NOTE: From inside the Form Designer, you can launch the Form Designer help file by pressing the [Shift]+[F1] hot keys.
•Add an Enhanced DB Navigator Control
The Enhanced DB Navigator is a form object that allows moving between, saving, and deleting rows in a table. To add the control, locate the button within the Database Controls (boxed in red below).
Mouse click on the button, then mouse click on the form where the object is to be placed. The properties dialog will appear to alter the settings for the control. Click OK to use the default settings.
•Form Lookup Variables
The "Lookup Variable" is now truly a "Lookup" variable, and is not to be changed. All expressions, if based on lookup variables, will be evaluated and refreshed INSTANTLY. Prior to version 7.x, this was not the case. Previously, the form variables must be refreshed with the RECALC VARIABLES command each time variables were to be refreshed. To achieve the same results in R:BASE 11, then do NOT use form defined variables, but rather EEPs to declare variables with the SET VARIABLE command, which can execute when needed and with the flexibility to change the variables accordingly.
•Form Variables
Form variables that perform calculations or combine a number of values should be enclosed in parenthesis. If error messages are displayed for variables performing calculations, like the one below,
2 : CURRENCY vTotal = price * quantity
add parenthesis as follows:
2 : CURRENCY vTotal = (price * quantity)
•Multi-Page Form with Push Buttons
When converting a multiple page form, the different "pages" will be placed on a Tab Control, with each page placed upon a separate "tab". Any Push Buttons on the form that use a predefined "Next Page" or "Previous Page" EEP will appear on the new form, however will have no action assigned to them. This is because there is technically no longer a "page" to move to with regards to the behavior of a Tab Control.
•Lookup Variable Tip
Within the R:BASE 11 Form Designer there is an option to run a series of commands (or Action) for a form before the Form Designer is launched. In the Form Designer, choose "Layout" from the Menu bar, the select "On Before Design Action...".
This will run a series of commands, which can include the creation of variables that Lookup Variables are based upon, to avoid annoying error messages when the form is opened in the designer. An example of a lookup variable based upon another variable would be...
1 : TEXT vCompany = Company IN Customer WHERE CustID = .vCustID
The error message appears because the variable vCustID is not defined. Adding the following SET VAR command to the "On Before Design Action..." will alleviate this error message:
SET VAR vCustID INTEGER
The "On Before Design Action..." is listed under "Layout" on the main Menu Bar.
