Field unhighlights after time period

[Bekah]

Every time someone dials we want to know if they made significant contact (as compared to getting an answering machine or talking to an assistant etc.). So I put the script as:

Dial []

Message "Did you make significant contact? Yes or No"

If message choice = 2 (yes)

Set Field LastReach Get Current Date

Exit script

End If

That's it roughly I forget now because I had to take it off. I liked it. They didn't. Seems when they dial, the message appeared and it stopped them from flipping back and forth through the layouts while they waited for the person to answer. They use this 'in-between time' to review a contact history and orders on 4 different layouts. This slowed down their calling and they didn't like me.

I decided to use calculation container to highlight the field and message says "Contact?" I use global time field and calc says, if not IsEmpty(gTimer; gHighlight). If they click the field, I want the date inserted and the field to unhighlight (clear gTimer). This is fine and dandy and works but here's where I get stuck...

IIf they didn't make contact, they want it to AUTOMATICALLY unhighlight after 10 minutes or when they go somewhere else. I may be new but I know that attaching script to every exit would be a pain in the booty so I need some other way, I think.

I tried creating two scripts - button they click: set gtime then loop pause/resume (and RESUME on its Specify Button popup) which kept testing the current time and if empty it leaves loop and haults. Inside loop, it would Dial. Then I want to end that script either by them clicking LastContact (which would set date and also clear gTimer) or after 10 minutes... I can't make the loop check for 10 minutes and also check for empty gTimer? the modem and dialing stuff also seems to happen outside of FileMaker.

I tried Dial then Clear Timer but it clears the timer immediately after the dialing is done - NOT when the call ends. script can't tell when call ends - dialer seems to stay on (and they like that). But 10 minutes might be too long and they could be on next person by then and it's still highlighted. Dumb. I told them to work slower. They didn't like that. Commission guys, you see.

See. Only talking to the Buyer is really considered significant. Buyers can fire out an order in 45 seconds. Significant contact. or sales may wwait several minutes before even talking to buyer - who may be too busy. Not significant contact.

My last tries stuck me and I couldn't get out ever. Forgot to attach Fentons Halt. I had to turn off my computer. So I need a few ideas on what you would do if given this problem. Sorry this is long. I wworked hard to keep short.

[Bekah]

I think I fixed this myself. I'll find out today. I couldn't use a global to hold the gTimer (test if they had dialed) because if they went to a different record, the field remained lit up. Duh. I changed it to regular number field called TagCall = 1 if they dial.

By using a regular field, it says lit. They should click it. But if they don't, when they go to their 'incompleted work', a relationships displays portal of those they didn't answer right (joined TagCall to calc 1). And they can click button and return to those records and answer the field highlight.

Message is simiple question Yes or NO

If yes

set field LastReach get(currentDate)

set field TagDial ""

Halt

End If

Set field TagDial ""

I have no way of knowing how to make the highlight just disappear after a length of time. But I attacked the message to the field so, after they answer question it unhighlights.

i hope they are hapyy. If they still want it to unhighlight itself i'll keep trying. But for today I guess this'll do. Is this what programming is like? Sometimes you compromise?