table with single record

[Steve Wood]

I wanted to ask if this is the accepted method to ensure a table allows one-and-only-one record. Example would be a Preferences Table; you'd only want one record, not allow more than one to be entered, and never allow that one record to be deleted.

To do this, I went to Form Properties / Form tab and checked all Restriction boxes other than Change. This meant that if the table was empty, it allowed me to enter one record and save the results. Thereafter I could not delete the record or add a new record.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: table with single record

Steve,

I had a similar need and approached the solution this way:

a) in the data entry form I restricted everything except changes. User could not delete, navigate, find, enter... nothing but change was allowed.

b) I used the default form for the table to enter my own contact information.

c) On startup the autoexec checks a field value in the one record table. If it sees my information there it pops up a dialog telling the user that they need to enter their own organizational information from my maintenance utilities menu.

In other words I supply the application with the one record table already populated, and prompt the user to modify it as soon as they start the app.

-- tom

[Steve Workings]

RE: table with single record

What Tom said.

- Steve

[Jerry Hartness]

RE: table with single record

Tom, how do you do that? I have a single record form for entering the name, address, etc that can only be changed as "you-all" described above, but my start up form has
a lookup that has my name (from the form), but on the form
itself to get them to change it I have "your name goes here" as the default company name. Every little script helps.

Thanks
Jerry

[Cheryl Lemire]

RE: table with single record

Jerry,

Instead od using your form as the startup, you would write some code in an autoexec file that checks the field value in your table and then depending on the result will load either your form or say, the main menu form.

open table
get value of field and assign to variable
DIM vfield1 AS c
vfield1 = Field1.value
close table

if vfield1 = "Your Company Name Here" then
load your form allowing changes
else
load your main menu form instead
end

Hope that helps.
Good luck
Cheryl

[G Gabriel]

RE: table with single record

I am just curious: what would be the need or usage for a one-record table?
Gabe

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: table with single record

Gabe, in my case it's a place to store information about the customer's organization, that the customer can keep updated as things change. I use it to keep things like:

Organization name
Org_Address
Org_phone
Org_fax
Org_email
Current dues payment grace period (# of days)
Fiscal year end

and so on.

This kind of thing could be hard coded into the app, but the customers like being able to update their reports without calling me when the post office changes their zip code, or the phone company changes their area code.

On startup I read this one record and store current field values in globals that persist throughout the session.

It's these global variables that I use on their reports.

-- tom

[Steve Wood]

RE: table with single record

Thanks all. The idea of a default table(s) requiring modification on initial startup is very welcome. I worked mostly on Alpha's Web App Server when version 6 came out and am now coming around to close out the desktop side of the application.

I like what Tom showed because I'm currently spending time (because this is my first Alpha application) developing what I want as the 'framework' for any application I might build later.

I deployed a similar idea in a DataEase application where the customer would, on initial installation, enter a code. That code would then cause that application to display customer-specific objects. When they clicked MainMenu or WorkOrders, it would load MainMenu_mycode or WorkOrders_mycode, etc. It was an attempt to sell one application to a bunch of customers with slightly different needs.

[G Gabriel]

RE: table with single record

Tom:
I was going to suggest to Steve to use global variables in leiu of a one-record table.
If you are using global variables, What is the need for a one-record table ??
Gabe

[Steve Wood]

RE: table with single record

Here are a few:

xx_Developer: Where I list my details as the developer for use on the About screen, copyright notice, etc.

xx_About: the About screen

xx_AppDefaults: Same thing as Preferences, where you keep such details as "Offset from GMT", and other preferences.

xx_ReportDefaults: customers defaults for reports such as Header, Company Name, Default Page Size.

xx_Rules: Customer-selected rules on how various procedures behave. Such as "If "filename" already exists, what do you want to do? Overwrite/Prompt/Abort"

xx_EntryRequired: Checkboxes next to various database fields where customer notes if they want that field to be required, or not required.

Also, this makes lookup() easier because you just enter a ".T." for the filter value.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: table with single record

Gabe, I'm sorry my previous was not clearer. I use the one record table to populate the global variables. Doing it this way exposes the variables to the user so that they can maintain them themselves. This permits them to make a change in only one place and have it ripple through all their reports automatically. How do you do it?

-- tom

[G Gabriel]

RE: table with single record

Tom:
I understood what you meant, but my question is why create a new table (the one-record table that is) just to create global variables??
You could create those global variables from any other table that you already have & create a form or xdlg that present the user with these variables. I do not see any need for that table.
Gabe

[Steve Wood]

RE: table with single record

Actually, everything above can be in one Table, but I show them in different Forms. In Alpha I would show them (as appropriate) on a single form using Tabs. I'm not used to using Global Variables, but see how they could be useful. Especially since they don't require writing a lookup() and this idea you proposed where they are available to the user (I suppose when they create ad-hoc reports, etc.)

[G Gabriel]

RE: table with single record

Steve:
You got it !!
Plus you could enter whatever restictions you wish on them, individually or as a group.
Gabe

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: table with single record

Ok. -- tom