• About Indexes, Queries, and Ranges
• Active-Link Tables
• Advanced Record Lists
• Applying a Range to a Table
• Copying Selected Records from another Table
• Create a New Table by Example
• Create Linked Table Dialog
• Creating a New Table
• Creating a Previous Values Lookup
• Creating a Table Lookup
• Creating a Tree Control Based on a Set
• Creating Conditional Table Lookups
• Creating Many-to-Many Sets
• Database Explorer
• Displaying Data from a Table
• Displaying Multiple Tables with a View
• Displaying Selected Lookup Table Records, Filtered Lookups
• Duplicate Records Genie
• Duplicating a Record
• Duplicating a Table
• Dynamic List Table Lookups
• Emptying a Set
• Emptying a Table
• Entering and Changing Records
• Excel Export Operation
• Fetching Records
• Filter Expression Dialog Box
• Find Tables that Contain a Data Value
• Formatting Record Lists
• FoxPro Compatibility
• Importing Different File Types
• Index Builder
• Layout Editors Modeless Property Editor
• Lookups
• Mapped Tables
• Ordering Lookup Entries
• Overview of Indexes and Queries
• Packing a Table
• Packing Alpha Five Tables
• Passive Linked Table Programming Example
• Populate Dynamically from a Table
• Populate from DBF Table
• Record List - List Box Table Lookup
• Record List Events
• Removing Selected Records from a Table
• Renaming a Table
• Restructuring a Table
• Searching the Text Fields of a Record
• Selecting Records
• Send Table
• Set Index
• Setting Choices for Record Lists
• Simple Record Lists
• Smart Buttons
• Specifying Multiple Images in a List Box
• Speed Typing
• Table Information Dialog Box
• Table Lookups
• Table Overview
• Table Statistics Dialog Box
• Undeleting Records
• Using DBF Files
• Using Tables
• Using the Audit Trail Feature
• Why can't I open my DBF database
• Word Perfect Integration
• Working with Tables from another Session and with Child Tables on a Form
• Workspaces
• Zap Empty Table
• Zip Table

Creating a Previous Values Lookup

Description

The Previous Values lookup is a great way to dynamically build a choice list from values that have already been entered. In a table containing product information, you might define a Product type field with a Previous Values lookup. Since the number of product types is limited, once you enter several product records, you can select the value from the list instead of typing it in. Many parameters available with the other lookup styles are available for use with a Previous Values lookup, including the ability to display lookup choices in a drop-down list box. If you selected "Conditional Table Lookup", optionally, un-check Display as Drop-down list box if you would like the choices to appear instead in a pop-up dialog box. Refer to Comparing Drop-down Lists and Popup Dialogs.

1. Optionally, enter a Filter expression that will select which values to display in the selection list. Click the 'x-y' icon to use the Expression Builder to help construct an expression.

2. Optionally, change the selection in Allow Exceptions. The options are:

   • "Allow any value"

   • "Force closest match"

   • "Popup on mismatch"

   • "Allow any/fill only on popup"

3. Optionally, if you chose to use a popup dialog, make a selection from Auto popup. Specify whether the Lookup window displays on demand or automatically. The options are:

   • "Do not automatically popup" - The Lookup window displays on demand. You must click the Pop-up smart button attached to the Lookup field. This is the default.

   • "Popup on entrance" - The Lookup window displays every time the cursor enters the field.

   • "Popup conditionally on entrance" - Build a conditional expression that determines whether the window displays automatically. For example, the Pop-up condition: ISBLANK("CUST_ID") causes the Customer Lookup window to appear only if the Cust_ID field is empty.

     • 1. If you selected "Popup conditionally on entrance" in step 4, enter an expression that defines the Popup condition. The expression must resolve to either TRUE (.T.) or FALSE (.F.). Click to display the Expression Builder to help you define the expression.

     • 2. Optionally, select a value from the Position list to indicate where the Lookup window should appear. The listed positions are relative to the Alpha Anywhere Main Application window. The options are:

       • "Cascading"

         displays the window just below the form window title, so that both title bars are visible.

       • "Top left"

       • "Top center"

       • "Top right"

       • "Middle left"

       • "Middle center"

       • "Middle right"

       • "Bottom left"

       • "Bottom center"

       • "Bottom right"

       • "Custom"

         Lets you specify the position of the Lookup window in inches or centimeters. Indicate the distance from the upper-left corner of the layout window both horizontally (X) and vertically (Y)

       • "Sticky"

         The popup remembers and reappears at its last position

     • 3. If you selected "Custom" in step 4b, enter position values in the Custom X and Custom Y fields. Enter dimension values in the Custom Width and Custom Height fields.