Removing status area removes "continue" button ...

[Diana, Cda]

... was wondering what people do when they decide to toggle the status area to hide? The "continue" button in the find no longer appears. Sure, we know to press enter to finish the find, but want to make it easy for user.

Thanks!

[kenneth2k1]

Hi:

Well in my opinion hitting enter is pretty easy. But, you can script a button on your layout to perform the Find:

Script for Find button:

Perform Find [ ]

One of the good things about FM is that just about every action can be duplicated through scripting.

Ken

[CobaltSky]

Ken is right. However if you are only wanting the button to activate the find, you don't even need a script - you can attach the button directly to the Perform Find command via the 'Specify Button..." dialog.

If the layout your users will use to enter the find criteria is the same as they use in browse mode, then you will not want the button to appear except when the users are in find mode. In that case here are a couple of options you could consider:

1. Creating a calculating container field (which references a graphical object in a global container field) and placing it on the layout to mask the button in Browse mode (it will disappear in find mode because calculations don't work in find), or

2. Attaching the button to a script which uses the Status(CurrentMode) function to first determine whether the user is in browse or in find, and performs a differnent function accordingly. With this approach, you could use the technique described in 1 above to have a differently labelled button appear in browse mode, so that you have a true multi-state button function.

[Diana, Cda]

Ken's idea sounds good but I imagine that the simple way outlined (which I _can_ do) means the button is visible at all times. Not good.

Your way Ray seems to hit the nail on the head. Yes, the layout is the same, so the button shouldn't be visible until in FIND. But it sounds complicated at this stage. Do you know of a demo file by any chance? I don't understand this container field disappearing (unless it "disappears" and the new button appears??).

Thanks!

[CobaltSky]

I am not specifically aware of a demo of this being available, so I have taken a moment and made one for you. It is attached to this message.

Cheers,

button.zip

[Diana, Cda]

Ray, that's a great file! Very, very clever and it works beautifully.

I have spent literally every second (oh, except for when taking the laundry out and hanging up ) trying to incorporate this into my db this evening. It's not working so I know I'm missing something.

I've done a ton of searches across the forums for things like: "mask", "hidden button", "masking button" and another one can't remember. Nothing comes up that is relevant. So, I'll be concentrating on that over next little while on learning this technique.

I don't know how to make masks so I just copied your "mask button" and resized it and put it over a "perform find" button on my solution though realize that that, for whatever reason, may be causing a problem. The "perform find" button still shows up in browse mode. I defined the 2 fields exactly as you did (perhaps need to change them?) and added the script to the new "perform find" button as I see you had done.

I learned a lot with this, thanks!

[LaRetta]

This is the most exciting thing I've seen yet! I thought, if it could appear and disappear depending upon Status(CurrentMode), might it be used to hide and show other things (buttons and FIELDS) depending upon other criteria? YES!! If I don't want a field to show! I placed the mask over a field. It also disappeard in Browse! But I was able to select it for editing (which could be good or bad). It could be used to display calc values when users goof up? Of course, in Find the field beneath showed through, but can't it be used in Case and other Status validation calculations and values as well? Can it be used with any calculation ?? Please explain a bit more. Oh, I love this one!

[LaRetta]

And can I use it over text, according to calculations?

[kennedy]

Since I pointed you to this in the other thread on status area, figured I'd point out this:

In the starter template that I posted in the Sample Files forum, I use this technique to mask a whole suite of Find buttons that only appear in Find mode. In the same area, I also use a related technique to hide/show a text area for messages. Might be more complex than you want... but might illustrate what you're looking for.

HTH.

[CobaltSky]

Hi Diana,

The step you are missing is that the first of the two fields, the global container field, has to have a small rectangle of color to match the background placed in it. To do that, you will have to place it on a layout, so that it is accessible, then copy a suitable 'patch' of color in layout mode, go to browse mode and paste it into the container, then back to layout mode to remove the field (after it has the required color patch in it, you won't need to see it any more).

How it works is that the calculation field references the container with the patch of background color in it, so in broswe mode that obscures the button. But in find mode, where calculations have no meaning, the calculation 'fails' and the button shows through.

As LaRetta and Kennedy have both commented, this technique can be used with a vast range of other calculations to produce masking and substitution effects of other kinds. In a sense this one is one of the simpler ways to use it, since the calculation is very straightforward.The same technique provides the essence of the multi-state buttons that can be used in conjuntion with scripts to make a solution appear to behave moderately 'intelligently'.

[LaRetta]

Might be more than I want?? Not possible. I've just had so much to learn in such a short time! Truthfully, I am devouring information as quickly as possible ... but it just never seems to be enough. Hmmm, sounds like I'm becoming addicted! I probably looked at it, said "cool" and, because it wasn't something I needed to learn IMMEDIATELY, put it aside for later consumption! But, I've moved past NumToText and other such simpler things (smile) and I'm beginning to understand more complex issues. Thank you.

[Diana, Cda]

CobaltSky!! What nifty sleight-of-hand! It worked beautifully. I'm going to have to play around with that now in the other layout. Thanks!!

[Diana, Cda]

>In the starter template that I posted in the Sample Files forum, I use

>this technique to mask a whole suite of Find buttons that only appear

> in Find mode. In the same area, I also use a related technique to

> hide/show a text area for messages. Might be more complex than

> you want... but might illustrate what you're looking for.

Durn, durn, durn, kennedy. I now see what you meant, but everything is locked up as far as I can see. No matter, I can understand why you'd not want us messing about in the layouts and all. But although I like many of the things in your db, I'm too much of a newbie to make sense of most of it without being able to de-construct it (I am a de-construction expert and specialist and learn by breaking down and trying to build back up in same way. That's only way I could have learned all I have in last 15 years on computers).

Thanks, great look in your db, btw! I had looked at it before, but don't know enough to be able to appreciate everything in there. What I can and do appreciate is how cool it is!!

[kennedy]

Durn, durn, durn, kennedy. I now see what you meant, but everything is locked up as far as I can see. No matter, I can understand why you'd not want us messing about in the layouts and all.

: Uhhh... did you put in the master password? When you open it, hold down the option key... it'll popup a password entry... type "master"... hit OK. You'll have full access. Enjoy.

[Diana, Cda]

kennedy, I've read your about.txt file again and tried to make sense of it. I don't know this option key and I also find the information a bit confusing. I finally figured out what you mean by Admin and saw that I had to actually open a _folder_ called Admin and then open the _db_ called Admin, not a key but a two-step process. The text wording made this option sound like a key or something, so that I'd have to open something right there on begin. I apologize for that. We newbies can think in pretty weird ways, huh?

So then I'm still here wondering what the heck to do. Your admin file opens up the view where something is supposed to happen. I've clicked on different things and sorry again but can't make sense of it. Of course I understand intellectually that the privileges I assign there must be what unlock the db, i.e., to unlock the "layout" option so we can see the layout, but to actually figure out how to practically do this ...

Anyway, I give up for now.

Thanks everyone, again, for all your patience.

[BobWeaver]

It's called Option key on a Macintosh computer. On a PC it's the ALT key.

[CobaltSky]

What Bob says is true, but it won't help you at all.

The 'option' key (which is indeed named 'Alt' on Intel/Windows machines) has the function on Macintosh, of forcing the password window to appear, even though the file has been set-up to use a default password.

However under Windows, it is the shift key which performs this function.

If you want to gain programmer access to kennedy's template on a windows machine, you will need to hold the shift key down while opening it, until you are presented with a password request. Then you can release the shift key and enter the 'master' password. After that you'll likely still have to enter the special passwords that kennedy has set up as part of his custom log-in procedure, but having done so, you'll then be able to access the layouts and field definitions.

[BobWeaver]

Thanks for the correction. I'm rather ignorant about FM running on Windows.

Hmm, now who else did I give the wrong info to?

[Diana, Cda]

Wow, fellas! I'd have to pay a fortune for what you're all teaching me. Yes, that worked perfectly. A new trick up my sleeve.

[kennedy]

You only need to open Admin if you want to edit the users or privileges... not just to get master access. Don't worry about that for now.

To get master access, start FileMaker, click File menu, select Open, select the Begin.fp5 file, hold down the option key and click the Open button. A dialog will appear asking you for a password. Type in "master". Click OK.

You will then have full access to all the files in the main directory, because Begin opens every file in that directory, and it will pass along its "Master" password to those files. During that opening script, it will popup my Login "dialog"... type in BrianK as the user and 123 as the password.

Next time I post the template, I will be sure to make the about.txt file far more explicit on this. Sorry its proved difficult for you.

Brian

[Diana, Cda]

> To get master access, start FileMaker, click File menu, select Open,

> select the Begin.fp5 file, hold down the option key and click the

> Open button. A dialog will appear asking you for a password. Type

> in "master". Click OK.

kennedy, that would be great! Also, you could start the above paragraph for Mac users by typing the above with a title, something like "For MAC users".

For Windows users, if I may (and I may be an FMP newbie, relatively speaking, but there are many who know even less than I, as you can imagine so I think this would help all), could you say it something like this?:

"FOR WINDOWS USERS:

To get master access to this file, start FileMaker, click on FILE>OPEN and click on the "Begin.fp5" file once to select it. Then, hold down the SHIFT key and double-click on it to start. A dialog box will appear asking you for a password. Type in "master". Click OK. This will unlock all the files and allow you to see behind-the-scenes."

Or words to that effect, you're the better judge of what to say. But I think that'll help more novice "developers" like me (well, at the very least, I think I can accept that I'm on the beginning fringe of the term, but no more <g>).

Thanks, Kennedy! It's a great file. I see by it that I have a long way to go, but it's really neat! Hopefully one day I'll be able to produce something like that that I can share. In the meantime, everyone's help has been fantastic and although my own db is still buggy, it's shaping up extremely nicely.

Cheers!