Hello everyone. I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction here. I want to be able to make dialog that the user can turn off if they want to.

Here is what im trying to do. I have a button that sends the user to a layout and i want a dialog box to come up with them directions on how to return to the main layout. And i wanted to put in a like a checkbox or a something so that they can choose not to see that message in the future.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

You can't put a checkbox in the dialog (unless version 6 has that ability), but you can have a "don't show again" button.

If they click that button, set a global field = 1

Next time they run that script, only show the message if the global field is not 1.

This will only work in a single user database (not shared) since the global field value will be remembered.

If you are using this on a network, you should store the value in a separate file with only one record (use this as your configuration file).

Im sorry im new to global fields. Do i just create a new global field and then a dialog box script to point to that field?

Why not just put a big button on the layout that will take them back to the main layout? label the button "Main Layout" so it's obvious that the user needs to click it to do that. The button could be either a simple "go to layout", or run a script that takes them to the layout, and also does other stuff, like show all records, find a set, sort, etc.

Steve Brown

Actually thats what i have now but i thought if i could do it this way i could also use this technique on some other things i have in mind also. Im just new to globals and not sure where to start. Thanks for the reply.

Look at the Troi Dialog Plugin (www.troi.com). It will alloow you to use checkboxes and much more complicated dialogs than FM can provide.

You can try something that I'vve used and see if it helps you.

Create a duplicate layout and then create the graphical appearance of a dialog box on the duplicate layout with any check boxes, radio buttons or scripted buttons you want.

You can then script the button on the original layout to go to the duplicate layout if "don't show again" is empty/false or go to another layout (or to layout by field designation) if "don't show again" is clicked/true.

I use this basic idea for a database that can be displayed in several different layouts. If no layout has been choosen it sends the user to the duplicate layout and the "dialog box" with radio buttons to choose the layout. If a layout is already choosen the user goes directly there.

Hope this makes sense.

A global field is simply a field which stores information that is not particular to any one record. That is, no matter what record you are in, the global field will always be the same. They are commonly used as temporary variables in scripts. In a single user setup, the last value of the global will be remembered, but once you put it on the network, every time it is closed by a user, the globals revert to their original state.

In addition, on a network each user has their "own" globals to work with, so the values in a global field for one user do not affect the global field of another.

This is a partial answer to your query in that I use it to show message boxes with fields and check boxes in etc. It is quite basic, but certainly does the trick (or at least appears to the user to do it.

Create a script to Show Message but with no actual message, with Button Captions OK & Cancel or Yes / No.

If you then run the script, resize the message box to the size you need it, then on windows if you do alt & print screen, it will just copy the message box.

Create a new layout, and paste the image onto the new layout. You can then type text into the message box, put fields & checkboxes in etc, then put buttons under the OK/Cancel buttons (or whatever) to do whatever you want them to do (hence this only being a partial answer)

the only downside is that Mac users get Windows appearing message boxes, but nevermind!!

the only downside is that Mac users get Windows appearing message boxes

You could take a screenshot of both platforms, set up two layouts, and perform a check of the current platform in the script

I have a "New Record" script I use in a file that does what your looking for (I think). The 1st script is

Show Message (You can do whatever it is you want when a New Record is created. Dont show msg again. 2 buttons Dont Show / OK If OK is selected the New Record script runs, if Dont Show is selected I Have a field that an "X' is inserted in, that way, the next time the New Record button is clicked the New Record script is all that runs.

Hope that gives you an idea.

Dean