How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

[MarionT]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

Thanks Selwyn, but I'm not getting where I need to go.
I've re-attached the components.

1. CompanyNameUnbound: Yes, I had found that error after sending you the component

2. onDialogInitialize
OK - I understand that I was confusing Variable vs Control

Your video shows how to pre-specify an OrderID and have the fields populate; nice, but not convenient to type each OrderID.

Your video shows that I can add a control for WhatID, add a PopulateNow button, and have the fields fill in; nice, but not convenient to type in each orderID and click Populate

3. Open a Dialog Component to Edit Current Record in Grid or Add New Record: Video 24

a. OpenDialogForEditing - I have this working, altho I don't seem to be doing what you suggest
the dialog's onDialogInitialize is set to SpecifyNow, and Primary key Value is null/blank
when I click from the grid, the appropriate dialog opens
I can alter the data and saving is done correctly
It's lovely.

b. OpenDialogforNewRecord -
I do not have this working; I did have it working, but have lost functionality

c. Dialog Component does not come up via Working Preview;


4. Trying to have Unbound control populated: This is where I started this thread
When the dialog opens for editing, I would like the unbound control, CompanyName, pre-populated.


A5LearnLookupV2.zip

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

ok, please watch this.

http://screencast.com/t/377pWmn1

i am still unclear as to what you want to put in the unbound column, but i made some assumptions and show how you could populate the unbound column when the dialog is opened.

[MarionT]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

Selwyn - This is EXACTLY the functionality I was looking for -

of course, it was not good for me to use a view in the grid. My apologies.

As I suspected - I was using too many pieces from too many videos and suggestions, and was mixing apples and oranges and complicating things. I suspected the Cache toggle would be used, but I had too many things in the air to know what was what.

The reality is very very simple

I'm off to implement this is my real application, rather than Northwind.



I had gotten bollixed up by 3 things:

Calling the Dialog from the grid AND having the onDialogInitalize.ExecuteServerSideAction.Populate....
I only needed to call the dialog from the grid.

Turn off: Use Cache Dialog inside the ActionScript for OpenDialogtoEditCurrentRecord.....

Trying to use SQL_Lookup without being able to access the raw data that is loaded into the Dialog in the Dialog's 'onDialogInitialize' event inside the variable: e.rtc._data

for those following at home, the onDialogInitialize code, using Northwind is:

dim customerId as c
if eval_valid("e.rtc._data.customerID") then
customerID = e.rtc._data.CustomerID
dim CompanyName as c
dim args as sql::arguments
args.add("whatID",customerID)
companyName = sql_Lookup("::name::northwind","customers","customerID = :whatID","CompanyName",args)
e.control.companynameunbound = companyName
end if

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

thanks.

this turned out to be a valuable exercise for me too, because i realized that it might be a common error for someone to define an ondialoginitialize server-side event that will interfere with the grid action that opens the dialog to enter a new record or edit an existing record.

therefore, we now automatically strip out the server side action in the ondialoginitialize event if the dialog has been called from the Grid to edit an existing record or enter a new record.

[MarionT]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

great - I took a wrong turn when I didn't pay close enough attention to you in Video 24, when you clearly say at 1:50:

Keep the onDialogInitialize empty.

[MarionT]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

as a follow-up....

1. Adjust code for numeric id; is this right?
original: args.add("whatID",CustomerID)

adjusted: args.add("whatID",convert_type(CustomerID,"N") )


2. Inconsistent behavior
my unbound control gets populated.... sometimes

yes, I unchecked the Cache switch

yes, my data definitely exists - in fact, when the dialog is based on the same customer, the customer name sometimes shows up and sometimes does not show up


3. As per our working example with Northwind, my grid is now a table (rather than a view). Which means that it is filled with ids and keys, rather than human readable terms.

Should this work if the grid is a view?

when I update or insert via the dialog, is the data going back to the server, and then the grid is running anew? In which case, a view should, theoretically, be fine.

Or, are the changes staying on the client side, and going directly from the dialog to the grid?

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

3. As per our working example with Northwind, my grid is now a table (rather than a view). Which means that it is filled with ids and keys, rather than human readable terms.

Should this work if the grid is a view?

It makes no difference if the grid is based on a table or a view. the only thing that is relevant is the primary key or the table of view. it is the primary key of the table/view (as defined in the Grid component) that determines which record the Dialog is populated with

when I update or insert via the dialog, is the data going back to the server, and then the grid is running anew? In which case, a view should, theoretically, be fine.

when you click the submit button on the dialog IF YOU HAVE DEFINED A SERVER SIDE EVENT TO SAVE DATA IN THE DIALOG IN THE DIALOG'S AFTERDIALOGVALIDATE EVENT, then the data is saved to the table(s) that were specified in the Dialog's Data Binding definition. then when the dialog is closed, the Grid is automatically refreshed to show the edited data. this should be shown in the videos that describe this feature.

Or, are the changes staying on the client side, and going directly from the dialog to the grid?

if you don't have a server side action in the dialog to commit the data, then the changes would be not be saved back to the database.


[/QUOTE]

i am beginning to wonder why you want to use the dialog to edit the data in your grid in the first place. most users simply would build a grid with an updateable detail view. using the dialog as an alternative to the built-in Detail View of the Grid is a more advanced concept and unless you have a good reason for using the Dialog might be easier for you to get started with.

[MarionT]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

My app has 3 primary modules, each of which has a key table which has a bunch of subsidiary tables.

I had an elaborate dialog set up with the parent table and a tab control, with tabs for entering data into repeating panels. It was fine - it was fabulous - until I tried to learn how to have data appear into the unbound control. Then it went haywire, so I stripped back to barebones, trying to figure out what I'd done wrong.

I can build it with a grid and detail views; but the dialog seemed like a more efficient interface because of using transactions and a single submit

[Selwyn Rabins]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

if you are doing data entry into multiple tables and you want to treat the entry as a single transaction, then that can only be done in the dialog. that's a compelling reason to use the dialog in your case.

[Steve Wood]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

You can do complex multi-table transactions in a grid using code in oninsertrecord event, but it requires stretching the grid model and is cumbersome. We all did this in v10 but the new dialog is the way to go.

[MarionT]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

I gave this a lot of thought last night and this morning.....

If I'm not mistaken, there are several ways of inserting data in to multiple tables at the same time.... these are the ones I've learned about:

1 - Video 78 about Customizing SQL INsert, Update and Delete Statements using Stored Procedures to Update your Database (requires creating a dummy 'cache' table in SQL, a Stored Procedure)
I included the details in post #11 of this thread:
http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...-a-Single-GRID

2- using views and Triggers as described by Maroine81 in post #12 of the same thread

3 - as Steve Wood says in post #55 above

4 - using a Dialog from V11

I assume they each have their place, and so I'm learning them all, putting them in my pocket, and will evaluate for each instance which to use.

I feel most 'in control' when using the Dialogs; it feels like the most direct route

[aburningflame]

Re: How to populate Unbound controls in a dialog?

Here is how to properly use lookup:
dim args as SQL::Arguments
args.set("EntityID",7)
dim retval as C = convert_Type(sql_lookup("::name::ovation","entity","EntityID = :EntityID","EntityDescr",args),"C")
if retval<>"" then
e.control.EntityInvestor=retval
else
'CONTROL VALUE WAS BLANK OR THE RECORD SPECIFIED BY ENTITYID=:ENTITYID WAS NOT FOUND (OR POSSIBLY AN ERROR OCCURRED I THINK)
end if

Now, if sql lookup doesnt find a record, it returns type of Z or V - cant remember (which is a void). It doesnt seem you can store void into any variable type.
So i usually use the convert_type(var,"C") and compare against "". This will tell you if the record failed to load.
If the return value you want is ACTUALLY a blank in the database, you cannot differentiate whether or not an error occurred.
I try to use lookups only for quick lookups.