• Add Fields to List Dialog Box
• Alpha Five Basics
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• Creating a Field Rule Event
• Creating a Posting Field Rule
• Creating a Simple List
• Creating and Using a Summary Field
• Creating and Using an Email Smart Field
• Creating and Using Calculated Values
• Data Field Control Properties
• Default Values
• Defaulting a Date Field to Today's Date
• Define an Alpha Five View Query
• Dial Phone Number in Field
• Display Help Topic
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• Field Rules: Field Types
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• Form Level Field Rules
• How Auto-Increment Fields Work
• Improvements V9
• List Box Table Lookup
• Mask Style
• Microsoft Word Integration
• Modifying a Form Field on the On Change Event
• Multi Field Quick Filter Dialog Box
• Override Field Definitions Dialog
• Overview of Field Rules
• Parent-Child Dialog Example
• Placing a Calculated Value on a Form
• Placing a Data Field on a Form
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• Placing Image File Reference Fields
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• Types of Field Rules
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• Using a Coded Lookup Field
• Using Field Rules to Generate A Table Lookup
• Using Field Statistics
• Using Object Properties for Table Lookups
• Using the Fields Panel
• Validation Rules
• When Calculated Fields are Calculated
• Xbasic View Record

 

Creating a Simple List

Description

If you want to provide a pre-defined list of choices for a field, use a Simple List lookup. For example, in the AlphaSports Invoices set, the Pay_Method field is defined as a Simple List lookup with the choices: "Credit", "Cash", and "Check". You can select any of these values instead of typing them in.

The content of a Simple List lookup is always the same. Once defined, you can always change the list by editing the Field Rule. A simple list populates one to 12 fields on your form when you make a selection. The list can appear as a drop-down list or as a popup dialog. You can allow the user to input new values or force him to choose from the list. Unlike a lookup window, the drop-down list box displays only the field for which the rule is defined. If you have defined a lookup that fills in other fields as well, those values are not shown to you, but are still inserted when you select a lookup value.

1. If you selected "Simple List", type entries (one per line) into the embedded browse column titled with the name of the selected field.

2. Optionally, click Add another column... to display the Field Selection dialog box. These fields will be filled at the same time that the current field is filled.

   • 1. Select the field name and click OK.

   • 2. Type entries (one per line) into the column titled with the name of the new field.

3. Optionally, delete any of the additional columns.

   • 1. Place the cursor into the additional column.

   • 2. Click Delete the current column... and Yes.

4. Optionally, make a selection from Allow exceptions. Indicate which values are allowed in the lookup field, and what should happen when you enter a disallowed value. The options are:

   • "Allow any value" - Allows choices from the lookup as well as other typed-in values. This is the default.

   • "Force closest match" - Allows only lookup choices. When you enter a value that does not exist in the lookup list or table, the choice from the lookup that is closest to the value you typed is automatically entered.

   • "Popup on mismatch" = Allows only lookup choices. When you enter a value that does not exist in the lookup list or table, the Lookup window appears.

   • "Allow any/fill only on popup"

5. 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.

   • Optionally, if you chose to use a popup dialog in step 5, 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.

   • If you selected "Popup conditionally on entrance" in step 9b, 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.

   • 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

   • If you selected "Custom" in step 9d, enter position values in the Custom X and Custom Y fields. Enter dimension values in the Custom Width and Custom Height fields.

   • Clear Allow maximized display if you want to prevent the popup dialog from being maximized.