Attach a script to the Esc key

[Charles Scott]

Can someone show me how to attach a script to the Esc key. I have done this and it isn't acting the way I had intended it to. So if someone could write a sample script I would appreciate it. Also, is there anyway to disable the Esc key.

Thanks
Chuck

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

Submitted By: Cal Locklin
Date Submitted: 09/03/2001
Email: [email protected]
Category: Layouts

Description: Close forms with the ESC key by using a simple OnKey function.

Details:
If you would like to allow the user to close a form using the ESC key, simply put the following script in the form's OnKey event:
IF a_user.key.value = "{ESC}"
IF parentform.mode_get() = "View"
a_user.key.handled = .T.
IF a_user.key.event = "down"
parentform.close()
END IF
END IF
END IF

By adding parentform.mode_get()="VIEW", we make sure that the user maintains normal cancel functions when pressing ESC in ENTER, CHANGE, FIND, or QUERY modes. (Yes, it does have to be in a separate IF statement or it will cause an error in certain situations. Sorry, I don't recall what the error was.)

[Charles Scott]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

I have done that and I can close the form. Now I want to attach a script to the Esc key. I have also done this, but the script isn't acting the way it should. Im asking someone to give me some sample code for attaching a script to the Esc key. For example a cancel record script, or save record script. I would like to compare my script with your script to determine if I have a programming conflict somewhere else in my program.

Thanks
Chuck

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

Chuck,

I don't think there is a way to write a "cancel record" script, per se.

The method used to prevent a record from being saved is to code to the cansave event for the form in use. The script would check for some value/variable/etc and if all is not as it should be, the line

cancel()

is executed. If the script "sees" the proper situation, the save proceeds.

[Charles Scott]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

Is it possible to disable the Esc key. If so how?

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

simply put the following script in the form's OnKey event:

IF a_user.key.value = "{ESC}"
a_user.key.handled = .T.
IF a_user.key.event = "down"
END IF
END IF


would seem to me......

[Charles Scott]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

How can I get rid of the Alpha5 cancel records routine and substitute mine. I have litterally tried evrything and when I hit the ESC key while in data entry that Alpha 5 cancel comes up. Is there special code that you are using to overide it. Please advise.

Thanks,
Chuck

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

When I put the script above as the code for the onkey event for a form, begin typing in a field, stop and hit the escape key, nothing happens and the data entry continues.

Thus I believe the code above is aborting the normal Alpha behavior for the escape key.

Now what do you want to do?

[Charles Scott]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

I want to attach my own cancel record script to the escape key so my customers can't see the enviroment i'm writing in. That way I can be sure no one can reverse engineer my code.

[Stan Mathews]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

Are you seeing different results with the onkey escape trapping as described?

There is no "cancel record script" in Alpha. You can trap the escape key as described. You can put the code "cancel()" as the cansave event code and force the user to press a button to save a record, having your own code for the button which would write to the table(s) in question.

I came from a Foxpro dos background where one coded a "read" to wait for input and acted upon the result. If you are accustomed to something similar you really need to shift your approach and investigate event programming. You will make more and faster progress if you try to work with Alpha's methods than if you continually try to circumvent them and force Alpha to behave as if it were something else.

[Charles Scott]

RE: Attach a script to the Esc key

Here is the answer to my problem. Attach this script to the Esc key to cancel a record change, and to supress any refrence to Alpha 5.

'Execute inline Xbasic code.
if a_user.key.value = "{Esc}"
'Cancel changes to record in Form 'Bet' .
DIM object_name as C
object_name = ":"+"Bet"
DIM varP_Object as p
'Get a pointer to the specified object
varP_Object = obj(object_name)
'Check if the specified object exists
if .not. is_object(varP_Object) then
ui_msg_box("Error","The object '"+object_name+"' does not exist.",ui_stop_symbol)
else
varP_Object.cancel()
end if
end if