How to Populate a screen field within code and get dependent fields refreshed

[atchut]

We are using Alpha5V6 to develop regular windows Application. We face with a problem and wish to have your help cracking it.

I created a sample sample screen to explain our problem. Please see the attached Screenshot. (Screenshot.jpg)

The screen is created over a table called "document". (columns docid, docDt, doctypeCd, DocTypeDesc, DocFee, tax)
There is a Lookup field rule on Document.DocTypeCd. The lookup has source as table "DocType" (columns doctypecd, doctypedesc, docfee)
The lookup field rule also populates DocTypeDesc and DocTypeFee. Tax is a calculated field in Document table with its expression as 0.06 * DocFee.

When I choose a doc type from the lookup or type it directly, Description and fee get the values automatically as intended. Tax also gets calculated when I tab through the field or save record.

Now We added a button "EFile" (See Screenshotafter.jpg). The "OnPush" Event Runs an xbasic script. This script assigns a value to DocTypeCd Programatically. (example: topparent:DocTypeCd.value = "DEED"). Though this is a valid value for Doctypecd in the lookup table, the form does not show me the corresponding doctypedesc and docfee. The tax field also does not get calculated. What else should I do in the code to make it work properly?

A quick working Suggestion is highly appreciated as we are fast approaching our deadline and this is a show stopper.

thanks

Atchut Gollakota

[davej]

How to Populate Fields

Atchut,

How about posting a working copy for us to look at? Make sure there is enough data for the lookups to work.

Dave

[atchut]

Here is the sample application

The sample has enough records in the lookup table to experiment.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Atchut,

Your button plays a script. The script assigns a "value" to the DOCTYPECD field in the current record. This is the same field that has the table lookup field rule defined.

Most of the field rules are classified as "ui_level" rules, designed to run when the user is typing at the keyboard. Instead of typing, you're assigning a value to the field object using a script. I thought maybe this could be successful if the "honor field rules flag" was set, but either I made a mistake in testing, or the honor field rules flag won't work in this context.

In my own work here if I use a script to assign field values to a record, I ignore the field rules and go ahead and use the script to fill in the other fields at the same time. Here's an example of how this might work in your test kit database:

'revised script for EFile_Process script
tbl = table.open("doctype") 'open the lookup table
Tbl.index_primary_put("doctypecd")   'set index for the find
tbl.fetch_find("Deed")  'find by key, using "DEED"
topparent:DocTypeCd.text = "DEED"
topparent:doTypeDesc.text = tbl.Doctypedesc
topparent:docFee.value = tbl.Docfee
tbl.close()   'close the lookup table

This kind of approach should not be taken for "engine_level" field rules (like the auto increment rule) because they'll be honored automatically by Alpha Five.

Hope this helps. -- t

[Blake]

but either I made a mistake in testing, or the honor field rules flag won't work in this context.

I have never been able to make the honor field rules flag work, meaning that I end up duplicating field-rules code in my xBasic (as you show here). So, if anyone understands how they are supposed to work, I wouldn't mind an example!

[atchut]

thanks for the feedback. We are able to make it work

We kept this code under the Button Event.

dim tbl as p
if Vnewrec = .t. then
form.cancel(.f.)
topparent.command("RECORD_CANCEL")
tbl = table.current()
tbl.enter_begin(.t.)
topparent:DocTypeCd.activate()
topparent:DocTypeCd.value = "DEED"
tbl.enter_end(.t.)
vNewRec = .f.
end if