How to pass a variable to a dialog?

[jkletrovets]

Greetings all,

I am trying to pass a variable from a link on a grid to a dialog. Please see the attached screenshot. I am using the variable to pass a path to the email_send() function - the variable contains what will be the path for the attachment. I have tested this by just redirecting it to an a5w page with nothing but the email_send() function properly filled out (by me) as a test. There were no fields for the user to enter any data like subject, message body etc. This all worked perfectly and the variable that I passed to the function worked great and the attachment was sent with the email as it should be. Now that I have expanded this concept to a dialog so the user can enter info, the dialog keeps telling me the variable is not found when it is trying to be used in the email_send() function. But, it works if I just send it to that original a5w test page.

So, long prelude to a short question....How do I pass a variable from a grid "link" field to a dialog so I can use that variable in the dialog?

Thanks,

Jeff

later: the variable I am referring to is vpdfpath that is defined in the link address builder line on the screenshot attached.

[NoeticCC]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

When inserting a component in an A5w page you can override component properties, such as values of fields... So you can just set the value or initial value of a field to the page variable passed in from the grid.

Although there may well be an easier way of handling this!

[Steve Wood]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

vpdfpath will end up being a page variable as Andrea said. But it is available to the page, and only one of the events within the dialog. The only event where it is visible is the Initialize event. So, write this in the initilize event:

currentform.controls.vpdfpath = vpdfpath

and that will store the value in a dialog control (that you will create) and it can be used later. Add some error checking to that code in case the value is missing.

or session.vpdfpath = vpdfpath if you want to save it to a session variable for general use and not store it in the dialog.

Some other options are, if the path is based on something consistent for a given user, you can set a session variable when they log in. And if it is always the same value, you can use an Alias.

[NoeticCC]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

vpdfpath will end up being a page variable as Andrea said. But it is available to the page, and only one of the events within the dialog. The only event where it is visible is the Initialize event. So, write this in the initilize event:

Thanks for that, I knew there had to be an easier way! I know there's stuff you can do to dialogs and grids from the a5w page but I prefer to sort everything out in the component itself!

[jkletrovets]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

Steve and Andrea,

Thanks for the replies.

Utilizing this in the initialize event did the trick

currentform.controls.vpdfpath = vpdfpath

Thank you Steve!!

Is there somewhere in the help file that would have told me this? I searched there and on the board for a long time with no luck. Just wondering if it was there and I couldn't see/find it.....or if that subject knowledge comes from just more experience with WAS?

Thanks again...

Jeff

[EricN]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

I do this in the Initialize event also. But one problem I have encountered in these dialogs is if the page is refreshed, then sometimes the data is lost. To combat this, I also put the same lines in the Activate event which is fired every time the page is run.

[jkletrovets]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

Eric

Thanks for the heads up on that.

Jeff

[NoeticCC]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

I do this in the Initialize event also. But one problem I have encountered in these dialogs is if the page is refreshed, then sometimes the data is lost. To combat this, I also put the same lines in the Activate event which is fired every time the page is run.

Wouldn't this only need to be in the Activate event (otherwise it fires twice) or are page variables only ever picked up in the initialize event?

[EricN]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

Can't remember for sure. But I believe I tried this in Activate only and it didn't work when page was run first time. When I refreshed, then data was displayed. I could be wrong here.

But I do know that it works when I place it in both Initialize and Activate events. I have several dialogs which require user interaction (To, Subject, Message) and I pre-populate several other controls, including my "Anti-Robot."

[NoeticCC]

Re: How to pass a variable to a dialog?

Can't remember for sure. But I believe I tried this in Activate only and it didn't work when page was run first time. When I refreshed, then data was displayed. I could be wrong here.

But I do know that it works when I place it in both Initialize and Activate events. I have several dialogs which require user interaction (To, Subject, Message) and I pre-populate several other controls, including my "Anti-Robot."

Ah yes I think once it's initialised, it then gets passed on when the form is submitted / reloaded.... I do seem to remember experimenting with this a while ago, although I think I had to make the page variable the same name as the field/control though but am not 100% sure...