scrolling leaves button behind

[Aussie John]

I have a script button which scrolls down a page. Of course it leaves the button behind and cant get back easily.

Any ideas?

[LaRetta]

Hi AussieJohn,

I guess I'm wondering why you don't use the scroll bars on the right (and bottom) of your page. Whether you use a layout Form or List, the scroll will display if anything exists past the page displayed - either up/down or left/right. Your Users could also simply hit [Page Up], [Page Down], [Home] and [End] on the keyboard (at least on Windows, I don't know about Macs).

If you are talking about using the script-step Scroll Window (and want additional navigational control other than the scrolls) there are also options:

1) If using a form - Provide buttons at the top (with End and/or Page Down) and provide buttons on the bottom (with Home and/or Page Up).

2) Shortcut keys - Create your scripts and then move them to the top of your Define Scripts box. Select the script then place your cursor above the up/down arrows between the script name and the checkbox then drag them up. This will assign shortcut key combinations CTRL + (number) that Users can activate.

3) If using a list, place any buttons in the header and footer areas and the buttons will stay in view when scrolling through a list.

4) There is no law that says a button must be rectangle. If on a form, you can size your button 18 px wide and the full length of the form. A button on the left side could be assigned "Page Up or Home" and a button on the right could be "Page Down or End." If your form has a header or footer, be sure the button doesn't overlap those parts. It must reside within the body.

If you are talking about when in Preview Mode, there are additional methods to provide buttons (using another window, etc) and the keyboard [Page Up] etc also works. You haven't said what type of layout you're using or whether in Browse or Preview Mode. What you choose will depend upon your needs and preferences.

Cheers,

LaRetta

[Aussie John]

Hi LaRetta- there are some good ideas there

LaRetta said:

I guess I'm wondering why you don't use the scroll bars on the right (and bottom) of your page.

because it only moves a line at a time and my form is long ( see below)

Whether you use a layout Form or List, the scroll will display if anything exists past the page displayed - either up/down or left/right. Your Users could also simply hit [Page Up], [Page Down], [Home] and [End] on the keyboard (at least on Windows, I don't know about Macs).

never thought of that!! javascript:void(0) trouble is my users arent likely to think of it either

1) If using a form - Provide buttons at the top (with End and/or Page Down) and provide buttons on the bottom (with Home and/or Page Up).

I am using a form but is about 7 pages long!! (it's for writting memos and letters so needed to make it long just in case) hence i need to get easily to sections neither at end nor start

2) Shortcut keys - Create your scripts and then move them to the top of your Define Scripts box. Select the script then place your cursor above the up/down arrows between the script name and the checkbox then drag them up. This will assign shortcut key combinations CTRL + (number) that Users can activate.

that is a good idea but i was looking for something more idiot proof

4) There is no law that says a button must be rectangle. If on a form, you can size your button 18 px wide and the full length of the page. A button on the left side could be assigned "Page Up or Home" and a button on the right could be "Page Down or End." If your form has a header or footer, be sure the button doesn't overlap those parts. It must reside within the body.

thats good lateral thinking but as I said my "page" is long

I think i'll put a note to use the keyboard

[LaRetta]

Hi AussieJohn,

You can draw your button 7 pages long. If it's [Page Down] FM will know to jump a page at a time - through all 7 pages. Also, if you click the normal scroll bar right above the down arrow, it will jump down in larger increments than line per line. And you can also drag it for quicker scrolling.

Have you considered adding a scroll to your text field? In that way, the view could be only one page. A scroll on a text field will respond the same as regular scroll, ie, you can click right above the down arrow for quick scrolling.

LaRetta

[Aussie John]

La Retta,

if it was in a scroll would it still print as pages?

cheers

[LaRetta]

AussieJohn said ...

if it was in a scroll would it still print as pages?

No. It would only print what is displayed. And I wouldn't use a 7-page form for printing either. The reason is that, if you print the form but the last three pages aren't used (for instance), it will print blank pages. I would switch the User and print using a report.

Another option is to create your button, assign it's script and duplicate it and place it on every page. It would only take a few seconds to do. If you do end up printing from this form, be sure to set the Slide/Printing options for the buttons to 'don't print.'

I think I would take the time to instead teach your Users some Windows handling functions, such as properly using the scroll bars.

LaRetta

[Vaughan]

John

You could make a data entry layout that has smaller fields that fit on the screen without scrolling (users generally hate scrolling btw).

Script the print process to: change to the layout with the generous fields; print; return to the data entry layout.

[Vaughan]

Just a comment about big buttons: when clicked, FMP highlights the button area. When the buttons get very large this can look odd, and it can cause an appreciable delay particularly if the computer is modest.

[Aussie John]

LaRetta said:

No. It would only print what is displayed. And I wouldn't use a 7-page form for printing either. The reason is that, if you print the form but the last three pages aren't used (for instance), it will print blank pages. I would switch the User and print using a report.

Actually by using field and part sliding you dont get any blank pages at the end

99.5% of the time the user wont ever go past the first page but I need to make the text body ( of the letter) long just incase