field rule to get previous value of a different field

[acceptthis]

In field rules, is there a way to get the previous value of one field into a different field of the next record?

What I am doing is entering timecard info where one job leads into the next, and it would be nice to take the ending time of the previous record and make it the default beginning time for the current entry. (See my example)

Date     Job     Start   End   Total 
01/01    124     8am    10am   2 hrs 
01/01    134     10am   11am   1 hr 
01/01    144     11am   4pm    5 hrs  

This is what I've tried so far,

dim lab_trans as p
lab_trans = table.open("labor_transactions")
lab_trans.fetch_eof()
oldtime = lab_trans.End
lab_trans.close()
Begin.value_put(oldtime)

but I don't know how to create field rule events very well, so I'm running into errors.

[Cheryl Lemire]

Hi Brad,

I would use the OnEnterRecord Event with the following:

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' OnEnterRecord Event for labor_transactions table 4/17/06 CKL
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Populate Start field based on last entry in End field

dim global oldtime as C
t = table.current()
t.fetch_last()
oldtime = t.End
t.start = var->oldtime

Since I do not know the field types for start and end, you may need additional code if they are not character fields.

Good luck
Cheryl

EDIT: Actually that code is probably not completely correct either. Since I am fetching the last record to get the End value, I am not sure if that will change the start value in the last record or the new record. You will have to test it and let us know what happens. If you get errors, let us know exactly what errors you are getting. Also let us know what the field type and widths are.

[Stan Mathews]

In field rules, is there a way to get the previous value of one field into a different field of the next record?

What I am doing is entering timecard info where one job leads into the next, and it would be nice to take the ending time of the previous record and make it the default beginning time for the current entry. (See my example)

Date     Job     Start   End   Total 
01/01    124     8am    10am   2 hrs 
01/01    134     10am   11am   1 hr 
01/01    144     11am   4pm    5 hrs  

This is what I've tried so far,

dim lab_trans as p
lab_trans = table.open("labor_transactions")
lab_trans.fetch_eof()
oldtime = lab_trans.End
lab_trans.close()
Begin.value_put(oldtime)

but I don't know how to create field rule events very well, so I'm running into errors.

How about a button that placed the previous "end" in the "start" field when pressed?

Button code

start.value = previous("end")

assuming that start is the object name of the start field on the form.

[acceptthis]

Thanks for your response and direction. Sorry for my slow response.

I tried some variations of your suggestions, but I've realized I made it more difficult with the way I've set it up. The labor_transactions table is actually a child table and employees table is the parent of a set. This means, if I attach a script to the onEnter event, it only fires when I enter on the parent table, not the browse (labor_transactions table).
It also means that the previous() function, suggested by Stan, doesn't work either. That's because the previous() function attempts to gather the previous data of the parent record.
I'm re-thinking if I need the set or not. Maybe I don't.

[Bill Parker]

To avoid all the coding you could do the following. Add a field to employee table, last_end_time. Use a post field rule to post the end time from labor_transactions to the new field in employee. Then have a "defaul value" field rule in labor_transaction that gets the value from employee.

If you enter the field rule at the set level, Alpha makes it very easy for you - just pick the field from the other table.

Now there are some details, like if you edit an older record to change a end_time value. If this can't happen (ha) then ignore the following. If this were to happen 1) the subsequent record needs to be edited also because its start time is no longer valid, and 2) editing the end_time field posts the revision to employee - which you do not want. My first inclination would be to use Time type fields in both tables and only post if the value in labor_transaction is greater that the value in employee. A Time type field includes both date and time.

Bill.

[acceptthis]

thanks for your ideas!

[acceptthis]

previous_record()

For any following this thread, the previous_record() function may work for most situations. See a description here:
http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...Help_Title.htm

I'm still checking to see if it works for me.