Quote:

I don't want to hiack your thread, but I can't ignore this because it looks like it will be very useful to some things I need to do.  But I'm having a bit of trouble parsing it.  What does the "or" condition look to and do?

Erika -

The reason I put the age/years calculation in the on form entry is that I do want to see the correct age even if I am just looking at a form and I don't want to have to remember to click on a "button" (which I could easily put there) to calculate the age.  I sometimes do want to simply scan through a stack of records to check age.  (I also have it on the on the birthdate/anniversary elements exit event, so that it will automatically appear instantly, should I enter a birthdate or anniversary).  In that case I do want the last update field executed but only because I made a change to a bound element.

As for putting last update programming in "on element change" I have about 84 layout elements.  I want the last update field populated for all but nine of the elements (all of which are unbound).

If, as you suggested, I "put the code in the events to which I actually want to respond" I would have to program 75 of the 84 elements.  This is not the worst thing in the world but it is certainly a "one-time" nuicance" for each of my databases (since most of them have a similar situation).

You said: Quote:


So, I have a REQUEST, for program enhancement (unless I am overlooking something).

Why NOT preclude an unboud field from triggering a program event - but ONLY in the "on form change" programming?

In your example of having a combo box respond, I only need it to respond when I click on (or enter) that particular LE ... so I would only need the programming executed on the element entry event.

My other unbound fields are all command buttons that cause programming to be triggered but without affecting any of the bound layout elements on the form (such as looking up a zip-code, retrieving an alternate record, printing an envelope etc.).

I cannot think of a single instance when I would NEED a click on an unbound field to trigger my on form change event programming.

And by the way, until you pointed this out I hadn't realized that there was another problem.  Even if a record does NOT have a birthdate/anniversary to trigger on form change programming, clicking on any one of my command buttons will.

Alternatively, should there be a reason to trigger on form change event programming, then how about a "switch" built into code that would allow the user to enter a programming statement in the on form change event and tell Sesame whether or not to include unbound fields?

Thanks!

CAPTAIN INFINITY -

No need to apologize for "hacking" my code.  If it is something you are able to use, I am delighted.

If not @isblank(Birthdate) then

     Age = @YEAR(@DATE)-@YEAR(BirthDate) - ((@MONTH(@DATE) < @MONTH(BirthDate))
     or (@MONTH(@DATE) = @MONTH(BirthDate) AND @DOM(@DATE) < @DOM(BirthDate)))
 

To tell you the truth, I obtained this code from Symantec Technical Support (when there was such a thing) for use in Q&A about what - 20 years ago?  lol  ... and it works like a charm in Sesame.

As best I can recall the only time I had a problem with "earlier" code I had created was if it was the same date (day of month) as the birthday.  In other words the age would calculate properly if you checked it either a day before (or earlier) or a day after (or later) than the actual birthdate.  But, if it was on the actual birthdate it would be off by one year.

This programming was designed to fix that.  When it was provided, I understood it perfectly.  Now I only understand it in theory and am not able to disect it without an extraordinary amount of effort.

The way it is written, it incorporates ("unseen" in the code) if/then conditions.

But I do offer you this.  Here's a way to test it.  I just went to my birthdate field - today - December 30, 2005.

If I enter a birthdate of December 31, 2000, the age is shown as 4 (because indeed the person is a day shy of being 5 years old)

If I enter a birthdate of December 30, 2000, the age is shown as 5 (because indeed, today is the day the person reached age 5)

If I enter a birthdate of December 29, 2000, the age is shown as 5 (because indeed the person has passed reaching the age of 5)

So I have checked the date of birth as being (1) a day (or more) before the actual birthdate, (2) on the actual birthdate or (3) a day (or more) after the actual birthdate - and it calculates correctly.  I cannot think of a single "example" that would "slip through" the programming, except that:

I DO NOT know whether this works correctly for someone born on February 29th of a leap year; however, I never had a single instance where I needed to calculate based on February 29 and if needed, it should be easy enough to modify the programming for that particular date.

I know that I did not answer your question precisely but hope that the information I did provide will help you.  

If it does not then please be specific about what you want to do.

I have numerous other (old Q&A) programming statements that do "math" calculations based on a date (of birth, anniversary, fixed date, etc.)

I do hope that this response will help you and wish you good luck.

By the way, just for "accuracy", I do not believe that Q&A had an @isblank function so the "lead in" was probably something like:  If birthdate /=  (not blank)       or      If birthdate <>"" (less than or greater than nothing).  While that might work in Sesame, as well, it is not recommended - so Erika has told me and told me and told me ... lol

Quote:


Your example is exactly the type of situation I mean. You want a bound value to change because you altered an unbound value. It is the changing of the unbound value that triggers the On Form Change program which sets the bound value. If the change to Age doesn't trigger the progamming, the Senior Citizen Discount never gets set.

Quote:


Infinity,

The code subtracts the years. It then subtracts 1 if the person has not yet reached their birthday this year or zero if they have. The OR condition is boolean and returns 1 or 0.

I'll show you how it works by resolving the logic step by step. My birthday is Feb 10, 1969. Therefore to find out how old I am:

@YEAR(@DATE)-@YEAR(BirthDate) - ((@MONTH(@DATE) < @MONTH(BirthDate))
     or (@MONTH(@DATE) = @MONTH(BirthDate) AND @DOM(@DATE) < @DOM(BirthDate)))

First, we resolve the date months and years:
2005-1969 - ((12 < 2)  or (12 = 2 AND 30 < 10))

We do the first subtraction to find out how many years:
36 - ((12 < 2)  or (12 = 2 AND 30 < 10))

Now, we resolve the rest of the expressions. They are boolean, so they will all resolve to either 1 (true) or 0 (false):
36 - ((0)  or (0 AND 0))

Resolve the AND. For AND, both must be true. They aren't so:
36 - ((0)  or (0))

Resolve the OR. For OR, if either is true, it's true. Neither is true, so:
36 - 0

Do the math, and I am:
36

-------------------------
Let's do this again, but this time, lets make my birthday Dec 31, 1969. Meaning I have not yet had my birthday.

2005-1969 - ((12 < 12)  or (12 = 12 AND 30 < 31))

36 - ((12 < 12)  or (12 = 12 AND 30 < 31))

36 - ((0)  or (1 AND 1))

36 - ((0)  or (1))

36 - 1

My age is: 35

------------------------

See how it works?

Erika -



Why didn't you tell me you were responding to Captain Infinity - you would have saved me all my trouble.  lol 

Now, getting back to my original scenario.

You want a bound value to change because you altered an unbound value. It is the changing of the unbound value that triggers the On Form Change program which sets the bound value. If the change to Age doesn't trigger the progamming, the Senior Citizen Discount never gets set 

This is the part I don't understand.  The age LE is changing based on FORM ENTRY.  It is not bound to a field and so I onle "see it" in the unboud Age LE.  Again, the age calculation was triggered by the on form entry event.

Now, the SENIOR DISCOUNT is a bound field but if the programming were also on form entry following the age caculation it would seem to me that it would still calculate and since it IS IN a bound field that - in and of itself, without regard to the age calculation would trigger the "on form change event" programming to execute and thus (since the element is bound) save the calculated value, along with my LAST UPDATE LE since there was (in the Senior Discount LE) a form change AND the LAST UPDATE LE is bound. 

I admire your expertise and am certain you must be right - but somehow I am just not getting it from the explanation ... and would like to.

Thanks!

  but who's counting?   lol

Spencer,

I didn't realize that your example was meant to run On Form Entry. I was talking about typing into or calculating Age, changing the unbound value which would in turn trigger the On Form Change event to set the value in a bound element.

There are many examples of wanting to change a bound value based on a change to an unbound element.

For example, you may have three unbound elements whose values are used a calculate a single bound element. If you change any of the unbound values, the bound value should recalculate. Examples of this include a custom calculator, assembling an adddress, creating a customer code, etc.

You may want to make a selection from an unbound combo box and have the change trigger a recalculation of bound elements on your Form.

You may want to make a choice from an unbound radio button group and have the change trigger a recalculation of bound elements.

And so on...

As to your case, if you don't want certain changes to "count" as a change, set a variable indicating the special condition. It would go something like this:

GLOBAL CODE
[code]stat gFlag as Int

    gFlag = 0[/code]

FORM::ON FORM ENTRY
[code]If Not @IsBlank(Birthdate)
{
     Age = @YEAR(@DATE)-@YEAR(BirthDate) - ((@MONTH(@DATE) < @MONTH(BirthDate)) or (@MONTH(@DATE) = @MONTH(BirthDate) AND @DOM(@DATE) < @DOM(BirthDate)))

    // Set the flag telling SBasic that you
    // don't want this particular change to count.
    gFlag = 1 
}[/code]

FORM::ON FORM CHANGE (or wherever)
[code]// Only set LastUpdate if the change "counts"
If gFlag = 0
{
     LastUpdate = @Date
}
Else
{
    gFlag = 0
}[/code]

This method allows you to manage more than just the limited case of unbound values. You can pick and choose which changes matter based on whatever criteria is appropriate at the moment. Sometimes it will be unbound elements, sometimes it will be only certain values. Sometimes you will want unbound changes to count. Sometimes you won't. Sometimes what you want is the same as what most other people want. Sometimes it isn't.

By using methods like this, you don't have to rely on us as developers to be able to accurately predict what is "right" for each of thousands of users in every circumstance. We try to give you flexible powerful tools that allow you to make these decisions for yourself, as needed.