Display empty fields on a desktop form

[dharvey]

When a desktop form is first displayed, how can you keep all the fields blank? When a form is loaded, I do not want the first, middle, or last record to be displayed until the user actually locates a record. I also do not want to insert a blank to accomplish this. I want the ability to clear all fields on form without changing a record in a table. Can this be done?
- V10.5 Desktop

[swarrine]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

Probably the answer to your question is that you want to start your form on a new record. On the toolbar above your form is a button for enter new record. Click it and your form will be blank and awaiting input to enter a new record or find an old one if you have lookups and/or scrolling set up.

If you want your form to always start this way you need to have an on initiation enter new record instruction. Oninit > open new record. The open new record would be an action script (I think) associated with oninit that is associated with the form. I'm on my iPad now so can't be more specific. GL

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

When a form is loaded, I do not want the first, middle, or last record to be displayed until the user actually locates a record. I also do not want to insert a blank to accomplish this. I want the ability to clear all fields on form without changing a record in a table. Can this be done?

By default the field objects in your form layout are bound to live data in the table. If you clear all the field values from the current record you've just erased the current record. When you begin entering a new record all the input controls clear automatically.

Having said that, there are at least two ways to accomplish your goal:

a) Build your form binding your input controls to variables instead of table fields; then use a save button to enter the new record by assigning each variable value to its corresponding table field in the new record. Be aware however that since all forms and browses are bound to a table or set that table or set will be opened even if your input form only collects information using variables.

b) Use an xdialog to collect the input from the user. The xdialog will not be bound to a table or set.

[dharvey]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

Tom, thanks for your reply, you did fully understand my question.
And I do understand your answer as well, however I am still hoping for a way without having to unbind from the table or insert a new record temporary.
I came from developing applications using MS Foxpro, and MS Foxpro basically had a phantom record, which allow users to bring up forms without displaying the first record in the table. In Foxpro for example if you performed a search on a primary key and did not found a match, the Foxpro record pointer was placed on a phantom record. Also when you initially displayed a form, the foxpro record pointer was placed on a phantom record.
So is there some type of phantom record in Alpha 5 or a way not to always display customer #1 to your users?

Thanks again

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

Darryl, the concept of a phantom record is not available in Alpha Five. With a bit of work I suppose you could save a blank record to the table and then write the scripts necessary to fetch / find the blank record when desired. I don't recommend it.

Alpha will let you display whatever record you wish, so you wouldn't have to always display customer #1. It's possible to load the form in memory, navigate to the desired record, and then show it to the user.

It's showing a record with blank fields, bound to the table, but without beginning a new record that cannot be done using an Alpha Five form.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

The concept of a phantom form is available through an xdialog form, as Tom has said. If the xdialog which is not bound to a table preceeds the form which is, then the search for the table record can occur through the xdialog prior to the presentation of the form showing the desired record(s). It would serve your needs.

[MikeC]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

Dependent upon how you want to call the record you could visually do this on a form. How are you choosing a record? You must be showing something for the user to choose from right?

You could have a button that does this once a specific record has been chosen from a list. Set the existing field properties to Hide all fields not wanted to show. Have text boxes instead which initially have the font color to match the background (form's OnInit event). From the button (OnPush event) change the font color to your normal text color (black?) and set the text value to equal the field value (or in the case of a numeric field, the field's text value).

All of this can be done via Action Scripting.

[dharvey]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

I am really new to Alpha Five, but unless I am missing something, I think I solved my issue by just setting the table filter to .F. Of course when I query a record, I change the filter. I assume this is all okay?

[DaveM]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

Just another way
I also crossed this path and no let it go to a new record. After I/user am done I erase all blanks with a little script. It works well for me. Been doing that for many versions.

a_tbl = table.open("names.dbf")
a_tbl.delete_range("ISBLANK(\"Phorwalk\").and.isblank(\"Buyer\").and.isblank(\"Fname\").and.isblank(\"Adv\")")

Change the names and filters to match your own. I run this on the start of my main page anytime it opens.


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[dharvey]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

Dave, thanks for the reply. But, what are your thoughts on just setting the table filter to .F.? This appears to be working great and it is really simple.
Thanks again.

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

Dave, thanks for the reply. But, what are your thoughts on just setting the table filter to .F.? This appears to be working great and it is really simple.

Sounds like a plan.

[DaveM]

Re: Display empty fields on a desktop form

If the .F. works. Great

actually, the most professional way(in my feeble mind) would be to put all the fields as variables on a form(no record involvement) and then devise your own way to write them to the table.

This goes back to the old days though I guess.

Still think of when I was told you could not create a dbf in alpha and manipulate it with xbasic. 1 or 2 versions later it happened. We did that in most languages years ago and all form fields were vars. Our install package was mostly all code and it wrote the dbf files, indexes, etc files and most of the files at install time. it then deleted unnecessary files. We were extremely space limited with 10 - 20 meg hard drives. A speed increase was found by putting all the code(whole program in a ram drive).

DHUT UP dave LOL


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