Focus is lost when returning from a child form 1

[Arenig]

When the user make selections that display something, e.g. a summary form, which is then closed, the application focus is returned to the application's main menu rather than the form from which the "something" was launched.
WordPerfect Office - Paradox 9
System Details:
Windows 2000 Server + Citrix MetaFrame-XP 2.0 FR2
both systems are running on HP DL380G3, 2GB RAM, >25GB free space.
MetaFrame-XP client 8.0024737 (128-bit SSL)
client video drivers - various

This ONLY happens through the metaframe link. Running on a workstation is and always has been fine. Any help greatly appreciated.
Martin Evans
Arenig Ltd

http://www.arenig.co.uk

 

[TonyMcGuire]

Metaframe? You mean Citrix or Terminal Services or somesuch?

Can you show the code that is use to launch the 'child' form(s)?



Tony McGuire

http://forums.tonymcguire.com

 

[Arenig]

Hi Tony,

Yes, Citrix. Webbifying paradox by the back door !

Most of the child form calling is channelled through a reporting module which uses the same generic bit of code. The child process can also be a report. The code to call the form is simply :

fRun.open(strCommand)
fRun.wait()

The forms are usually modal dialog boxes with the user clicking the X to close them.

I've been developing in Paradox for 12 yrs + and have never seen this before. Interestingly, it seems to have started with the new version of metaframe we recently installed. I can code around it by replacing the app main menu with a menu bar. Not as pretty but it gets us moving again. FYI this is a global insurance application in PDox 9 rolling out Jan 1st. Paradox apps don't come much bigger than this believe me. It was designed to prototype rule-table insurance methodologies but I'm hoping a team will follow on behind with SQL server or something. Because I'm not hopeful of Pdox coping once the concurrent user level starts to climb.
Sorry to waffle, I don't often get the ear of paradox folk.
Cheers
Martin Evans
Arenig Ltd

http://www.arenig.co.uk

 

[TonyMcGuire]

Have you tried

fRun.open(strCommand)
fRun.wait()
self.bringtotop()

?

Modal dialogs can mess things up, for sure.



Tony McGuire

http://forums.tonymcguire.com

 

[TonyMcGuire]

Webbifying paradox by the back door !....
Because I'm not hopeful of Pdox coping once the concurrent user level starts to climb."

Have you looked at doing a true web site to provide the data?

FAR less resources required.

With Citrix, or any similar solution, your resource requirements are going to be sky-high on that server.

Lots of folks are providing Web access to their Paradox data these days using plain old Paradox as it comes out of the box.

You might take a look at

http://www.thedbcommunity.com/inet/

for some 'lessons' on providing dynamic data using Paradox as a Web server.
I've even provided dynamic data to CELL PHONES using Paradox as the Web server. Search on the cell phone screen, and get the data back on the cell phone screen.


Tony McGuire

http://forums.tonymcguire.com

 

[Arenig]

I *have* used Paradox as a web server and found it a joy. It worked faultlessly, and I used it to demonstrate the idea of broker statements and advice notes on-line.

Unfortunately, the idea of being dependent on Paradox terrifies "them". The corporate strategy, and this is from something like the 90th floor and some big oak desk in NY, is to get the entire organisation onto platforms that they can support. Presently, in the whole 20,000 strong organisation, I am the only Pdox developer. Now you see why they're scared. Not me though. And to be fair to them, the applications I'm writing are intended for the order of millions of transactions. And I know pdox doesn't like high volumes.

My job is almost done on this project - proof of concept. Roll out to a sub-section for field trials starts Jan, then, and I know it will all work, it goes bigtime around the world. Then it's scarey.

I only know one other Paradox programmer these days, and he's in Luxembourg. Where are you Tony?

Regards

Martin

http://www.arenig.co.uk

 

[TonyMcGuire]

I only know one other Paradox programmer these days, and he's in Luxembourg. Where are you Tony?"

I am currently in the Salt Lake City area in Utah.

I have contact with DOZENS of Paradox developers all over the world. And there are several here, of course.

Much work these days can be done over the Internet, which I myself am doing in more than one instance.

As to who is using Paradox, take a look at the list of over 300 at

http://www.thedbcommunity.com/who/

There's no need to worry about getting hit by a bus; MANY developers could pick up the ball should something happen. I was just contacted 2 days ago by a developer looking for help with a form he is now supporting - the original developer passed on.

Tony McGuire

http://forums.tonymcguire.com

 

[Arenig]

I'm already in the WHO page.

I don't need convincing that any number of people could pick up my work. Especially as I code in a minimalist style. I let tables drive all the business rules and I endeavour always to use a reduced set of objectPAL instructions. The reason being, a lot of the time, my work is translated on to other languages. Most recently to Informix of all things. This was a generic programmable earnings model for insurance transactions.

I'm in North Wales by the way. Hoping, after this contract, to get back to my beloved music.

Martin

http://www.arenig.co.uk

 

[TonyMcGuire]

Did the suggestion of 'bringtotop()' help?

(Got sidetracked with that other stuff)

Tony McGuire

http://forums.tonymcguire.com

 

[Arenig]

I'll not be looking at the code again until Monday now. Can't use self.bringToTop() as it's called from a library. subject. probably though. Will give it a shot. Let you know if it works.
Cheers
Martin

http://www.arenig.co.uk

 

[Arenig]

Hi Tony,

Because all the child forms/reports are run from a library via a button on each form, self.bringToTop()doesn't work. So on the form I added the following code after the call to the library has returned :

f0.attach()
f0.bringToTop()

And it worked a treat. When it runs though, you can still see the inappropriate parent form (the main menu) briefly pop to the top, but then this code runs and brings the correct form back to the top. Don't know why this happens. A quirk with Citrix it seems.

Thanks very much for your help.

Regards
Martin Evans
Arenig Ltd

http://www.arenig.co.uk

 

[TonyMcGuire]

You may want to use 'hide()' in that library method to hide the main form.

Just be sure to catch all errors and restore the main form in case things don't happen correctly with the other form you are opening.

I have a modal dialog form as the main form.

Most other forms are standard windows.

By hiding the main form, however, my users still get the intended form 'on top'.

This works very nicely, as long as the code is written so the modal gets a 'show()' in ALL cases - whether returning normally or an error.

Tony McGuire

http://forums.tonymcguire.com