Numeric field

[Jan Schenkel]

--- mark mitchell <cowhead at mac.com> wrote:
> Hi Jan,
> Thanks for reiterating all the bases you're
> covering.  I thought it 
> might be something like that.  It's amazing how
> difficult it is to 
> develop for the 'widest' user-base, isn't it?  I did
> accomplish 
> something similar to what you are doing using the
> starter-kit before 
> though.  To restrict data input to a highly specific
> format, I usually 
> use a special "data input field" and lock the
> display field (if there is 
> one).  In other words, I check the input afterwards,
> to make sure the 
> format is correct, prior to doing any calculations
> etc.  For example, 
> the 5 script lines in this data-input field I think
> address all of the 
> extra points you mentioned:
> 
> on returnInField
> 
> replace "," with "" in me
> if me is a number then  -- bad English, even for a
> Texan
> put return & me after field mDisplay  -- or perform
> any calculations here
> else
> answer "wrong format idiot"
> end if
> put "" into me -- or hide me or whatever
> 
> end returnInField
> 
> Of course, your script is much cooler and more
> complete and far more 
> user-friendly, but the above will work pretty well
> for programmers with 
> starter-kits or ADD (;-)
> 
> best,
> mark
> 

Hi Mark,

Post-validation works perfectly fine in a lot of cases
(and you're pretty much stuck with it in web-forms
which is yet another reason for me to dislike those
things), but I come from a typical database
background, where data format is very important,
combined with a business application background, where
time-loss due to personal errors must be kept to a
minimum.
Hence all the work on preventing errors at the root of
the problem (yes, you get a beep if you try and type a
'b' in a numeric field, makes sense, doesn't it?).
Especially as we've decided to adopt RunRev as our new
development environment to replace FoxPro and Omnis --
users of exisiting applications should feel 'at home'
in the new versions while enjoying the new bits we're
adding.
And in order to keep the maintenance time down, I try
and include things like frontScript and backScript
facilities whenever I get the chance. I have to admit
I was a bit sceptic at first : "what on earth is that?
isn't 'start using' enough?" but in situations like
these, they really shine.
And after the numeric fields, date fields and other
special-format fields (think "X-999-XXX/999") are in
the works, and will be made available through the user
contributions in a Template Fields stack when I get it
all finished.

Best regards,

Jan Schenkel.


=====
"As we grow older, we grow both wiser and more foolish at the same time."  (La Rochefoucauld)

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More
http://faith.yahoo.com