Getting around a A5 system message

[rfha]

In a situation where there are many tables related to a single parent, and when it is not practical to use a set for many reasons, my code is designed to delete all child records and then delete the parent.

It works fine, thanks to Selwyn's help! But there is one little glitch. (Isn't there always?)

At the start of the script, I display this message:
"Are you sure you want to delete this person and all related records?"

The script properly deletes all the child records and then executes this code:

parentform.delete_record()
topparent.resynch()

The problem is, as is explained in the docs, "The <OBJECT>.DELETE_RECORD() method displays a confirmation message box and then deletes the current record in the layout after."

That second confirmation message is not needed and is also confusing, since the user has already given an 'ok' to delete the records

Anyone have a workaround?

(As an aside, that topparent.resynch() gets rid of the 'phantom record' problem when there are no more records in the table. There's been lots of discussion about that issue. Again, thanks Selwyn.)

[John Oesterle]

Without dialog

<tbl>.delete() should do it for you

- John O

[Tom Cone Jr]

Richard, John is right. One further note. Read the help file on proper usage of the <tbl>.delete() method. The table must be placed in change mode before this method will work. -- tom

[CALocklin]

This may not be to applicable in your situation since you've already deleted the child records but it does make sense if done before anything is deleted. (In other words, this idea is more for others who are reading this.)

You might want to consider leaving the message there and changing your first prompt so the second one doesn't seem quite so confusing. I've started doing this because of the number of people who used to say things like, "But I didn't really want to delete it."

Now my first message will often say something like this just to clarify exactly what is being deleted:
Ready to delete:
Owner: Joe Btfsplk
Address: Route 1, Dogpatch, USA

<Yes> <No>

If they answer 'Yes' then the simple system prompt (something like "OK to delete this record?") pops up to give them one last chance.

Since I've implemented this "multiple chance" process, nobody has come back and said, "Oops, I deleted something by mistake. How can I get it back?"

[rfha]

Thanks, guys! Once again you come through in a flash!

And that's a great suggestion, Cal.

[rfha]

Okay, still got a problem, but perhaps (maybe, hopefully, prayerfully....whateverfully) it is the last!

Here is the code:

'Delete all child records associated with the current Personal Info record

dim ptr as P
dim name as C
dim tbl as P
dim tblhold as P
dim fld as P
Dim i as N

'Set up parameters for Table Personal Info
tblhold = table.current()
fld = tblhold.field_get("Full_name")
name = fld.value_get()

'Second Delete Warning Message
DIM SHARED Second_Delete_Warning_result as N
DIM SHARED Second_Delete_Warning_YES_Button as L
DIM SHARED Second_Delete_Warning_NO_Button as L
Second_Delete_Warning_YES_Button = .F.
Second_Delete_Warning_NO_Button = .F.

title_var = "Are you ready to delete all information about..."
message_text_var = name
Second_Delete_Warning_result=ui_msg_box(title_var,message_text_var,UI_YES_NO+ UI_FIRST_BUTTON_DEFAULT+ UI_NO_SYMBOL)
'Test to see which button on the message box was pressed....
SELECT
CASE Second_Delete_Warning_result = UI_YES_SELECTED
Second_Delete_Warning_YES_Button= .t.
CASE Second_Delete_Warning_result = UI_NO_SELECTED
Second_Delete_Warning_NO_Button= .t.
script_play_local("end")
END SELECT

'Delete child records in Table Banking
tbl=table.open("banking")
'Perform a query to find Banking Persons
query.filter = "Person = " + quote(name)
qry_find = tbl.query_create()
tbl.delete_range()
tbl.close()

MORE OF THE SAME TYPE DELETES HERE

'Delete Parent record in Table Personal Info
tbl = tbl.current()
tbl.delete_record()
topparent.resynch()
'Get record count and load Control Panel if no records remain
i = tbl.records_get()
if i = 0
parentform.close(.f.)
varP_Control_Panel = :Form.view("Control Panel","","","Center","Top")
end if

My first warning (outside this code) is fine, the second is fine, the child deletes are fine. But when we get to the tbl.delete_record() here at the end, I get an "Argument is incorrect data type"

The only thing I can see is that tbl.current has been closed, but nowhere in the code does that happen. And it works if topparent.delete_record() is used, but then I get the extra warning message. Grrr.

And it is in the change mode, Tom. Checked that. ;)

[John Oesterle]

Richard -

From the <tbl>.delete() Help page:

tbl = [COLOR="Red"]table[/COLOR].current()
[COLOR="Red"]tbl.change_begin()[/COLOR]
tbl.delete()
[COLOR="Red"]tbl.change_end(.T.)[/COLOR]

Yours appears to be:

'Delete Parent record in Table Personal Info
tbl = [COLOR="Blue"]tbl[/COLOR].current()
tbl.delete_record()
topparent.resynch()
'Get record count and load Control Panel if no records remain
i = tbl.records_get()
if i = 0
parentform.close(.f.)
varP_Control_Panel = :Form.view("Control Panel","","","Center","Top")
end if

Apart from the table pointer problem, I don't see where you place the table in change mode. Try making these modifications as appropriate and give it another try.

- John O

[Tom Cone Jr]

Richard, I'll wager the table is not in change mode by the time the parent record is ready to be deleted. The most reliable approach is:

a) check the mode of the table at the top of the script
b) force user to commit or cancel any pending changes.
c) then you know you're in VIEW mode.
d) then delete the children
e) then delete the parent, placing the tbl in change mode in your script

Also, it would be smart to validate the query of the child table. Get the count of records in the query list. If it's zero then there are none to delete and your script can branch accordingly. As it stands it will try to delete records when there may be none in the query list. I don't know if that would throw an error or not. But it might.

-- tom

[rfha]

Well, John was right, but other than the

tbl.change_end(.T.)

I had done that before and gotten an error that said it was already in the change mode, so I removed the statement.

Perhaps, though, Tom's last comment will prove to be the reason for it.

Thanks to you both. Hopefully, this darn epoc has now ended! :)