23 replies to this topic

[Don Schramm]

When using a smooth mode paging screen, how do you determine what the keys are to the record you have highlighted? I believe CurPagingSequence will give us the @PSEQ number. Using that information we could create a global update to go through the file again and ferret out the keys for us. That would not be too bad but what if the user has sorted by clicking on a column heading like we want them to be able to do?

We could set up a pseudo editable field and force our users into going into the change mode but that is clunky too.

Anybody know a straight forward way to do this?

Don

[Donald Miller]

Don

Either use a listbox or combobox (if possible) with an associated selection screen
Or
Set the file you're selecting from to be in C mode but have the fields set as NC. In after read no error set the selection variables when the appropriate fnkey is pressed - left click, right arrow, Change mode, tab etc.

Hope that helps

[George Macken]

Hi Don

I'm assuming your query is as per Donalds reply, we do it similar to his solution.

We Generally have the Screen Characteristic in 'C' mode, the tables in 'L' mode, the data fields display only (keys DO, AR, OV). On the last data field in the paging record (line 1) we use the LGC Bef to assign the values to pass back and issue an LSEXIT.

In some cases the LGC Bef check @FNKEY is checked to do different things (left click, right arrow, Change mode, tab ), in some select windows if is entered, we would trigger another LS to show more detail on the record selected and request a confirm prior to seleteding record, lsexit and proceed.

Recently we've also set the Display Attribute of a relevant data field in the paging area to be HI & UL like a hyper-link and also populate the tooltip text. The user is then "attracted" to the HI & UL field and the TolTip Text displayed "message .......".

rgds

George

[mattbrand]

Thanks Donald and George. I am a developer working with Don Schramm on this, and that is exactly what we are looking for.

Matt

[mattbrand]

I have another question along the same lines as above.

When a smooth paging screen first displays, the first record is highlighted. However, the actual file read has been last done on the last record on the screen. If a function key, triggered by a button, is hit leaving this first record highlighted, the data that can be passed to function key actions is still the last record on the screen even though the first record is highlighted.

This is not a problem once the user clicks on a record, as the record they click on gets read, and therefore the record they have highlighted is now the current read.

The same problem occurs when paging up and down on the smooth paging screen. The first record is left highlighted, but the last record on the screen is the current file read.

Anyone have tips to deal with this? I can do a object.CurPagingSequence to get the proper current paging sequence number, but I cannot get the rest of the data from the line of that sequence. I also tried painting the screen initially with HighlightRecord turned off, so that the user must click a record to highlight it, forcing the file read, but I cannot then turn on HighlightRecord once the smooth paging screen object is painted.

[Donald Miller]

Hi Matt

It's been a while - but when learning VIP this was a problem for me too (I think). I hate to labour the point but use a listbox or combobox with an associated selection screen. If you're new to VIP, once you've got it figured out - it really is a doddle and you'll wonder why you bothered with paging screens for selection. The resultant window or screen looks pretty much just like a "MS Windows" selection window/drop down.

They're simpler to maintain too. And really handy when globals.

[mattbrand]

Donald,

Its not actually for a selection screen. Let me briefly describe the application, and it may become clear what I'm trying to do.

I have a customer record. The main customer information appears on the top section of the screen. The customer transaction details appear in a paging screen in the bottom section of the screen. I want the user to be able to pop up a couple different windows (invoice details, etc) that relate to the records on the bottom of the screen. So the user highlights the record of choice from below, clicks the "invoice details" button.

Like I said, it works for the most part, except for when first displayed, or when paging up and down, where the file read is done on the last record, but the first record is highlighted.

[Wim Soutendijk]

We have the same problem in smooth paging screens. To avoid the wrong customer record to be selected, when clicking on the buttons, we disable these buttons on entry to the paging screen. When the user is in the mode line, the buttons are not available, the user must use F6 to select one of the input fields in the paging screen, and then all the buttons are enabled, allowing the user to open the detail windows. Once you exit the record and return to the mode line, the buttnos are disabled again.
Not a very user friendly solution, but you can be sure the buttons work for the selected record.

[mattbrand]

Thanks for the reply. I actually figured out a workaround.

What I do is have a counter when doing the file reads in the smooth paging screen. When the counter is at 1, I save the keys in some scratch vars. Then when the counter gets to be as large as the size of the paging screen length, I reset the counter to 0.

When a user hits a button I use the keys saved in the scratch vars instead of the actual keys that the screen is sitting on. It works for all situations, when the user first enters the screen, when the page up and down, and when they just click on a record.