Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

[Tanman]

Hello there,

I have been working on creating a message box that comes up after a user has changed the values in the form. I would like to have a dialog box come up to ask up to ask the user if they want to save the record or not. If the user wants to saves then it commits the save and if it doesn't then it changes it back to the original values of the fields (if they are editing a record) or reset the new record.

I thought I could do this by creating an action script on the cansave event. I have set a message dialog box that asks the user if they want to save. If they click OK then I have an action script that saves the record. If they click cancel I have set an action script that will cancel changes.

Saving the record is fine, but when I use the cancel script, it cancels but comes with an error message to say that "The object "Analysis Form" does not exist. " where Analysis Form is the form that the user is entering data.

I am wondering what I am doing wrong, and what can I do to resolve this error?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[fddizon]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

''Analysis Form"

Rename your form to Analysis_Form...

AlphaFive converts spaces of form names to _ character.

hope others will chime in to explain it better

alpha has this feature built-in...
try opening a form with records and without cansave record codes
edit a record
try to close the form, it shows the "Save change in progress?" dialog with "Yes, No Cancel" buttons

[Tanman]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Thanks for the reply Francis,
Thats works great when the form is closed, but what happens when the user clicks the next button or back or forward after making some changes. I found that there is no prompt there to ask if the record needs to be saved.

I read through the help files and wonder if this is in the CanSave and CanChange events.

I was thinking that under each one of those events I create a Message box (using the wizards) that has the yes and no responses to them and attaching the save record or cancel changes scripts to it.

For those that have done a dialog box before any type of data change, I would be interested as to what how you did it.

Thanks,

Wei-Yen

[fddizon]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Wei,

try putting this code to your forms cansave event

if topparent.mode_get() = "CHANGE" .or. topparent.mode_get() = "ENTER" then
	response = ui_msg_box("Save", "Do you want to save changes?",UI_QUESTION_SYMBOL+UI_YES_NO)
	if response = UI_YES_SELECTED then
	    topparent.Commit()
	else
		topparent.cancel()
	end if
end if

hope this helps...

:)
i haven't tried looking for this if there is a sample in the code archive section of a "standard working form model" that has these essential features of a data entry form before it is deployed to end users.

i hope someone from our gurus here will share a standard working model of a data entry form in the archive section...

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Francis and Wei-Yen,

You don't need to specify topparent.commit() in the CanSave event because you are already in a saving procedure. You just need to let the event happen by do nothing as a result of your test. To stop the save, ie cancel the event use cancel(). Then if you want to also cancel the changes made in the form add topparent.cancel().

if topparent.mode_get() = "CHANGE" .or. topparent.mode_get() = "ENTER" then
    response = ui_msg_box("Save", "Do you want to save changes?",UI_QUESTION_SYMBOL+UI_YES_NO)
    if response = UI_YES_SELECTED then
        'donothing - since  this is the cansave event doing nothing just allows A5 to 
        '            continue with the save
    else
        cancel()     'cancel the save event
        'If you want to leave the edited values in place for possible correction
        'comment out or remove the next line
        topparent.cancel()  'cancel changes to the record. ie return to original values            
    end if
end if

[fddizon]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

tim,

you are right. thanks for the correction.

if topparent.mode_get() = "CHANGE" .or. topparent.mode_get() = "ENTER" then
	response = ui_msg_box("Save", "Do you want to save changes?",UI_QUESTION_SYMBOL+UI_YES_NO)
	if response = UI_YES_SELECTED then
	    ui_msg_box("Message", "Your record has been successfully saved.", UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL+UI_OK)
	else
           'wei should use this since he is navigating out from the edited record
	    topparent.cancel()
	end if
end if

[fddizon]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Tim,

can you post one of your simple table with data entry form here in this thread? (if its not too much) a copy that you have been deployed to end users. i am sure, a lot of us will benefit from your example...

thanks

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

That still doesn't cancel the changes. In any CanWhatever event if you don't use cancel() then the event procedes. In this case it is the save event so when you navigate to the next record without canceling the event with the cancel() function the save still proceeds. The topparent.cancel() now applies to the record you just navigated to.

[fddizon]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Tim,

another mistake...lol

thanks

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

i hope someone from our gurus here will share a standard working model of a data entry form in the archive section...

Tim,

can you post one of your simple table with data entry form here in this thread? (if its not too much) a copy that you have been deployed to end users. i am sure, a lot of us will benefit from your example...

thanks

Francis, I am afraid I don't belong to that group of gurus you mentioned :)so I don't really have a standard premade form that I regularly use. If I want any kind of control over data entry I usually lock the form down by removing the menu and the toolbar and then placing my own nav/save/enter buttons. That is probably more than some want to do. Having such an example is a good idea though and if no one else jumps in or points us to one already here somewhere I will put it on my todo list. I know I have seen various examples of data entry control on my travels through this forum and probably on Dr Waynes learningalpha site but don't have any specific links to point you to. Actually, finding stuff on this forum is MikeC's specialty so maybe he will come up with something.;)

[MikeC]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Tim, Francis, and Wei-Yen,

This addresses the situation of when nothing has been committed yet as any topparent.cancel() only cancels those data entries that have not been committed. Many times (actually in my case Most times!) the entries on a form have to be committed prior to navigating say to find a record--but then if you wanted to "cancel" the entire event, what then?!

So far I have only found two ways around this scenario.

1...create a delete operation(s) for the parent and or child record(s) involved

2...use the function .RECORD_DATA_GET() which takes the contents of the record and places it into a Blob variable Before any part of a record is changed and then use .RECORD_DATA_SET() if you wanted the record to revert back to its original state.

The latter, for me, is much preferred.

Is there any other way to revert back to original data once changed (and committed) that is used?? Always nice to know of other ways to do things, especially if there are better ways! :)

[Tanman]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your input...I was curious as to how would it look. Would it look like this:

RECORD_DATA_GET()
if topparent.mode_get() = "CHANGE" .or. topparent.mode_get() = "ENTER" then
    response = ui_msg_box("Save", "Do you want to save changes?",UI_QUESTION_SYMBOL+UI_YES_NO)
    if response = UI_YES_SELECTED then
        'donothing - since  this is the cansave event doing nothing just allows A5 to 
        '            continue with the save
    else
.RECORD_DATA_SET()values            
    end if
end if

Thanks Mike for your input on this. :)

[MikeC]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Wei-Yen,
Quite a bit different actually. In my case I know that parts of the record have been saved already. So to "cancel" or revert things back to where they were to begin with I have used this method.

The following is but one way to do this.

1...Create a shared (session) or global logical variable called svBlob
2...On the OnInit event of a form place the script

svBlob=.T.

3...On the OnActivate event of the same form place this script.

if svBlob=.T. then
  dim tbl as p
  dim rec_data as b
  tbl=table.current()
  rec_data=tbl.record_data_get()
  svBlob=.F.'prevents this code from running again once the form is open
                  'setting the Blob variable does not work on the OnInit event
end if

The above script basically has to be done prior to any changes made to the record...As the Blob could not be set using the OnInit event of the form I used the OnActivate and with the svBlob logical variable it only allows the Blob to be set once when a form is opened.

4...And this is then placed on the Cancel button's OnPush event.

if svBlob=.F. then  'this just makes sure that the Blob was set as the 
                         'only way it can be .F. is after the Blob gets data.
 dim tbl as p
 tbl=table.current()
  if rec_data<>"" then
    tbl.change_begin()
    tbl.record_data_set(rec_data)
    tbl.change_end(.t.)
  end if
end if

topparent.refresh_layout()

I am sure there are ways to make this a bit more streamlined and all but as it works I have not felt the need yet to do so.

[Tanman]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Thanks Mike,

I'll give that a go.

[danh]

Re: Methodology of creating a way to cancel changes to a record?

Tim, Francis, and Wei-Yen,

This addresses the situation of when nothing has been committed yet as any topparent.cancel() only cancels those data entries that have not been committed. Many times (actually in my case Most times!) the entries on a form have to be committed prior to navigating say to find a record--but then if you wanted to "cancel" the entire event, what then?!

I am trying to understand this better. If you move off of the current record, which record are your reverting?

I have used the following code on the CanSave and CanExit event to give the user the option of going ahead with saving (Selecting 'Yes'), losing the changes (selecting 'No'), or canceling to correct the entry (selecting 'Cancel'). The 'No' doesn't seem to work if you don't restrict navigation, so I need to figure that out.

dim res as c
DIM ANS as n
res=parentform.Mode_Get()
if res="CHANGE" then
     ans=msgbox("Save?","You have made changes, do you want to save them before leaving?",UI_ATTENTION_SYMBOL+UI_FIRST_BUTTON_DEFAULT+UI_YES_NO_CANCEL)	
    	if ans = UI_YES_SELECTED then
    		'Yes selected,
    	        'do nothing, record saved automatically
    	elseif ans = UI_NO_SELECTED then
    		'No selected
    		topparent.Cancel()
    	elseif ans = UI_CANCEL_SELECTED then
    		'Cancel selected
    		cancel()
    	end if
end if

This brings up another question I have. You can cancel the changes to a record based on one table, but what about a set? It seems Alpha saves the parent record and each record in the child table as you go. How can you undo these types of records?

Thanks, Dan