Interesting Refresh issue

[tarlachmoorhouse]

I've uploaded a png of the form I'm working on, it is based on a set with a main one to many relationship between a table of checkpoints and child table of competitors that visit the check point and we can record arrival time, departure time etc for each in the relevant child record. (this is the 'Details' form)

Because we are doing a lot of things in the background with recording data (the database controls events over a large area with data being passed to the user by amateur radio operators). I have a global variable called checkpoint_id, and there is a form level filter so that the data from only one checkpoint is available, to move to the data for another checkpoints you select the checkpoint from the multi-state button, and variable checkpoint_id is set to the record id for the new check point and the screen should refresh to show the data for the new checkpoint.

My initial design works in that I have a separate form called 'Controller' (screen grab also uploaded) that has lots of other functionality but also has one of the multi-state buttons, which has the same code as on the details form but also also opens the details form and it shows the correct checkpoint constantly, so move between checkpoints, users would, close the details form (using the [menu] button), this would then show the 'controller' form they can then select the new checkpoint which would re-open the form details with the new checkpoint displayed.

I realised that it would be quicker if they could just select the new checkpoint form the details screen and have it change to the data for the new check point. and added a duplicate multi-state button on the details form, However when I click on the multi-state button it doesn't always work, although it correctly sets the checkpoint_id variable the screen doesn't change. ( I have a screen refresh as part of the script)

What I find rather stage is this:-

1. I open the controller form and click on it's multi state button all works correctly and it consistantly opens the details form with the correct checkpoint shown
2. I then try to move to another checkpoint using the multi-state on the details screen, however nothing happens, (although I know that the global variable has been updated correctly to the id of the new checkpoint)

It now gets interesting

3. If I then click on the form / browse layout button on the tool bar, it takes you to the default browse for this set / form but still shows the data from the original checkpoint.
4. But if I click again on the form / browse button it takes me back to the form with the correct data shown

What is really strange is that once I have done this once (toggled to browse and back again) then the multi-state button works correctly form then on.

I have also tested opening the 'details' form directly rather than via the multi-state button on the 'controller' form and I still have the same problem

Any suggestions what is being done in the background by Alpha 5 when I toggle between the browse and the form that might allow the multi-state to work from then on ?

Thanks

John

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Interesting Refresh issue

It's always refreshing to see such a well designed and clean user interface. Well done. As to your problem, obviously you have a resynching issue. Have you tried putting a parentform.resynch() at the end of your multibutton code? If that doesn't work, when you change the CP and the screen doesn't refesh, try hitting the F5 key to force a manual refresh. If that works, then put a sys_send_keys("{F5}") at the end of the multibutton code (but the parentform.resynch() might do the trick).

[tarlachmoorhouse]

Re: Interesting Refresh issue

It's always refreshing to see such a well designed and clean user interface. Well done. As to your problem, obviously you have a resynching issue. Have you tried putting a parentform.resynch() at the end of your multibutton code? If that doesn't work, when you change the CP and the screen doesn't refesh, try hitting the F5 key to force a manual refresh. If that works, then put a sys_send_keys("{F5}") at the end of the multibutton code (but the parentform.resynch() might do the trick).

Many thanks for the suggestions (and the complement over the layout), but no luck, I'm going to go back over the set it's built on and see if I've done anything stange.

Regards

John

[tarlachmoorhouse]

Re: Interesting Refresh issue

I've been trying various things to see if I can resolve this without any luck so I have now created a simple database to see if I could replicate the issue outside of my database and I can so either I'm setting things up wrong or it is a bug.

In the hope that one of the really skilled developers might be able to spend 10 minutes seeing if I've dropped a real clanger I've attached a zipped database to this message.

It contains two tables and two forms, one of the tables tbl_control is simply there so I could create a form called control on which I have the first multistate button, the second one tbl_checkpoint contains 4 records.

The second form is designed to show one record from tbl_checkpoint using a form level filter checkpoint_id = a value stored in a global variable, the variable is set when the multistate is clicked on

To see the problem:-

1. Load the database and it will automatically open the first form on which will be a multistage button with 4 options: Start | CP1 | CP2 | Finish
2. Click on any of these and the second form will open with the name of the one you selected in the orange field at the top.
Note: this form is linked to the second table and is filtered by the option you selected when you clicked on the multistate, the onchange event sets a global variable 'selected_checkpoint_id' which is used as a form level filter 'checkpoint_id=var->selected_checkpoint_id'
3. Click on the close button on the second form and repeat step 2 for one of the other options and you will see that the name in the orange field on the second form changes, this is the expected behaviour, you will also see that the values in the two fields on the second form checkpoint_id and selected_checkpoint_id stay in sync, as one would expect as this is the default form filter
4. you can do this bit as many times as you want !!!

The issue is this:-

Once you have opened the second form you will see that there is another multistate button on this form as well exactly the same as on the first form. If you click on this multistate button yo will see that the whilst the entry in the field selected_checkpoint_id changes the screen does not refresh to show the new entry.

So OK the first thought is that there isn't a refresh set up for the query and the form but they are there in the action script.

Now the really interesting bit.

Once you are on the second form and the multistate doesn't update the screen as it should, click on the design mode button on the tool bar as if you want to change something, then click on it again to go back to form view, and you will now find that clicking on the multistate on the second form works as expected. You can also do this by pressing F8 twice i.e. go to the default browse view and back to the form view

[Davidk]

Re: Interesting Refresh issue

I hope this is what you want.

I changed the variables to global - not sure why... just trying a few things.

The 2nd form is based on a table, so... on the multi-button I added a query to find the value of the variable that is set in the same set of actions. I left the refresh action in but you don't need it.

[tarlachmoorhouse]

Re: Interesting Refresh issue

I hope this is what you want.

I changed the variables to global - not sure why... just trying a few things.

The 2nd form is based on a table, so... on the multi-button I added a query to find the value of the variable that is set in the same set of actions. I left the refresh action in but you don't need it.

Thanks David - got to do real work today but will have a look this afternoon.

Regards

John