Hi Gang!

Another one:

1. User Enters Preview Mode

-IF user is not browsing or printing or doing anytihing send him.her to a layout_X after X amount of time!?

as always, thank you!

Hi Alen,

Loop

Pause/Resume Script [ "0:00:01" ]

Exit Loop If [ Status(CurrentMode) ] or your exit criteria.

End Loop

Exit Record/Request

Go To Layout ... etc.

You can't capture the status of printing. I believe that must be controlled within your script.

Take a look at CobaltSky's Preview Palette for some cool ways to control print preview, as well as navigation techniques.

LaRetta

LebiSol said:

IF user is not browsing or printing... exit Preview Mode

LaRetta answered:

You can't capture the status of printing. I believe that must be controlled within your script.

Neither can we capture the status of browsing.... , unless I provide my users with some kinds of Neurological "cables"

thanx LaRetta!

this looks like my pill

BTW: where is everybody getting the reference about Status(any_thing)

thanx_

Ugo:

Neurological "cables" ...where can I get them and how much $$$ do they cost?

perhaps they can cut down on my programming

Hi Alen,

Status functions can be viewed in calculation define fields box. If you click 'all by name' the different function types are listed. Status functions are at the bottom of the list. Yes, I know, when it's shown 'view all by name' you would think that includes Status functions, but alas

Neither can we capture the status of browsing.... , unless I provide my users with some kinds of Neurological "cables"

Well ... you can test what Mode a User is in by using Status(CurrentMode). Surely you know that Ugo? Browse is 0, Find is 1, Preview is 2 and Printing is 3.

Of course you can test the status. I'll have a script test the status to do two different things at different times, depending upon the Mode, don't you? Is the User staring at the screen? Nope, can't test. But you'll know whether they are staring at the screen in Preview mode or Browse mode!!

I think you're just trying to get my goat ... luckily, you don't know where my goat's tied.

LaRetta

LaRetta,

I Know that.

What is "browsing" in Preview Mode....? Looking at the screen while turning the spoon in a cup of coffee ? Thinking of the next holidays...

When the user definitevely don't need to stay in Preview Mode, send it back to Browse....

That's how I understood Zila's querry.

And that's why the pause is there. If they 'stir their coffee' too long, you can move them on. But, whatever you say Ugo. You are always most certainly right. Being a legend in your own mind must be a lonesome place indeed.

"I think you're just trying to get my goat ... luckily, you don't know where my goat's tied. "

---u guys are just funny...makes my work little less stressful

back to the topic:

What I want is give the ability to the user to be in Preview Mode in order to view/print Reportes but I do not want to bother them (zero PC experience) with switching back to browse mode or another layout. So, I figured it they are not going through the pages/records but just looking for some X amount of time I can give them an option to "jump" back to some other layout by using a timed script or setting a hot-key (key-stroke) option valid for only this instance.

Anyhow, this is just a "decoration" to all of it...I could easily tell them to click+hold Ctrl+B or whatever....but then I wouldn't learn, right?!

thanx for the info

hold on folks...am I not making myslef clear/?

ok....

"What is "browsing" in Preview Mode....? "

-- going through the pages in Preview Mode while looking at the Summary Report.

It is used for both "browsing" and priting (thats why I had the post about the MSG/Dialod Box)....but as u know u can't "button-run" scripts in preview mode so I have to improvise....or ask u how to do it

the best I could have come up with is this approach

thanx

Hi Zila,

AFAIK, there's no way to know if the user is scrowling the records (so working) or just looking saddly to the screen. In other Modes, you could lock the status area and force them to use a custom navigation buttons.

So you may start with the Pause/Resume, either with a fixed elapsed time (that could be set by a field according to which layout they are "browsing/viewing" - why not) or with a Loop/Exit Loop if.

Why not have the user hit the return key to leave this Mode....

For them to know about this, you may have a layout with message in header "Hit return key to leave or F1 for Print". Obviously, you'd need exactly the same layout (without the message) for the Printed document.

LaRetta,

What your goats got to do with all this...

I didn't catched the rest...

Just a simple Pause/Resume Script[] should suffice. If users can see the status area, then they'll be able to see the Continue button to click. Otherwise Show a Message informing them to press Enter to continue.

If users can see the status area, then they'll be able to see the Continue button to click.

+++Yes+++Sure.

Hi Alen,

but as u know u can't "button-run" scripts in preview mode so I have to improvise....or ask u how to do it

Yes, you can run scripts in preview mode, that's why I suggested Ray's Preview Palette. Have you looked at it yet, Alen?

CobaltSky - A Floating Navigation Palette in Preview Mode:

FileMaker Pro

I don't see the need for running any extra scripts if all Alen wants is a return. This works just like: Enter Preview Mode, Pause/Resume Script, Go to Layout.... You can specify a number of seconds in the Pause/Resume portion, but why do that if users just need to press Enter to continue?

I think we

Hi All,

I agree with Queue, but I also like the thought of a preview browse checker (for lack of better word). Could come in handy in a different situation.

how about adding 2 global fields:

g_Page#

g_Time

script

enter preview mode

set field g_Page# to status(currentpagenumber)

set field g_Time to status (currentTime)

Loop

Pause/Resume Script [ "0:00:01" ]

If [status(currentpagenumber) <> g_Page#]

set field g_Page# to status(currentpagenumber)

set field g_Time to status (currentTime)

end if

Exit Loop If [ Status(CurrentTime)-g_Time> YourMaxIdleTimeHere ]

End Loop

Exit Record/Request

Go To Layout ... etc

come to think of it, could probably be adapted to browse mode by using status(current field) as well.

-Raz

Hello LaRetta, I guess I just haven't seen anywhere so far in his posts where he would require more than a simple pause/resume. Users can click on the rolodex to move between pages, drag the bookmark to the top or bottom, and he can script a go to last record, go to first record to set the total number of pages. It seems a bit obtuse to complicate things further unless it's a necessity. And automatically switching layouts after a period of time sounds risky to me. I get up and go get a cup of coffee, come back, and I've already forgotten what I was doing. I'm on a layout I don't remember being on when I left. At least keeping me on a single layout at a time can help me not get completely lost, especially if I wanted to print after that preview, and now may not remember to go back and do that afterward...

Well, you get the picture. User interaction is most often better than making automatic assumptions based on idleness or lack thereof.

Hi Queue,

Some valid points for sure! Thanks for sharing them with us. It would ___ me off to come back to my desk and have my report gone. But, as Alen says, this is an attempt to explore those issues.

The script I provided was a quick answer to give him the gist and I think he got that. I think he also got a lot of additional input so he should be a happy camper!

Oh Raz! I like that! That's similar to what I was picturing, although I think I'd prefer to use a Floating Preview Palette with buttons for the User. Queue talked me out of the 'no activity - move on' theory. But I can certainly use this for many other things, as you say! Thanks much.

LaRetta

I'm curious, Raz. How would this appear to the user? Will the Continue button (if visible) be flashing every second and possibly give a user epilepsy?

LaRetta,

My original post was :

"AFAIK , there's no way to know if the user is scrowling the records (so working)... "

AFAIK ---> As Far as I Know....

Thanks for mentioning that Status(CurrentPageNumber) I never use.

>>"Will the Continue button (if visible) be flashing every second and possibly give a user epilepsy? "

.....We would still be able to check for epilepsy with the Neurological cables I mentionned at first.

Not sure though adding the steps mentionned by Raz would get the screen bounce too much. And o need for the Continue Button.

Good idea indeed.

Finally, but this is far more than what Allen was asking, using somehow a "Browser-like Navigation System" would lead you to where you were first, even if you went outside to smoke some cigarettes....

I recommand the following by Giuseppe PUPITA.

Mac users ---> Sit file

Win users ---> Zip file

hi!

Thank you all for the help

let me go through the posts/links and see what I come up wit...

again, thank you!

Will the Continue button (if visible) be flashing every second and possibly give a user epilepsy?

Good point! I would use this without the status bar. Still not sure what I would use it for, but might come in handy some time.

-Raz

wow..I didn't think that 2-3 line of a post will trigger all this....nice...

if anyone cares to know I decided to use a timed MSG box to remind user that pressing Enter or clicking on Continue will "take them back" (again this is for NON-keybaord-PC-oriented carpenters who do not want to spend alot of time learning FM)

also that post from CobalSky looks very nice...too nice for me to get into right now.

anyhow, thank you for the advice and time!

All the best!