Monday, March 29, 2021
Tip of the Day: Choosing the Ideal Form Control
Product.......: R:BASE X.5 and R:BASE X.5 Enterprise (Version 10.5)
Build.........: 10.5.3.20304 or higher
Sections......: Form Designer
Keywords......: Controls, Combo Box, List Box, List View
With the growing community of R:BASE users migrating their legacy
databases and applications to R:BASE X.5/X.5 Enterprise, it can be
overwhelming when designing forms. There are so many controls and so
many options!
Based upon the how the list of information is to be displayed, where
the list of available data resides, and if the selected item will be
stored or only captured, there are different form control types that
can be used to display the perfect option to the users.
Control Display
---------------
The type of control to add to a form depends on the amount of
available space on the form and how the list of information is to be
presented to the users.
When limited space is available on forms, a "Combo Box" control is
ideal, as the list of options to select is "dropped down" and visible
when the control is selected.
If space is not a factor, "List Box" and "List View" controls are
available to present a box-type object with a list of selections
initially displayed. The List Box presents the list of data to select
in a single column, and perhaps separated. The List View presents a
list of data selections in multiple columns within a grid-like
display. The objects consume a larger amount of space but can be
sized accordingly.
When the content within the Combo Box, List Box, or List View is
larger than visible listing, a scroll bar is available to browse
further content.
Source of Data to Select
------------------------
The source of data populating the control will determine the type of
control. If the source is stored within a table, a "Lookup" control
is to be used. Otherwise, if the list of options will be manually
added and stored within the control, a "User Defined" control is
used. A User Defined control can contain a small selection of items
(e.g. Yes, No, Maybe) or a large list. In most cases, a "Lookup"
control is assigned.
End Result for Selection
------------------------
Another factor to decide what control to use is the "end result" to
take after the item, or items, is selected by the user. If the
selection is to be stored directly into a table, the "DB" control is
used. If the selection must be captured into a variable, use the
"Variable" type control.
Controls and Examples of Use
----------------------------
DB Lookup Combo Box - Displays a drop-down menu list of data pulled
from a table. The selection is stored in another table. An example is
a list of job titles that can be assigned to employees. The titles
are stored in a different table than the employees.
DB Lookup List Box - Displays a box of listed data pulled from a
table. The selection is stored in another table. An example is a list
of vendors that can be assigned to an order. The vendors are stored
in a different table than the orders.
DB User Defined Combo Box - Displays a drop-down menu list of options
defined and stored within the control. The selection is stored in a
table. An example is a drop-down menu of predefined answers for a
questionnaire.
DB User Defined List Box - Displays a box of listed data defined and
stored within the control. The selection is stored in a table. An
example is a full displayed list of predefined answers for a questionnaire.
DB Lookup List View - Displays a grid of listed data pulled from a
table. The selection is stored in a table. An example is a grid of
companies, with the city and state aligned in separate columns, that
can be assigned to an order. The company data stored in a different
table than the orders.
Variable Lookup Combo Box - Displays a drop-down menu list of data
pulled from a table. The selection is captured into a defined
variable. An example is a drop-down menu of employees where the
selection is used in further form processing.
Variable Lookup List Box - Displays a box of listed data pulled from
a table. The selection is captured into a defined variable. An
example is a list of dates where transactions occurred for a specific
month where the selection is used in further form processing.
Variable User Defined Combo Box - Displays a drop-down menu list of
options defined and stored within the control. The selection is
captured into a defined variable. An example is a drop-down menu of
print output options used in report processing.
Variable User Defined List Box - Displays a box of listed data
defined and stored within the control. The selection is captured into
a defined variable. An example is a list of available reports used in
report processing.
Variable Lookup List View - Displays a grid of listed data pulled
from a table. The selection is captured into a defined variable. An
example is a grid of transactions, with details of quantity, prices,
etc., aligned in separate columns. The selection is used in further
form processing.
Additional Controls
-------------------
Many other control types are available and can be added to R:BASE
forms based upon the data presented to users. Be sure to review the
other available controls to provide the best available appearance of
the displayed data.
Very Best R:egards,
Razzak.
https://www.rbase.com
http://www.facebook.com/rbase/
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