Alphabet search bar / browse

[J.R. Noe]

Is it possible to use the alphabet bar to filter an embedded browse. The form is built on a set of 3 tables. The browse i want to filter with the alphabet bar is not the top level table in the set. When i put the alphabet bar on the form and try to configure it, my only choices are the fields in the top level table.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Can you not place a button on the form with:

'Sort records on 'BROWSE1:Ttype' in current form.
topparent.QuickSortExplicit("BROWSE2:your_field_name","Ascending")

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Hi Mike,

I think what JR is trying to do is filter the browse by the selected letter from the Alphabet button not a sort.

Maybe he should use the Multi-state button with code behind that to filter the browse?

[J.R. Noe]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Sorry Mike and Keith, just got back in town.

Yes, Keith, that is what i want to do, filter the browse. You say i should use a multi state button? Would that mean i would need to add 26 buttons for A-Z? And put the code behind each button to pass the filter criteria and reset any other button that was pressed?
I am going to need some help with the code if you have the time please.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Take a look at the AlphaSports customer information form.

[J.R. Noe]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Stan, the customer information form has what appears to be a regular alphabet bar based on the last name. This is what i would like to do, but the field i want to filter by is in the browse on the form, and not on the form itself.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

what appears to be a regular alphabet bar

Appearances can be deceiving. It is a multistate button.

based on the last name

That's the default which can be changed by selecting another field in the search by box above the single column browse.

View the Design Notes for a fuller explanation.

[phxandy]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

J. R.,

I believe with the alphabet bar you can still call a field in a child table but you have to set it manually in the key property of the supercontrol designer by typing it in like this: "Table->Field"

Tried this on a similar form and it worked for me.

[J.R. Noe]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Stan, for the sake of my sanity, please look at this attachment of the customer information form. It shows an alphabet buttons search bar based on the last name at the bottom.
I created a multi-state button just below it to compare, and they are not the same, so I am very confused on your suggestion, hence the sanity concern.
Also, I have no button for design notes anywhere, like you show in your attachment, and I went through every form.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Here's a link to AlphaSports Explained, Customer Information form. It seems to contain the same info as the design notes.

I don't know anything about the "alphabet buttons search bar" since I don't have v10. To me "search" doesn't mean the same as "filter" so I assumed it was a find tool. Did you try the multistate button on the customer information form? It requires a bit of code modification to make it suit your exact needs but it is worth the effort.

[J.R. Noe]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Thanks for the link Stan. Yeah, filter a browse is exctly what i am trying to do. We must have different versions cause there is no multistate button on my customer info form, either that or i am truly a lost ball in high weeds.
If you have a form with the multistate button, showing the code, can you post it please.

By the way Stan, batten down your hatches down there, it looks like you and me both are going to get some bad weather very shortly. Winds 80+ mph and tornados. I am an EMS manager so it looks like i will be getting called out in it. Stay safe.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Attachment is the V8 AlphaSports sample. It might be worth studying.

I read the wiki about the alphabet search bar supercontrol and am still unclear whether it locates records or filters for records.

I've done some experimenting with AlphaSports so there mey be a few non standard remnants in the zip but as far as the Customer information form goes it should be ok.

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Hi Stan,

I use the alphabet search bar supercontrol a lot and find it very easy to set up to filter a browse.

My customers like it very much as selecting records is a very quick.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Befuzzled, am I.

In post #3 you said.

Maybe he should use the Multi-state button with code behind that to filter the browse?

That's what I was trying to help him get.

[J.R. Noe]

Re: Alphabet search bar / browse

Here is the end result, and it works like I need it to. Stan, the customer information form you sent me is nothing like the one i had, so i seen what you were refering to with the buttons. So when you said "Appearances can be deceiving. It is a multistate button" I was really befuzzled.

I used the idea to have a combo selector to determine which field to use for the filter.
This is a frankenstein script, taken from a little bit of everyone so if there is something you see wrong with it please let me know.

Thanks everyone for your help.

dim tbl as P
dim filter_expression as c
dim order_expression as c
dim i as p
dim count as n

topparent:tables:charts.filter_expression = "left("+searchby.text+", 1) = '" + mulstbtn1.text + "'"
topparent:tables:charts.order_expression = searchby.text
'topparent:tables:charts.filter_expression = "left(parse_name,1) = '" +mulstbtn.text+ "'"
'topparent:tables:charts.order_expression = "parse_name"
topparent:tables:charts.query()
tbl = table.current()

i = tbl.order(order_expression,filter_expression)
i = tbl.index_primary_get()

count = i.records_get()

Dim stats as P
stats.count = 0
on error goto error_handler
stats = compute_field_statistics("topparent:browse4:parse_name")
tsted = stats.count
if tsted = 0
ui_msg_box("Count","There are "+alltrim(str(tsted))+" records in the browse.")
tbl.order(parse_name.text,parse_name.text + " <> \"\"")
browse4.refresh()
mulstbtn.text = "10"
end if
end
error_handler:
resume next