Choose direction from search page?

ErnieG · April 18, 2003

I'm a couple of weeks into HTML and CDML, with a search page and two different forms for viewing found records (by page and by list).

Is there a way to place TWO "submit" buttons on the search page, one for each of the format files? It appears that the search fields have to be WITHIN the <FORM ACTION> and </FORM> tags, and when I try placing a second <FORM ACTION> . . . </FORM> combination in the file, that button doesn't work.

I can always place two links on the home page to two different search pages, one for each format file. But I was hoping there was a more elegant solution . . . or that I was just missing something very, very basic.

Thank you for your time.

Ernie

Unable · April 18, 2003

"...when I try placing a second <FORM ACTION> . . . </FORM> combination in the file, that button doesn't work."

Post the code you have.

Anatoli · April 18, 2003

On my search page are 5 submit/search buttons. No problem. There is not even theoretical limit on this number.

You need just properly formatted FORM..... /FORM HTML elements.

HTH

Garry Claridge · April 19, 2003

You could even use Javascript to replace the value of the "-format" tag, e.g.:

document.myform.elements["-format"].value = "myformatfile.html";

Good Luck.

Garry

Anatoli · April 19, 2003

Yeah, what Garry is suggesting will work even with single FORM and multiple Submit buttons.

ErnieG · April 19, 2003

Sorry, Garry, I was hoping to avoid javascript until I had a better grasp of the basics. As much as I appreciate your hint, I don't begin

to understand where that piece would go or how it would be called.

Here's my code (right out of the CDML reference tool) in case there's something simpler:

(All of the searchable fields are here, then)

This takes me to a found set viewed by page. For the list view, if I had a second ENTIRE set of codes below . . .

. . . pressing that button simply returns ALL records, apparently ignoring the searchable fields. So I'm really missing something here. If I try to "nest just the last two lines within the larger <FORM> </FORM>, then both buttons perform the same way.

Can you see what I'm doing wrong, Anatoli or "Unable"? Or is it time to learn Javascript?

From someone REALLY unable!

Thanks again.

Ernie

Anatoli · April 19, 2003

Forms cannot be nested.

If you want to go this way your options are:

2 complete forms

or

JavaScript

or

Lasso

HTH

Garry Claridge · April 20, 2003

<form name="myform" action="FMPro" method="post">



<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="-db" VALUE="CHS-IQM_database.fm">







             (All of the searchable fields are here, then)







<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="-format" VALUE="">



<input type="hidden" name="-Max" value="">



<inpuy type="hidden" name="-find">



</form>

<tr><td>[FMP-Field:results]</td><td><a href="#" onclick="subedit('[FMP-Field:results]');">Edit</a></td><td><a href="#" onclick="subreport('[FMP-Field:results]');">Report</a></td></tr>









The Javascript in the <head> of the page may look like this:

<script>



function subedit()



   {



   document.myform.elements["-format"].value = "detail.htm";



   document.myform.elements["-max"].value = 1;



   document.myform.submit();



   };



function subreport()



   {



   document.myform.elements["-format"].value = "reports.htm";



   document.myform.elements["-max"].value = "All";



   document.myform.submit();



   };



</script>

This is an example of how Javascript could be used with a single form.

Good Luck.

Garry

p.s. So we can better understand the situation you could post more of your code, as I don't fully grasp what, and how.

ErnieG · April 20, 2003

I tried your coding, Garry, but I probably missed something so simple you couldn't imagine anyone not knowing. Like the [FMP-Field:results] for example: Did I need to replace that with something? Or replace the # symbol in HREF? Did I need to add <script><-script> in the body (which made the links disappear) or Language="JavaScript" to the tag? Etc.

The first thing in by Body is:

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

Then there are 11 fields for users to restrict the search. Some are based on value lists:

_______________________________________

<b>THEME</b> <select name ="themetitle">[FMP-Option: themetitle, list=WEBThemeTitle]</select>

_______________________________________

(I put a hard return at the top of the value list so the field stays empty if nothing is chosen.) Some are simple entries:

_______________________________________

<B>OBJECT TITLE</B> <input type="hidden" name="-op" value="Contains"><INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="Objecttitle" VALUE="" SIZE=40>

Or: <B>CHS REF. NUMBER</B> <input type="text" size=14 name="CHSRefNo">

_______________________________________

Just before the </body> are the concluding elements of the FORM tag:

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

The second link or button would post to a format file in list form. This is the code in my other search page:

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

If this leads to a simple suggestion, Garry, I'll be grateful. Otherwise I'll be content with two search forms until I tackle JS, which I know will be extremely useful. I have a glimmer of its syntax now, and I noted your recomendation of a book in an earlier response to someone else.

Thanks again.

Ernie

ErnieG · April 23, 2003

Garry,

On the off-chance you look at this again, I guess I'd really like to get one JavaScript going.

Your posted example is quite straightforward, except that nothing happens when I click the links that appear. I think it almost has to be the [FMP-Field:results] in the HREF line (which I assume is placed after </form>), since I can see the pattern of everything else. Was I in fact supposed to replace [FMP-Field:results] with the search fields, or what?

Hope I'm not so impossibly muddled as to be unhelpable. Thanks.

Ernie

Garry Claridge · April 23, 2003

My coding is a very "loose" example.

The [FMP-Field:results] is just a place holder for whatever you wish to place there. ("[FMP-Field:xxxx]" needs to be a field on the Layout stated in the database request.) After reading some more of your page, and gaining a better understanding of what you are attempting to achieve (I think), this would be how to call the Javascript:

<tr>

   <td><a href="#" onclick="subedit();">Show Details</a></td>

   <td><a href="#" onclick="subreport();">Show Listing</a></td>

</tr>

The aim is to have only one Form. Alternatively, you could have two forms and the Javascript could be used to "submit" whichever one is selected. The one Form method just replaces the "Format" file and the "Action", then "submits".

You will also need to give your Form a name. The example uses "myform".

Good Luck.

Garry

Garry Claridge · April 23, 2003

Ernie,

My email to you was bounced "access denied"! However here are the details.

Just try a couple of simple changes first. If they don't work I can rewrite the page.

Change this:

to this:

These things are case sensitive. I've tested the changes and the functions are now being called.

All the best.

Garry

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