How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

[georgefurnel]

Good day,

Is it possable to know which required field the user did not fill before commiting (saving) the record? I would like to take the user back to that field on the form, so they can enter a value.

Kind regards
George

[G Gabriel]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

Is it possable to know which required field the user did not fill before commiting (saving) the record?

Yeh..
It is going to be blank!

[georgefurnel]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

Yeh..
It is going to be blank!

A professionally (and elegantly) developed system should not only display an error message (like A5 currently does), as the programmer I believe that I should assist the user by programmatically putting the focus on the field in question.

Regards
George

[G Gabriel]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

OK George, let's make it simple:
1-If a field is required, issue your custome message
2-When the user clicks OK on your message, use a script that activate the blank field.
That's all.

Another easier and simpler way so you do have to go fishing for blank required fields, on those required fields, in the CanDepart event, put a script:
if field.value=""
ui_msg_box("Warning", "Field is required")
field.activate()
end if

[georgefurnel]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

AL, is it passable to intercept the current message that A5 displays, and rather display my own custom message? Or is there maybe a trigger or event which i can interrogate to handle the situation?

Regards

[G Gabriel]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

is there maybe a trigger or event which i can interrogate to handle the situation?

Yeh..

Another easier and simpler way so you do have to go fishing for blank required fields, on those required fields, in the CanDepart event, put a script:
if field.value=""
ui_msg_box("Warning", "Field is required") [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][B]'this is your custom message[/B][/COLOR]
field.activate()
end if

[Mike Wilson]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

AL? Ha!

I never use Field Rule Always required. It's a hassle during development and provides little latitude for things like what you wish to do. I always use either a field CanDepart, or Form CanSave event to do just what Gabriel (a.k.a. Al) described.

[jkletrovets]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

I'll second what Mike and G. say. I roll my own - that way I have control over what precisely is going on.

Below is a function I wrote to handle the required field checking. The neat thing I like about it is that if you take the time to fill in the field rules descriptive name it will put that over and use it in the error message.

So, instead of getting - "Invcnumf is required" which basically has no meaning to the end user.

you would get.

"The Invoice Number Field is Required"

After the function runs it positions the cursor back to the required field for them to remedy the situation.

'Date Created: 29-Aug-2006 02:14:11 PM
'Last Updated: 14-Feb-2007 07:40:47 PM
'Created By  : Jeff
'Updated By  : Jeff Kletrovets

FUNCTION Reqd_Fld_Check as L (FldToCheck as C)
	'****** Place this function in the OnPush event of the Save Button ************
' ****** Sample Required Field Checking - OnPush event of Save Button
'IF Reqd_Fld_Check("empidf")=.F. then
'	topparent:empidf.activate()
'stop
'end if
' ***** End of Sample Code for Required Field Checking
	DIM TblReqd as P
	DIM FldReqd as P
	TblReqd = table.current()
	fldreqd = TblReqd.field_get(fldtocheck)

	' If table is in Enter Mode then we need to perform the check for an empty field.

	SELECT
		CASE tblreqd.mode_get() = 2
			' ************* ENTER MODE *********** Enter Mode = 2
			IF fldreqd.is_blank() THEN
				' ********  Now get the Default Descrptive Name to display in the message box.
				'This will make this function dynamic by displaying the default descriptive name in
				'the message box.
				'Getting field name here
				fldlong = tblreqd.field_get(fldtocheck)

				'If the table has rules get the default descriptive name which is long_name
				IF fldlong.has_rules() THEN
					rules = fldlong.rules_get()
					long_name = rules.Long_Name
				ELSE
					long_name = "Data Entry"  'use this as default text in message box if no rules
				END IF

				' *********** End of Get Default Descriptive Name *********
				' ***********  Now show error message box ***************
				ui_msg_box("Required Field","The "+long_name+" field must be filled in!",UI_STOP_SYMBOL)
				Reqd_Fld_Check = .F.
'				vcommand=eval("fldtocheck+'.activate()'")
'				evaluate_template(vcommand)
'				return						
'				end
			ELSE
				'Field has data entered so it is ok to move on
				Reqd_Fld_Check = .T.

			END IF

		CASE tblreqd.mode_get() = 1
			' ************* EDIT MODE *********** Edit Mode = 2
			IF fldreqd.is_blank() THEN
				' ********  Now get the Default Descrptive Name to display in the message box.
				'This will make this function dynamic by displaying the default descriptive name in
				'the message box.
				fldlong = tblreqd.field_get(fldtocheck)

				'If the table has rules get the default descriptive name which is long_name
				IF fldlong.has_rules() THEN
					rules = fldlong.rules_get()
					long_name = rules.Long_Name
				ELSE
					long_name = "Data Entry"
				END IF

				' *********** End of Get Default Descriptive Name *********
				' ***********  Now show error message box ***************
				ui_msg_box("Required Field","The "+long_name+" field must be filled in!",UI_STOP_SYMBOL)
				Reqd_Fld_Check = .F.
'				vcommand=eval("fldtocheck+'.activate()'")
'				evaluate_template(vcommand)
'				return
'				end
			ELSE
				'Field has data so it is ok to move on
				Reqd_Fld_Check = .T.

			END IF

	END SELECT
	

END FUNCTION

[georgefurnel]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

:D I appreciate the effort, and will now go and remove all those "required" field rules.

Kind regards
George

[Playball335]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

I have used the code below as suggested. I get the warning but Alpha still saves the record!

Yeh..

Another easier and simpler way so you do have to go fishing for blank required fields, on those required fields, in the CanDepart event, put a script:
if field.value=""
ui_msg_box("Warning", "Field is required") [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][B]'this is your custom message[/B][/COLOR]
field.activate()
end if

[Playball335]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

I think I found the problem. I added a "cancel()" line in the code, seems to work. Will test further. If someone could confirm this a a proper/improper action I would appreciate it.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

Travis,
you must have a commit() after this code. The code does not stop after the message is closed unless you put in end.

in the CanDepart event, put a script:

if field.value=""
ui_msg_box("Warning", "Field is required")  'this is your custom message
field.activate()
[B][COLOR="Red"]end[/COLOR][/B]
end if

[Playball335]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

Thanks for the information Mike!

[Woodeye]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

George, Thanks for the suggestion:

Another easier and simpler way so you do have to go fishing for blank required fields, on those required fields, in the CanDepart event, put a script:
if field.value=""
ui_msg_box("Warning", "Field is required")
field.activate()
end if

I do have a related question for anyone. I have a form based on a set. There is an auto increment field "Company_id" that is (as of now) set to "always required" in field rules. I keep getting an error message "Field is Required: Company_Id". This is even though the field shows as filled out. I do have two embedded browses on the same form that show child records, but I have not entered data into these browses. Anyone else have an idea why I am getting the error message?

Thanks,

john

[Keith Hubert]

Re: How to know which field sparked the "field is required" message

Hi John,

I do have a related question for anyone. I have a form based on a set.

As you are asking a new question, it is best to start a new thread.

This not only helps you but others following later on, when they do a search on this forum.