Help to learn xdialog, "Invalid data-type

[Graham Wickens]

I'm trying to self-teach xdialog. my first effort keeps throwing up "Invalid data_type for this expression".

The Script is as follows: [line numbers added for clarity
1. 'Created By :
2. 'Updated By : Graham Wickens
3. tbl = table.reset("prefix")
4. tbl.query_detach_all()
5. query.order = "country"
6. query.filter = "usage_c"
7. query.description = "Keylist"
8. indx = tbl.query_create()
9. ui_dlg_box("Country List",""%dlg%
10.Print a mailing label for which customer?;
{lf};

11.Select Country Name:;
12.[%KL=keylist%.50,10key_selected];
{lf};
13."*15&OK!ok" "15&Cancel!cancel"

14.%dlg%,""%code%
15.IF a_dlg_button = "ok" THEN
16. tr=:browse.load("Base_Master")
17. tr:Tables:Base_Master.filter_expression = "country_n = '"+key_selected+"'"
18. tr:Tables:Base_Master.order_expression = "place_n+base"
19. tr:Tables:Base_Master.query()
20. tr.show()
21. tr.activate()
22.END IF
23.%code%)

the error is on line 17.

is it possible to get a value from one table and use this value as a filter on another.

In my case select field"COUNTRY" from Prefix.dbf and use the field value form NAME12 (from same record )to select all entries in table bases.dbf that
BASES-"Country_n = PREFIX-"NAME12

[Graham Wickens]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

with a lack of response, I finally sorted it out.
line 17 - 19 should read:
17.tr=:browse.load("Base_Master")
tr:tables:bases.filter_expression = "country_n = '"+left(remspecial(key_selected1),12)+"'"
18. tr:tables:bases.order_expression = "place_n+base"
19. tr:tables:bases.query()

[Graham Wickens]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

So Far so good. The next stage I want to pass the key_value from the 1st dialog box to use as the filter in the second dialog box:

'Date Created: 12-Jun-2002 08:59:55 PM
'Last Updated: 02-Sep-2005 08:40:00 PM
'Created By :
'Updated By : Graham Wickens
ui_dlg_box("Country",
Select Country:;
[%Ke=prefix,{keylist_build('1:25',name12,country)}{usage_c}%.25key_value0];
{lf};

%dlg%,
IF a_dlg_button = "ok" THEN
c_filter = alltrim(key_value0)
END IF
%Code%)
ui_dlg_box("Region",
Select Region:;
[%Ke=regional,{keylist_build('1:3,2:20',region_n,region_n,f_region_n)}{country_n = c_filter}%.23key_value1];
{lf};

%dlg%,
IF a_dlg_button ="ok" THEN
r_filter = alltrim(key_value1)
END IF
%Code%)

What is the correct way to code the filter expression as I think syntax is the only thing stopping this from working.

Of course if anyone has a more elegant way of doing this, please let me know.

[Graham Wickens]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Perhaps a better explanation of what I am trying to achieve might get me more response:
I have 5 Tables:

Prefix.dbf which holds Country Details
Regional.dbf which holds Region details for each Country
County_names.dbf which holds County details for each Region in each Country
Place_names.dbf which holds Place Name details
Bases.dbf which holds Airfield details from around the world and contains fields contain lookup values from the above 4 tables.

using XDialog I want to be able to:
select a Country [from Prefix]
select Region or County from 1 above
if Region selected , select Region_Name in Country selected in 1
select Place_Name in Region_Name selected in 3
if [b]County[b] selected, select County_name for Country selected in 1
select Place_Name in County_name selected in 5
finally Display browse of [b]Bases[b] filtered by the above selections.

I managed it in V5.4 and V5 using forms opened as "Dialog" and a lot of xbasic code, it was rather long-winded but it worked, so surely I should be able to achieve a more elegant result using XDialog??

[Jim Chapman]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Hello Graham,

I'd probably try to approach this with a single dialog box. As I don't have your tables, I used a coupld of simple lists to demonstrate this. You can easily do the same thing by using table to populate lists or arrays.

Good luck,
Jim

France:Orleans
France:Nantes
France:Paris
Germany:Berlin
Germany:Hanover
Germany:Dresden
Germany:Mannheim
USA:Iowa
USA:Wisconsin
USA:Nebraska
USA:Florida
%b%
vRegionList = ""
ui_dlg_box("Country",
Select Country:; 
[.40vSelectedCountry^=vCountry!change]; 
{lf}; 
{condition=vSelectedCountry''}
Select Region:;
[.40vSelectedRegion^=vRegionList];
{condition=.t.}
  
%dlg%,
IF a_dlg_button = "ok" THEN 
c_filter = alltrim(vSelectedCountry+" "+vSelectedRegion)
end if 
if a_dlg_button = "change"
	a_dlg_button = ""
	vList = filter_string(vRegion,vSelectedCountry)
	vList = *for_each(x,word(x,-1),vList)
	vRegionList = vList 
END IF 
%Code%) 

a5_show_variable(c_filter)

[Jim Chapman]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Ooops,

Didn't get everything copied. Here's another try:

vCountry = 
England
France
Germany
USA
%a%
vRegion = 
England:North
England:South
England:East
England:West
France:Tours
France:Orleans
France:Nantes
France:Paris
Germany:Berlin
Germany:Hanover
Germany:Dresden
Germany:Mannheim
USA:Iowa
USA:Wisconsin
USA:Nebraska
USA:Florida
%b%
vRegionList = ""
ui_dlg_box("Country",
Select Country:; 
[.40vSelectedCountry^=vCountry!change]; 
{lf}; 
{condition=vSelectedCountry''}
Select Region:;
[.40vSelectedRegion^=vRegionList];
{condition=.t.}
  
%dlg%,
IF a_dlg_button = "ok" THEN 
c_filter = alltrim(vSelectedCountry+" "+vSelectedRegion)
end if 
if a_dlg_button = "change"
	'debug(1)
	a_dlg_button = ""
	vList = filter_string(vRegion,vSelectedCountry)
	vList = *for_each(x,word(x,-1),vList)
	vRegionList = vList 
END IF 
%Code%) 

a5_show_variable(c_filter)

[Graham Wickens]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,


So Far so good.
ui_dlg_box("Airfield Listing",
Select Country:;
[%Ke=prefix,{keylist_build('1:25',name12,Country)}{usage_c}%.25vSelectedCountry];
{lf};
{condition=SelectedCountry''}

{condition="R"}
Select Region:;
[%Ke=regional,{keylist_build('1:3,2:20',region_n,region_n,f_region_n)}{country_n = SelectedCountry}%.23SelectedRegion];
{lf};
{condition="C"}
[%Ke=county_name,(keylist_build(40,County_Name,County_name}{country_n = SelectedCountry}%23SelectedCounty];
{lf};
{condition=.t.}
%dlg%,
c_filter=alltrim(SelectedCountry+","+SelectedRegion+","+SelectedCounty)
%code%)
a5_show_variable(c_filter)

I still cannot get the Filter set in {condition="R"} or {Condition="C")

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Graham, permit me to jump in and be a bit blunter than Jim.

Post sample data from the tables involved. Otherwise you force volunteers who want to try to help you to create their own data, in multiple related tables, and frankly, most of us would rather not. It's fair to say you should try to make it easy for folks to help you.

-- cranky Tom

[Graham Wickens]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Here you are then a zip called Example, I think its has all that is relevant to the Script. If not just SHOUT!

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Graham,

Here's an action scripting example that uses a series of simple dialog boxes to display a browse on the BASES table filtered on either a Country Name + Region Name OR a Country Name + County Name. Maybe this will give you some ideas.

Doing all of this in a single xdialog is beyond me at the moment. Perhaps others will help out.

-- tom

ps.

Your post at 3:37p yesterday isn't clear enough for me. I don't understand the two lines describing the selection of Place_name. They seem to be saying choose Place_name from Region_Name in one case, and Place_name from County_name in another. There is no Place_name field in the Regionals table. There is no table "Region_Name". There is no Place_name field in the County_names table. There is no "County_Name" table. Please break this down into smaller steps. Thanks.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Oops. Hit send prematurely.

-- tom

[Graham Wickens]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Thanks Tom, I'm away until Sunday now, but it will give me something to think about.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

It took a bit of doing, but here's an example using a single xdialog for your review and study. Let me know if you have questions.

For the benefit of others, here's a summary of what the xdialog example named "TomsExample" will do.

' This script uses a single xdialog to collect search criteria for use in building
' a filter expression in other scripts (not shown here)
'
' Features:
' (a) A Country name is selected using a record list-combo box and the Prefix table
' (b) The user then is given the option of searching by Region or by County.
' (c) If the user chooses Region, a second record list_combo box is presented, using
' records pulled from the Regional table, and filtered on the SelectedCountry.
' (d) If the user chooses County, a different record list-combo box is presented, using
' records pulled from the County_name table, and filtered on the SelectedCountry.
' (e) The display of the region and county combo boxes occurs in the same space, using
' a conditional expression to replace the controls as needed.
' (f) Finally the user's choices are displayed in a simple message box at the end.


-- tom

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Graham,

Here's an improved example. The radio button to choose between Region or County is hidden until a country is selected. The OK button is disabled until a region name or county name is selected. This was a great exercise. I'd been away from xdialog for a while and this really knocked the rust off.

-- tom

[Graham Wickens]

RE: Help to learn xdialog,

Hi Tom,
you have been busy while I was away! :))

I can now work though it step-by-step to understand it.If I have any questions I will post to the forum.
the Xdialog works very fast on the full tables.