Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

[JetLi]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Thank you Keith, I'm confused dialog box or xdialog for one to many data entry?

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Xdialog is the code that goes behind the Dialog box. Have a look at Learning Xdialog. That is worth all the money spent on Alpha alone.

[JetLi]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

A house has many openings to the outdoors. There are chimneys, roof vents, windows and doors. Usually there are many windows and certainly it would almost at any instance be most convenient to get to the outdoors through a window. And certainly windows are sometimes demanded to have capabilities for egress. But that's not what a window is for. You can use it as a vehicle to move to and from the outdoors, but it's fraught with issues. There are other objects in your house that are meant and designed for egress. Just look at an embedded browse as a window, and work with it for what it is designed to do best, and you will save yourselves a great deal of grief, and get on with things. That's what Cal and other experienced developers have done. That is what I have done.

Yes, xdialogs do take a fair amount of time to learn the nuances and controls. But once you have a basic understanding of them, in my experience, it takes me less time to generate a powerful xdialog than it does a form. Because it is code, and you save code in your code libraries. I have 4-6 pre-written xdialog codes that have some different features. I select one of them, tweek the code a bit, and you have data gathering and entry directly to/with tables, that don't even have to be part of the set being worked on, with control and certainty. Even if the embedded browse "window" could flawlessly provide for data entry, I don't think I would go back to try and use it.

BTW, I wrote in post #7 that in Mark's dialog code, that converting the GMT variable to a literal number would make it run.

Thank you Mike, Can you please share your 4-6 pre written xdialogs for us newbies to learn?

[Ray in Capetown]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Jetson. My best advice, which I am sure your own experience will reflect;
that is the first priority is to give the client as close to what they want as possible, taking care of what YOU know or feel they may trip over, without necessarily being easiest/quickest for the programmer.
Quick and nasty will absolutely, guaranteed, plague you long after installation and use more resources than doing it best first time.
Test your work critically before installing, if you can break it then redesign.
If you need to build Xdialogues you can also get pretty far with AS and some mods.
You can get quite reasonable control with overlaid entry forms, using variables, that mimic dialogues and do the validations before converting to field data.

[JetLi]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

A house has many openings to the outdoors. There are chimneys, roof vents, windows and doors. Usually there are many windows and certainly it would almost at any instance be most convenient to get to the outdoors through a window. And certainly windows are sometimes demanded to have capabilities for egress. But that's not what a window is for. You can use it as a vehicle to move to and from the outdoors, but it's fraught with issues. There are other objects in your house that are meant and designed for egress. Just look at an embedded browse as a window, and work with it for what it is designed to do best, and you will save yourselves a great deal of grief, and get on with things. That's what Cal and other experienced developers have done. That is what I have done.

Yes, xdialogs do take a fair amount of time to learn the nuances and controls. But once you have a basic understanding of them, in my experience, it takes me less time to generate a powerful xdialog than it does a form. Because it is code, and you save code in your code libraries. I have 4-6 pre-written xdialog codes that have some different features. I select one of them, tweek the code a bit, and you have data gathering and entry directly to/with tables, that don't even have to be part of the set being worked on, with control and certainty. Even if the embedded browse "window" could flawlessly provide for data entry, I don't think I would go back to try and use it.

BTW, I wrote in post #7 that in Mark's dialog code, that converting the GMT variable to a literal number would make it run.

Thank you Mike, Can you please share your 4-6 pre written xdialogs for us newbies to learn?

[CALocklin]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

CAL, my experience is not the same as yours when using a Browse, but maybe because I use Saved Browses with all sorts of lookups on the content - and in a Tabbed Form too.
Do you have the same problem with saved browses? ...

I've never really used saved browses. I can't tell you why anymore but I remember trying them and deciding that I much preferred using embedded browses. I do know that the decision at that time had nothing to do with data entry.

It's very possible that saved browses don't have the same issues. How long have you been doing that? (starting with which version?) Also, have you thoroughly tested them when editing?

As I recall, the issue with embedded browses was more of an "editing every record" issue than a data entry issue. In other words, if you just arrow down until you find the one record you want to change, there probably won't be a problem. The problem usually occurred when, for example, the user decided to change the "state tax rate" value in every record one at a time.

I really do hope that someone can convince me that this problem no longer exists. I suppose it's time for me to try it again myself - when I get the time.

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Jetson,

Mike's dialog boxes would not be any good for you as they are designed to work in his applications.

Have a look in your tool box and get stuck in. You will be amazed at how quickly you can do things if you at least make a start.

Here is a screen shot just to show you where to start with dialog boxes. Once you have built one you should be able to see the xbasic that Alpha generates. With a little experience you can then edit the box to do more things.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

OK Jetson,
Here is one. A progressive lookup for customers. place a button on the AlphaSport customer button with customer_search() as on push event and place this as a UDF named customer_search in the code tab.

'dialog field variables
' generate dialog

	dim vfind_text as C
	dim vLNM as C=""
	dim vLitem_show as C=""
	dim vLitem_f as C=""
		
	dim vresult as C
	dim dlg_title as C="Search"
	dim dlg_body as C
	dim dlg_code as C
	
	dlg_body=<<%dlg%
	{background=#180,185,185}{font=arial,8,ib}{frame=1,0:Search Term}{font=arial,10,b}
	{xmargin=3,3}{ymargin=1,1}{justify=center}{startup=init}
	{region}
	{lf};
	[.50vfind_text!evft_*];
	{endregion};
	{region}
	{lf};
	{font=courier,10}[.75,25vChoice^#vLitem_f];
	{lf};
	{endregion};
	{font=arial,8,ib}{frame=1,0:Selection}{font=arial,10,b}
	{region3}
	{lf};
	[.75vChoice!evch_*];
	{endregion};
	{lf};
	<15OK> <15Cancel>
	%dlg%
	
	dlg_code=<<%code%
	
	IF a_dlg_button = "init" then
		a_dlg_button = ""
			dim vLitem as C
			vLitem=table.external_record_content_get("customer","customer_id+'^^'+alltrim(Lastname)+'^^'+alltrim(firstname)","lastname")
			for i=1 to w_count(vLitem,crlf())
				dim vname as C
				vname=alltrim(word(word(vLitem,i,crlf()),2,"^^"))+", "+alltrim(word(word(vLitem,i,crlf()),3,"^^"))
				vLitem_show=vLitem_show+vname+crlf()
			next			
		vLitem_f=vLitem_show
	END IF
	
	IF left( a_dlg_button, 5 ) = "evft_"
	 IF a_dlg_button = "evft_change"
	 	vchoice=""
	 	if len(vfind_text)<=1						'comment out for first letter action
			vLitem_f=vLitem_show					'comment out for first letter action
		else										'comment out for first letter action
			insearch="*"+alltrim(vFind_text)+"*"
			vLitem_f=filter_string_smatch(vLitem_show,insearch,crlf())	 	
		end if										'comment out for first letter action
	 END IF
	 a_dlg_button = ""
	END IF
	
	IF left( a_dlg_button, 5 ) = "evch_"
	 	if a_dlg_button = "evch_setfocus"
	 		sys_send_keys("{Enter}")
	 	end if
	  a_dlg_button=""
	END IF
	
%code%
	
	vresult=ui_dlg_box(dlg_title,dlg_body,dlg_code)
	if vresult="cancel"
		end
	end if
	
	if vchoice = ""
		end
	end if
	
	'get each name part
	dim vfm as C
	dim vlm as C
	vfm=alltrim(word(vchoice,2,", "))
	vlm=alltrim(word(vchoice,1,", "))
	
	'get the customer id from the original list
	dim vcid as C
	vcid=word(filter_string_smatch(vLitem,"*"+vlm+"^^"+vfm+"*",crlf()),1,"^^")
		'msgbox("CUSTOMER id", vcid)
	
	dim vfilter as C
	vfilter="customer_id="+quote(Vcid)
	topparent:tables:customer.filter_expression =  vfilter
	topparent:tables:customer.order_expression = ""
	topparent:tables:customer.query()

[JetLi]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

OK Jetson,
Here is one. A progressive lookup for customers. place a button on the AlphaSport customer button with customer_search() as on push event and place this as a UDF named customer_search in the code tab.

'dialog field variables
' generate dialog

	dim vfind_text as C
	dim vLNM as C=""
	dim vLitem_show as C=""
	dim vLitem_f as C=""
		
	dim vresult as C
	dim dlg_title as C="Search"
	dim dlg_body as C
	dim dlg_code as C
	
	dlg_body=<<%dlg%
	{background=#180,185,185}{font=arial,8,ib}{frame=1,0:Search Term}{font=arial,10,b}
	{xmargin=3,3}{ymargin=1,1}{justify=center}{startup=init}
	{region}
	{lf};
	[.50vfind_text!evft_*];
	{endregion};
	{region}
	{lf};
	{font=courier,10}[.75,25vChoice^#vLitem_f];
	{lf};
	{endregion};
	{font=arial,8,ib}{frame=1,0:Selection}{font=arial,10,b}
	{region3}
	{lf};
	[.75vChoice!evch_*];
	{endregion};
	{lf};
	<15OK> <15Cancel>
	%dlg%
	
	dlg_code=<<%code%
	
	IF a_dlg_button = "init" then
		a_dlg_button = ""
			dim vLitem as C
			vLitem=table.external_record_content_get("customer","customer_id+'^^'+alltrim(Lastname)+'^^'+alltrim(firstname)","lastname")
			for i=1 to w_count(vLitem,crlf())
				dim vname as C
				vname=alltrim(word(word(vLitem,i,crlf()),2,"^^"))+", "+alltrim(word(word(vLitem,i,crlf()),3,"^^"))
				vLitem_show=vLitem_show+vname+crlf()
			next			
		vLitem_f=vLitem_show
	END IF
	
	IF left( a_dlg_button, 5 ) = "evft_"
	 IF a_dlg_button = "evft_change"
	 	vchoice=""
	 	if len(vfind_text)<=1						'comment out for first letter action
			vLitem_f=vLitem_show					'comment out for first letter action
		else										'comment out for first letter action
			insearch="*"+alltrim(vFind_text)+"*"
			vLitem_f=filter_string_smatch(vLitem_show,insearch,crlf())	 	
		end if										'comment out for first letter action
	 END IF
	 a_dlg_button = ""
	END IF
	
	IF left( a_dlg_button, 5 ) = "evch_"
	 	if a_dlg_button = "evch_setfocus"
	 		sys_send_keys("{Enter}")
	 	end if
	  a_dlg_button=""
	END IF
	
%code%
	
	vresult=ui_dlg_box(dlg_title,dlg_body,dlg_code)
	if vresult="cancel"
		end
	end if
	
	if vchoice = ""
		end
	end if
	
	'get each name part
	dim vfm as C
	dim vlm as C
	vfm=alltrim(word(vchoice,2,", "))
	vlm=alltrim(word(vchoice,1,", "))
	
	'get the customer id from the original list
	dim vcid as C
	vcid=word(filter_string_smatch(vLitem,"*"+vlm+"^^"+vfm+"*",crlf()),1,"^^")
		'msgbox("CUSTOMER id", vcid)
	
	dim vfilter as C
	vfilter="customer_id="+quote(Vcid)
	topparent:tables:customer.filter_expression =  vfilter
	topparent:tables:customer.order_expression = ""
	topparent:tables:customer.query()

Thanks Mike, as Keith says, it would be of no use to me because It is not applicable in what I'm doing,he has a point, but I think it would be a good basis also to see the code of how it is done, I'm wondering why it is not included in the alpha five examples, why is it that they did not make an alpha sports sample database showing the best practices of developers like you, so that users will be immediately guided on what is best or recommended way to develop a good database app, Well, anyway, as a beginner, It caught my attention really quick hoping that code is minimized to produce an app, but an application could really be created but there is a big but, the sample is just a sample, it isn't the best way, it is mainly to demonstrate something in alpha five, I hope future versions will include a sample of the alpha sports showing the best way to produce a real world database application.I hope no one will again mis-interpret this.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Jetson

In the world of is the glass half empty/ half full your comment sounds like the glass is half empty.....

[Ray in Capetown]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Al, may I forward that observation to my wife? She thinks I make that shit up. (oops)

[Ted Giles]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Al, may I forward that observation to my wife? She thinks I make that shit up. (oops)

(Yeah you do!)
Hacked the code with missing variable before I posted the comment. Nice dialog.

CAL, the freebie app in the General Questions uses a saved browse, so I'll give it a bashing and see what I can break. You might be right, and I've been wrong onece before - well probably more than once.
Been using saved browses since V9 - which I found to be pretty stable.
I believe that my issues with [ESC] stem from the fact that when you change lines in the browse, the one you left has been saved. Therefore you don't do a whole table update a a time - if that makes sense.

[Ted Giles]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

A house has many openings to the outdoors. There are chimneys, roof vents, windows and doors. Usually there are many windows and certainly it would almost at any instance be most convenient to get to the outdoors through a window. And certainly windows are sometimes demanded to have capabilities for egress. But that's not what a window is for.

Nice Zen comment. Can I use it in my lectures on Statistics?
Maybe not. The students are flighty enough as it is!

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

as Keith says, it would be of no use to me because It is not applicable in what I'm doing,he has a point,

Jetson, you missed the point. Mike's sample dialog is good for you to see and learn how to build your own, not to use in your own application. As i said before, you will never learn to walk if you are carried everywhere.

Dialog boxes are a very powerful tool to have in a database application, not just for data entry but for a whole load of other things, like the progressive lookup Mike has shown you and just simply giving the user some information about what is happening behind the scenes.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Xdialog, Xbasic for Data Entry

Al, may I forward that observation to my wife? She thinks I make that sh.t up. (oops)

I think I have a copyright on that, but I can't seem to find it. Must be on another computer...