Auto-entered Field Tips/Instructions

[Kurt Knippel]

Here is a set of custom functions for formatting an auto-entered field instruction when the field is blank. It formats the instruction in a light gray italic font, while the data in the field is formatted as black plain font. Of course you can specify your own colors and styles.

AE_Instructions (fieldData; displayText)



Case ( 



fieldData <> displayText and not IsEmpty ( fieldData );

NormalText( fieldData );



InstructionText ( displayText )



 )

InstructionText ( Text )



//Makes the selected text light gray in color and in italics

TextStyleAdd ( TextColor ( text ; RGB ( 75 ; 75 ; 75 ) ) ; Italic )

NormalText ( Text )



//Makes the selected text Black in color and Plain in font.

TextStyleAdd ( TextColor ( text; RGB ( 0 ; 0 ; 0 ) ) ; Plain )

In the actual auto-enter settings for the field you would use the AE_Instruction function, like so...

AE_Instruction (Name_First; "enter first name")

[Ender]

So simple, and yet quite useful. Thanks for sharing Kurt!

[RalphL]

Am I missing something? The instruction text is not removed when data is entered into field. It just becomes black and plain along with data.

[RalphL]

Figured it out. Set the field behavior to "Select entire contents of field when entered"