That's a great overview. Thanks, Razzak.
Bruce
Bruce A. Chitiea | SafeSectors, Inc.
112 Harvard Ave #272 | Claremont CA 91711-4716 | USA
[email protected] | +011 (909) 238-9012 m | +011 (909) 912-8678 f
------ Original Message ------
From: "A. Razzak Memon" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: 3/29/2021 9:30:49 AM
Subject: [RBASE-L] - Tip of the Day: Choosing the Ideal Form Control
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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