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Adding a fake field

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    #1

    Adding a fake field

    Alpha 5, V10.5 web app.

    I have a table that tracks mileage, starting and ending, along with date. I didn't add a field to keep track of the total, avoiding the whole calculated field subject.

    Is it possible to have a field in Alpha 5 that actually does not exist? Something that can calculate the field in a grid after it is entered, but goes away when the browser is closed.

    Now I understand I could do this outside of Alpha with a view (MySQL) but I was hoping to do everything pretty much with Alpha. (And I would have to learn how to create a view.)

    Thanks for any assistance.

    William
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Adding a fake field

    Alpha does have calculated fields that exist only in memory.
    There can be only one.

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Adding a fake field

      Thanks for the quick response. After your response, I looked again, and I think I figured it out.

      I tried using the logicalRecNo, and turned it into a calculated field. Seems to be working. Unfortunately the summary values section has disappeared for this field. But it does seem to work.

      Is this what you meant?

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Adding a fake field

        I was thinking of this.
        There can be only one.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Adding a fake field

          William,

          If you are using a web app and MySQL, then you can create a field in the select statement, such as
          Code:
           
SELECT startmiles, endmiles, (endmiles-startmiles) AS drivenmiles FROM milehistory
          This shows history, but not as you enter.

          or you can use
          Code:
           
SELECT startmiles, endmiles, 0 AS drivenmiles FROM milehistory
          and set the calculation in the field properties in Alpha. This will show results as you enter.

          In either case, the summary functions will be available.

          Unfortunately for me, I haven't been able to get the summary functions to work on Alpha calculated fields. It shows the label "Total" and a value of 0.
          Pat Bremkamp
          MindKicks Consulting

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Adding a fake field

            Originally posted by Stan Mathews View Post
            I was thinking of this.
            Maybe I am stupid, but where do I find this? I searched Alpha Wiki and cannot even figure out where this image is from, nor how to get to that specific genie. It looks similar to the query (AlphaDAO) though.

            I have located the genie button with the linked grids, but I do not find anything that builds a calculated field, nor matches the image you linked too.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Adding a fake field

              hmmm....bubble help of the Stan's image told me that it was a grid....which is from the web side.... So I opened up the web control panel, chose to create a grid, and Stan's image appeared. Try it and see.....
              Mike
              __________________________________________
              It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
              It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
              Henry David Thoreau
              __________________________________________



              Comment

                #8
                Re: Adding a fake field

                Okay, I finally found it. I was always going under the AlphaDAO query, but it was under Alpha 5 .dbf.

                When creating a grid, Alpha 5 warns that it is better to use AlphaDAO. But still I cannot figure out what to put into the Calculated fields on that page. Everything I have tried has given me an error, and has not created the virtual field I am looking for.

                I went ahead and created a calculated field in my table. It does work, although I see no reason to store the information in the database, plus it violates the rules set up by the Mere Mortals book. But there was no problem with the expression in the field, and I even have the total at the bottom.

                But I would still like to figure out what I am doing wrong, or not understanding. I currently have 19 tabs open in Firefox searching the WIKI, these forums, and even Google.

                And Pat, the expression does work, although it says I need a primary key field. I used Navicat, instead of typing in all the code directly. I am currently using the lite version, with the intent of getting the full version sometime before my app goes live. Unfortunately the lite version doesn't give access to the view builder, which i assume is like the grid builder.

                Anyway I was under the impression that I could use Alpha to do anything a view would do, which is why I never built any views.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Adding a fake field

                  I didn't know there was a "Lite" version of Navicat. If you are planning to buy the "Pro" version and can spring for it now, then it is well worth it. I can't imagine not using views.

                  That said, a view is just a predefined select statement. It saves time and a lot of brain twisting in complex relationships. But, if you pick "Select statement" instead of "Table", you can type in the statements I suggested right in the Alpha query tab and not have to put an extra field in your table.

                  Pat
                  Pat Bremkamp
                  MindKicks Consulting

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Adding a fake field

                    Originally posted by Pat Bremkamp View Post
                    I didn't know there was a "Lite" version of Navicat. If you are planning to buy the "Pro" version and can spring for it now, then it is well worth it. I can't imagine not using views.

                    That said, a view is just a predefined select statement. It saves time and a lot of brain twisting in complex relationships. But, if you pick "Select statement" instead of "Table", you can type in the statements I suggested right in the Alpha query tab and not have to put an extra field in your table.

                    Pat
                    Ah, select statement instead of table. Exactly what I was looking for, works perfectly.

                    Thank you very much.

                    Comment

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