, simply press the ENTER key twice." +chr(013)+
'"- Repeat this sequence until you see the message box 'No more occurrences found'.",
'UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL+UI_OK_CANCEL )
'IF response=ui_cancel_selected
' END
'END IF

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' IF NO global_search_text EXISTS, THIS ROUTINE HAS NOT BEEN RUN BEFORE IN
' THIS SESSION SO IT MUST BE A NEW SEARCH.
' OTHERWISE, FIND OUT WHETHER TO REPEAT THE PREVIOUS SEARCH OR START A
'NEW ONE.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF global_search_text=""
search_type="New"
ELSE
search_type=ui_get_list( "SEARCH TYPE", 1, "Locate Next '" + global_search_text + "'", "New" )
IF search_type=""
END
END IF
END IF

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' IF IT IS A NEW SEARCH, FIND OUT WHAT TEXT TO SEARCH FOR AND WHICH FIELD(S)
' TO SEARCH. THEN, SEARCH THE FIRST RECORD.
' *NOTE*: GOING TO THE FIRST RECORD AND DOING A .fetch_loc_next WILL NOT
' SEARCH THE FIRST RECORD.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF search_type="New"
global_search_text=ui_get_text( "TEXT TO FIND", "Enter text to Find - caps not
important.", global_search_text )
IF global_search_text=""
END
END IF
global_search_field=ui_get_list( "FIND IN:", 1, "NAAM", "STAD",
"All - STRAAT, BUITENLAND, TAAL" )
IF global_search_field=""
END
ELSE
IF global_search_field="All - STRAAT, BUITENLAND, TAAL"
global_search_field=""
END IF
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------
' THIS AREA CAN BE MODIFIED TO ALLOW YOU TO ASK FOR A GENERIC
' FIELD NAME THAT THE USER UNDERSTANDS AND THEN CONVERT TO
' THE REAL FIELD NAME.
' ex: IF global_search_field="Status"
' global_search_field="Stat_1"
' END IF
' THIS COULD EVEN BE EXPANDED TO WORK WITH MULTIPLE FORMS BY
' CHECKING THE FORM NAME. CONTACT [email protected] FOR MORE INFO.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------
END IF
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' CHECK THE FIRST RECORD BY GOING TO THE SECOND RECORD THEN SEARCHING
'BACKWARD.
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
stbl.fetch_first()
stbl.fetch_next()
found=stbl.fetch_loc_prev( global_search_text, global_search_field )
IF found
parentform.resynch()
END
ELSE
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------
' IF "fetch_loc_prev" DOESN'T FIND IT, THE POINTER STAYS IN THE SECOND
' RECORD. THIS LINE TAKES YOU BACK TO THE FIRST RECORD SO THE SEARCH CAN
' CONTINUE LATER.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------
stbl.fetch_first()
END IF

ELSE '--- search_type *NOT* "New"
current_rec=table.current().recno()
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' FIND NEXT *PARENT* RECORD (next RECORD could be just a new child record.)
' USING A "1" IN THE .fetch_next() FETCHES ONLY THE PARENT TABLE.
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
table.current().fetch_next(1)
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' IF THE 'NEXT' PARENT RECORD IS THE SAME AS THE CURRENT RECORD, THEN WE
'WERE
' ALREADY IN THE LAST RECORD. OBVIOUSLY NOTHING ELSE TO SEARCH.
' OTHERWISE, BACK UP ONE RECORD TO THE LAST CHILD RECORD OF THE 'CURRENT'
' RECORD. BY STARTING THE NEXT SEARCH AT THE LAST CHILD RECORD OF THE
'CURRENT
' PARENT RECORD, WE WILL NOT BE CHECKING THE CURRENT RECORD AGAIN.
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
next_rec=table.current().recno()
IF current_rec=next_rec
ui_msg_box( "DONE", "No more occurrences found.")
END
ELSE
table.current().fetch_prev()
END IF

END IF

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' THIS IS THE NORMAL 'LOCATE' ROUTINE USED TO SEARCH EVERYTHING BUT THE
' FIRST
' RECORD. ALSO, IT IS NOT USED IF THE TEXT WAS ALREADY FOUND IN THE *LAST*
'RECORD.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
found=stbl.fetch_loc_next( global_search_text, global_search_field )

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' WARN THE USER IF NOTHING WAS FOUND.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF .not.found
ui_msg_box( "DONE", "No more occurrences found.")
ELSE
parentform.resynch()
END IF

END
========================================================