Using a Button as an ON/Off Switch

[John Chamberlain]

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to script a button such that it changes the value in a field each time it is switched (like a logic switch)? What I want is for the field value to change from 0 to 1 (if it is 0) and change back from 1 to 0 the next time it is clicked. I know I can do this with two buttons for each choice, but I have to need a lot of them, and it really clutters up my layout.

Thanks,

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Script the button with

If "yourfieldvalue" = 1

setfield "yourfieldvalue", 0

End If

If "yourfieldvalue" = 0

setfield "yourfieldvalue", 1

End if

[LaRetta]

Hi John,

I think there may be simpler ways to handle your situation, but without knowing the purpose or a bit more, we can't give you other ideas. Are you using this switch to track whether another field value has been changed? Or simply to select/de-select a record? For instance, if the switch should change if a value in another field is changed or modified, you could use a calc, unstored num (and identify the fact that a field has changed, via several possibly functions, including Status(CurrentRecordModificationCount) or if ModificationDate has changed, etc.

If you simply want a switch, you might consider creating a value list called Switch (which I stole from CobaltSky). Here is the explanation of the process:

An example of a value list that might get used more than once would be a value list called 'Switch' with the value set as 1, which can be used to drive a checkbox interface (so that if the box is checked the field holds a 1 and if not it is null).

With a 'Switch' value list, you only need one of them, because the same value list can be attached to many fields on a layout - all the checkboxes in fact. So when a user brings up a layout, they may be looking at a dozen instances of the 'Switch' value list in a variety of states (i.e. on or off) scattered throughout the data.

Another example would be a value list for a questionnaire based on the Likert Scale method (where each record has a number of questions which are answered as:

Passionately Agree

Agree

Undecided

Disagree

Violently Object

Again, the same value list might be applied to all twenty fields of the questionaire. Very ecomonical!

Then there's all the generic value lists that have things like

Small

Medium

Large

Extra Large with Fries and a Coke

You can also attach the script directly to the field instead of having to select a button. Anyway, I think we could offer better suggestions if we had a bit more information as to what you wish to accomplish!

LaRetta

[John Chamberlain]

Hi Ugo -

I tried this script:

If ["Area 1 =1"]

Set Field ["Area 1=0"]

End If

If ["Area 1=0"]

Set Field ["Area 1=1"]

End If

When I click the button nothing happens. If I click in the field and then click the button, it becomes a 0. Clicking the button again still gets me no change. Can you tell me what I'm not understanding here, please?

Thanks,

John

[John Chamberlain]

Hi LaRetta -

My problem is this:

1. I have a series of city names that can be chosen by a Volunteer at Trinity Hospice Care. The Volunteer may chose one or more of these cities in which to provide hospice care.

2. What I want to end up with is a field that is a concatenation of the cities chosen.

3. I figured that, if I could assign a button that would switch on or off for each of the City choices, I could then compute a field that would contain just those choices (e.g. choosing Redondo Beach and Torrance would yield "Redondo Beach, Torrance, while choosing Hermosa Beach, Torrance and Palos Verdes would yield Hermosa Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes).

Maybe I am making this too complicated - can you suggest a better approach?

Thanks,

John

[LaRetta]

Hi John!

Well, I'm no expert, but I would suggest you check out a demo file called List Compiler by CobaltSky ListCompiler. What this will do is, as each city is selected, it will be added to the list. Then you'd just need a calc to display the results in a Case statement. If you use a switch field (which would apply to each record), you can end up with duplicate cities selected by accident. How are you displaying the cities? Are you finding all unique and then displaying on a list?

LaRetta

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Sorry for that.

You need to insert stop script.

If Value = 1

Set field Value, 0

Stop script

End if

If Value = 0

Set field Value, 1

Stop script

End if

[Ugo DI LUCA]

I felt idiot some time ago with this.

Duplicate your field in the layout.

Set format for first field as a checkbox format

Set format for second to plain text.

Go and see what happens.

[John Chamberlain]

Well, now i'm really confused!

Ugo - tried your changes using "Halt Script" - no change - tried using "Exit Script" still no change (this ocurred with both a plain text field and a checkbox field.

LaRetta - downloaded that file, but it does not work. When I selected another ingredient the results field cleared itself permanently.

Regards,

John

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Here you R

See attachments for radio button 1/0 + checkboxes

[John Chamberlain]

Ugo -

Perfect! Thanks mon ami.

PS What kind of cars do race? I was involved in sports car racing as an official here in Southern California for about 25 years, and was the Chief observer for the final F-1 race at Long Beach in 1983.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Glad it workded.:

Well for the rest, it's not me, it's just Gilles Villeneuve. But in 1983...

For so many italian (was born there just one mile from Ferrari's circuit), he still remains a Myth...

[Lee Smith]

Hi John,

Here is one without the halt scripts.

If [ YourField = 1 ]

Set Field [ YourField , YourField = 0 ]

Else

Set Field [ YourField , YourField + 1 ]

End If

HTH

Lee

I removed the go to layout, you don't need it.

[harryk]

Set field ["yourfield","abs(yourfield-1)"]

THE oneliner for toggle between 0 and 1

Harryk

[LaRetta]

Oh so sorry John!

If it cleared the field when you tried to use it, you must be using vs. 5.0!! List Compiler requires FMPv5.5 or above because ListCompiler takes advantage of the GetField() function.

I should have asked you which version you were using, sorry about that.

LaRetta

[John Chamberlain]

Thanks to all of you, your suggestions and ideas were great. I can't believe you all paid so much attention to my little problem. Thanks especially to LoRetta and Ugo (who gave me the best clues and solutions).

You guys are wonderful!

John