Report designer improvment 1

[florindaniel]

Hello,
I'm having an application and I want to let user modify the reports. For that I just issue a MODIFY REPORT <Report_name> command and let the user change the report.

Is there a way to implement some sort of help with the tables and fields available to the report? I want to inform the user that can use the "InvoiceDueDate" (for ex.) field by displaying the data structure available.

Thank you
Daniel

 

[Mike Lewis]

If you have VFP 9.0, you can create a tooltip for any of the fields or labels:

1. In the report designer, right-click on the field or label (or any other object).

2. Choose Properties.

3. Go to the Other page.

4. Click Edit Tooltip.

Of course, you can also create an ordinary Help file. But you would need some way of making it context-sensitive within the report designer.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro tips, advice, training, consultancy
Custom software for your business

 

[florindaniel]

Thank you Mike,

It is not very clear to me how it works, I'll try
I mean: I make some tooltip for one (existing) field; it seems this text shows for that control. What happens when I have a new blank report ?

I don't necessarily need a context sensitive help,
pressing F1 and showing some form with information about
the tables and fields would do.

Thank you
Daniel

 

[florindaniel]

Me again

I've tried the tooltip solution. It works but it is not what I need. I think the solution with the help system
is better since there's a lot of information to display.

Can you tell me how can I associate a help with the report designer?

Thank you
Daniel

 

[Mike Lewis]

Daniel,

I see what you mean. If you want to let the user create a new report from scratch, clearly the tooltip solution isn't going to work.

In any case, a proper Help system would be a better bet simply because you wouldn't be confined to a tiny tooltip window. You'd be able to use graphics, formatted text, hyperlinks and all the other Help features.

As for making it context-sensitive, one possibility would be to use ON KEY LABEL to re-reprogram the F1 key:

ON KEY LABEL HELP ID 100
  && where 100 is your topic ID for your
  && report designer Help

You would do that immediately before launching the designer, then cancelling it (by issuing ON KEY LABEL F1 on its own) immediately after the designer closes.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro tips, advice, training, consultancy
Custom software for your business

 

[Nigel Gomm]

Daniel,

you might also want to look at Doug Hennig's Stonefield Query at

http://www.stonefieldquery.com/

hth

nigel