locking field data after printing

[randy remark]

I am trying to find a better way of protecting information in fields after it is printed.

Various fields must be cast in stone after the record has been printed, I am hoping to write a script which will action the usual print stuff then prevent certain fields from been changed.

I hope this makes sense

[CobaltSky]

There are a few ways to approach this, but perhaps the simplest and most efective is to use the record level access privilages which became available in v5.5

To achieve this, what I suggest you consider is creating a checkbox field called 'RecordPrinted', into which a value is entered by the script which prints the record. Then also set up all users' passwords with record level access restriction on both editing and deleting using a formula along the lines of:

Case(IsEmpty(RecordPrinted), 1, 0)

That way, a record will be fully accessible for browsing, editing or deletion up until the point when it is recorded as having been printed. From that time on the record will not be modifiable nor deletable (except with a password you haven't applied the restrictions to - eg a master password) - but all other records will still be editable.

[randy remark]

I've set it up that way for the time being, thanks for that, but there are only some fields which i need to lock, not the entire record.

I think i've worked it out, by using the validate by calculation, and applying the case formula to that.

Seems to work .

Thanks

[CobaltSky]

Yes, that's the answer - access control for whole records, validation calculations for individual fields.

Cheers,