Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

[rmcgaffic]

I'm trying to understand some rather weird behavior using the grid control.

I can add only one new record to a browse, and when I try to add an additional one, the information overwrites the previous record's information.

My form is exremely simple and contains two objects:

Variable: mTopic_id

Embedded browse displayes these fields:
Subtopic_No
Line_Text
Topic_id

I want to allow the user to enter the first two fields of information and have the last field populated with the value of the variable. Very simple, very straightforward.

There are no restrictions at either the form or the browse level.

The browse has a single event OnSave defined as follows:

Set value property of the objects in which window?
Current form or browse window

Set value property of the following objects
Browse1: Topic_Id

How will you specify the value property?
Specify a variable that contains the value

Variable?
mTopic_Id

Screen 1:
When I enter the form, a line for a new record is displayed.

Screen 2:
I enter information into the first field, then tab to the second field enter information.

Screen 3:
I tab to the third field and it is automatcally populated by the Action Script with the value of the variable.

So far, so good.

But then something weird happens.

Screen 4:
Instead of creating another <New record line>, the browse freezes.

The new record line (*) does not display a blank field for the first field instead is populated with the value of the previous line.

When I type and overwrite the value of the first field, when I tab to the second field, three weird things happen:

Screen 6:
1. The value I just typed in overwrites the PREVIOUS record's value
2. The tab advances to the second field of the previous record and assumes that I want to overwrite the value there
3. Amazingly, the <New record> line appears

When I try to enter a new record, the browse just tabs through the previous records fields.

I've tried the OnEnter event at the form level and the OnSave at the browse level and still have these problems.

If I remove the Action Script, the browse behaves correctly.

Note that the records on this form are not child records, but are from the same table as that of the Parent form which opens this form. Otherwise I probably could use the form.ViewLinked() method.

Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug?

Bob McGaffic
Pittsburgh, PA

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Bob, attaching a zipped copy of the database is much better than a series of images. Without being able to easily test your design my first thought is why use the OnSave event for the browse? Why not use the OnEnter event for the form? On Save will fire whenever the user edits and saves an existing record. When those edits occur the variable value may have changed. Your script would overwrite the original Topic_id. Wouldn't that be undesirable?

Later on...Bob, in testing here I found that my idea of using the OnEnter for the form doesn't work... not sure why. So, I put a button on the form. The button enters a new record in the browse, sets the "text" property of the topic_id column (using the variable value as source), and then "activates" the first column so the user can begin typing... works fine.

[rmcgaffic]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Tom,

I tried the OnEnter event first and had the same problem. But the OnEnter event is not available to the browse object, that's why I had to resort to the OnSave event. Note that I moved the field that I wanted to populate was physically located at the end of the browse line, so populating is the very last thing done before the record is saved.

I will zip a small database this evening.

Bob McGaffic
Pittsburgh, PA

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Bob, that's the problem. You're misunderstanding when OnSave fires. It fires immediately after the save has occurred. By then it's too late to insert a field value... And you still have the problem with accidental overwrites later on if edits are permitted.

[rmcgaffic]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Tom,

Ah-hah! [Light bulb goes on].

Your examples works fine, and I actually had done something very similar yesterday.

Because this form is simply allowing a user to create a list of items, I had hoped to allow him/her to add items just as quickly as possible without clicking on a [Button] like the one you proposed.

I was trying to provide the easy convenience of filling an Excel spreadsheet, after hitting enter the cursor automatically moved to the next line ready for entry without a lot of mouse clicks

For the particular application I am working on, the ability to capture the user's thoughts quickly is critical.

I had:
1. Set the Enter restriction property to True
2. Click on button to execute action script as follows:

2a. Set Enter restriction to False
2b. Add record and populate the field Id_num, from your example.
2c. Set Enter restriction to True

I very much appreciate the time you took to look at this issue. I know that the approach we both used is a good fall back position, but I will continue to play with it over the weekend, before I give up hope that Alpha is incapable of doing this directly.

Bob McGaffic
Pittsburgh, PA

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Bob, at the risk of being even annoying I write again to caution you against making this something that will fire when a record is being saved. The topic_id field could be too easily overwritten when edits to an existing record are saved. Edits are inevitable. Unless the variable will be constant for the life of the application the danger of frequent data loss is looming large in my imagination. Better to populate the field when the new record begins. Ok, having said this more than once I promise. I won't repeat it again.

Have you considered a keyboard shortcut tied to the button to make it easy to enter a rapid series of records without having to use the mouse?

-- tom

[rmcgaffic]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

I have found the issue, and it does appear to be a bug.

The problem is that when a set field value is defined as a
constant, there is no problem,
but when set with a variable, the browse freezes.

The OnSave event does NOT appear to be the problem.

Screen 1: THIS WORKS -- On Save event is defined as follows:

Set the value of the property of objects in which window?
Current form or browse window

Set value property of the following objects
Browse1:Topic_Id

How will you specify the value property?
Specify the value now

Value: 
AA2

When the form is opened, the first record is displayed. Mutliple records are added quickly and easily.

Screen 2: THIS FAILS -- On Save event is defined as above with one change:

How will you specify the value property?
Specify a variable that contains a value

Varible:
mTopic_Id

When the form is opened, the first record is displayed. The second record is added quickly and easily, but no further records can be added. Pressing the tab key simply moves through the second record's fields.

The global variable mTopic_Id was populated from a field value passed from another form.

Late breaking insight: when the variable is not passed from a calling form, the browse works as desired. In other words, when the value is entered directly on the form containing the browse, it works.

When the value of the variable is passed from another form, the browse fails. Both the calling form and the form containing the browse are based on the same table. I would assume that two forms could look at the same table independently. What am I missing?

Tom, I agree with your design philosophy, but nonetheless this event should work.

Bob McGaffic
Pittsburgh, PA

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Bob,

I agree with Tom that the CanSave event is the wrong one for this process. If it appears to work at all I would say that it is due to good luck rather than good management.

Working with Tom's example I placed some action scripting in one the browse's events. I used the CanSave event rather than the OnSave. That way the variable's value gets placed into the last column before the actual save.

The first three actions in the script: cancel() (the event), record cancel, and end script; are conditional on either of the first two fields being blank. So if you try to save with data missing the record is canceled. (this not part of the problem. Just an optional extra.)

The final action that sets the last column's value is conditional on that column being blank. That way a subsequent save will not overwrite it.

Finally I removed the tab stop from the last column so when you tab out of column two it goes straight to a new record. But still fills in the last column.


Tom: When you take the time to to risk being annoying the rest of are/should be grateful.

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Tim, that works very well. Thanks. (I'm testing with the new browse object, by the way, if that makes any difference). -- tom

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Tom, no probs.
Same on the new browse but the laptop I used was back on version 2055-3258

[rmcgaffic]

Re: Add record for browse freezes; updates previous record erroneously

Tom and Tim,

I'm going to be extremely nit-picky here, but I see a user interface limitation with what I was trying to do and your suggestions.

I, of course, was trying to use the native <new record> functionality in a browse that simply wasn't behaving correctly as I demonstrated above.
You both developed a workable solution with an [Add] button.

The only problem is that when I opened the child form, I, as an inexperienced user, am confused.

Do I click on the row that says <new record> to add my information?
Do I click on the [Add button] instead?
Do I click on <new record> then [Add]?
Do I click on [Add], then <new record>.

The <new record> text can be removed by setting the value of the browse's Restrict Enter property. However, with this accomplished, when you click on the [Add button] nothing happens.

The code behind the button might be changed to something like this
Set Restrict enter to .F.
Allow entry of new record
Set Restrict enter to .T.

I came to the realization that what I was trying to do might be better handled with child records, so I fundamentally changed my table design but with very good results.

What made the difference was Tim's mention of the form.LinkView() functionality.

I have documented what I did as a addendum to the post "Populating the child record with parent's ID" originally posted by forum member barry685.

Bob McGaffic
Pittsburgh