Popup List not closing

[SteveB]

I'm using FM 5.5 on Win 98SE. Does anybody know why popup lists don't close after a user has selected an item? It can't be anything on the layout, because I created a new one with only 1 field. The list remained on the screen after I selected an option.

Its not a windows bug, since I've never had this happen with any other software. Any clues?

[kenneth2k1]

Hi:

I had a similar problem once and Ray pointed out to me that this will happen when there is only one enterable field on a layout. I added another field and he was right - the problem went away.

Ken

[LaRetta]

Also, on Ray's demo file: Layout Menu -- http://www.nightwing.com.au/FileMaker/

He has two fields overlaid - a popup menu and a popup list with the same script attached. I guess that Windows doesn't work well with with pop-up lists but does great with pop-up menus. Macs don't work well with pop-up menus but do great with pop-up lists. So he places both and uses Status(CurrentPlatform) in script to choose which to use.

This may help you too! I'm dealing with cross-platform situations also. At least that's what I have documented that he said, but I'm pretty new and could be wrong.

[SteveB]

I have more than 1 enterable field on the layout and it doesn't work.

I am single platform (Windows) and have never encountered a problem with other software using lists or menu.

[SteveB]

It's clearly an FM bug. I closed FM, and when I re-started it, popup lists now close after a selection. I believe Ray's experience was purely coincidental.

[LaRetta]

I'm glad it works, Steve! I'm sure it was just my misunderstanding of something he said ... I just wanted to help you, as you've helped me a HUNDRED times on this Forum

[harryk]

try at least a second field, but take care the tab order is set from that popup field to the second field. Might do the trick.

Harryk

[CobaltSky]

Yes - well, I suppose it could be called 'coincidence' in one sense.

It's a feature of pop-up lists that once a selection is made, they automatically select the next field in the tab order.

It's a feature of tab orders that when you get to the last field in the tab order the next tab starts you at the beginning again - ie they cycle. Thus if there is only one field in the tab order, tabbing reselects the same field (ie it leaves the last field and looks for the first, which happens to be the same field).

Each of these aspects of interface behaviour can be quite useful on their own. However when these features collide (or 'coincide', if you will) the effect is less helpful.

If the only field in the tab order is a pop-up list, then as soon as a value is selected, being the last field in the tab order, it goes to the first field in the tab order (which as it happens is also itself) and pops itself up.

So the effect is a curious consequence of the interaction between two features which on their own make perfect sense.

Curiously, taking the field out of the tab order does not solve the problem (the idea of having no fields in the tab order apparently not having been considered when the code was written) and it's therefore necessary to include another field in the tab order to resolve the issue (though the field can be hidden if it is redundant on the layout).