Storage Options and Calculation Fields

[Neville310]

I am working on an interface solution and have a question about calculated fields. My database has calculated fields for displaying tab graphics and the related labels. These calculated fields do not seem to update automatically. In fact, their behavior is not predictable; thus they are broken. The situation has me scratching my head as I have elementary knowledge about these intricate calculation fields. Upon reviewing another interface example, the calculated fields have both check boxes under

[transpower]

Global storage should be used to store values temporarily, as in a script. They should not be used to store data for particular records. If all records of a table have one field that is the same, it would be better to have a separate one-record table with that field.

[LaRetta]

Select a calculation field, then [Options]; then [storage Options].

Checked Use global storage (one value for all records)

Checked Do not store calculation results

[Neville310]

After turning off the Global option, the calculation field began performing as expected. Thanks for your comments they have shed some insight on the situation, yet additional idiosyncrasies appeared.

Now, the layout shows the tabs graphics and appropriate labels. The tab graphics and labels change when you switch layouts. But the layout does not gracefully go into Find Mode. The tab graphics and labels disappear in Find Mode. In addition, the database solution has a built-in Find module. The interface example does not have the same Find Mode behavior; yet the my solution and the example have similar construction by design. I can not help deduct that this scenario relates to the

[LaRetta]

Hi Neville,

Calculations never display in Find Mode. That's normal behavior. Occasionally, I'll put permanent buttons UNDER a calculated field (as regular layout objects) so Users aren't shocked when they disappear or I use those layout object buttons to hold 'Perform Find' and 'Cancel Find' text, because permanent buttons will show when in Find Mode but the Calculation buttons will hide the Find wording when in Browse. Learned this nifty trick from Ray Cologon, Ph.D. (aka CobaltSky).

The difference in the Find mode behavior may be simply that the other solution doesn't actually enter Find[] and that is why the tabs don't disappear; but rather enters fake-Find (Browse) and transfers global content to a find layout under a Freeze Window sheath or just uses GTRR. There are many different ways to handle all of this.

There are other tricks also - another table with one record (and placing the actual containers as the buttons (via portal) or using global calculation containers - but even this doesn't allow 'Unstored' and 'global' selection simultaneously. Unstored and Global is an oxymoron.

It would help to see the file(s) in question. I'm stuck as to why both global and unstored can be checked. I've never seen such a thing and I'm familiar with interface solutions and data separation. I wonder if the relationship break is causing it. Hopefully, someone else has seen this peculiarity.

LaRetta