How to make a field non-modifiable after creation

[smsaw]

I'm not sure if this post belongs to Define Fields or in Accounts & Privileges. So I'll just post it here first.

I'm currently creating a clients table and one of the features requested was that the field Comments cannot be modifiable after it is created. I created a Comments table since a client will have many comments.

The portal for comments works but users can always go back to the previous comment and modify it. This is where I am stuck.

I tried using a merge field instead of edit box but then I can't add comments

Edited November 4, 2005 by Guest

[mr_vodka]

Why not have a global field where the user can enter comments and then press a button to add the comments. Once it adds it to the related comments table, The portal can show these related records. On your relationship, make sure that 'Allow Creation on Records..." is unchecked

[smsaw]

Good idea, I will try that right away, I'm new to filemaker and this is my first project.

[smsaw]

It doesn't work as I want it to be. Even if I uncheck the "Allow creation of records" checkbox, the users can still modify the comments. If I use merge field, they can't but I wouldn't be getting the scroll bar feature either.

[-Queue-]

'Allow creation of related records' merely prevents a blank portal row from being displayed at the bottom of the existing ones. It is not relevant to allowing or disabling modification of a field.

It is probably easiest to create a calculation field in the related table equal to yourFieldName. Then put this field in your portal. It will not be modifiable, and you can scroll in it if you allow access to it in Browse Mode via Field Behavior.

[sbg2]

Does the Show Custom Dialog script step meet your needs? example attached.

contact.zip

[smsaw]

First of all, I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to help me.

'Allow creation of related records' merely prevents a blank portal row from being displayed at the bottom of the existing ones. It is not relevant to allowing or disabling modification of a field.

It is probably easiest to create a calculation field in the related table equal to yourFieldName. Then put this field in your portal. It will not be modifiable, and you can scroll in it if you allow access to it in Browse Mode via Field Behavior.

Doesn't this solution only allow me to display one field. I need to display the last 5 comments per client.

[smsaw]

SBG2, you did exactly (well almost) what I needed! What I didn't know was how to lock the field and by looking through all the menus, I found the Field Behavior where you unchecked Browse mode. That actually keep the user from being able to modify it.

I have provided a graphic for a button so I will modify your script and implement it, if you don't mind.

Thank you!

Edited November 8, 2005 by Guest

[-Queue-]

Doesn't this solution only allow me to display one field. I need to display the last 5 comments per client.

No, the calculation is in the related table. So it will display as many comments in the portal from the main table's layout as there are records in the related table.

The Custom Dialog solution is clean, but it still does not allow you to scroll through the field. A combination of the two solutions seems to satisfy the requirements though.

See modified attachment.

contactv2.zip

[Merit Solutions]

Is it possible to attach a button to a portal row which will perform a script to establish whether the comment field in that row is empty or not. If it is empty the script can then open a new window showing the related comment field and allow access, otherwise display a warning that the existing comment can not be modified?

[Ken Newell]

Another thing you can do is in your define fields set it the field to auto enter on creation. Put nothing in and mark the box to prevent modification. This requires changes to be scripted.

[-Queue-]

Jonmuk, try using the script below, with contact::ID_Contact as the button's script parameter (or use a script variable, if you prefer).

Freeze Window

Allow User Abort [Off]

If[not (lsEmpty(comment::ID_Comment) or IsEmpty(TrimAll( comment::Comment; 0; 0)))]

Show Custom Dialog[Title: "NOTICE"; Message: "You cannot modify this comment.”; Buttons: OK]

Else If [isEmpty(comment::ID_Comment)]

Go to Layout [comment (comment)]

New Record/Request

Set Field [comment::ID Contact: Get(ScriptParameter)]

Go to Field [comment::Comment]

Pause/Resume Script [indefinitely]

Go to Layout [original layout]

Else

Go to Related Record [From table: comment: Using layout: comment (comment)] [show only related records; New window]

Go to Field [comment::Comment]

Pause/Resume Script [indefinitely]

Close Window[Current Window]

End If

[smsaw]

There is one little thing that bugs me is that I cannot have a scroll for each comment. Some comments can be longer than the given size. In my layout I had set it to 5 lines and show the last 5 comments. That's about all the room I can spare, sometimes 5 lines isn't sufficient and the comment gets cut off.

[Lee Smith]

Double Click on the field in layout mode and select the the button "Included Vertical Scroll bar"

[smsaw]

It is already checked. The scroll doesn't work when you uncheck Allow field to be browsed: "in Browse mode" for the field's behaviour. Could this be a bug?

I had to leave it uncheck so users can't modify it.

[Lee Smith]

Actually, I think that is the expected behavior when you deny them access to the file in browse mode.

Instead, use the Accounts an Privileges to set the field to No Editing etc.

[SurferNate]

Also, if there is no good reason to sort/find the individual comments later, you can store and timestamp them directly inside a record with two fields. This is a popular logging technique and lends itself to many applications.

Here's the steps:

1) Create two TEXT fields in exactly this order. I repeat exactly this order...

a) NoteLog

: NewNote

Then go to NoteLog, open the options and set it to :

- Auto Enter Calculation

- PREVENT Modification

- Calculation Replaces Existing Contents

The calculation will be:

Case(NewNote; Get(CurrentDate) & " - " & Get(AccountName) & " - " & NewNote & pilcrow** & NoteLog ; NoteLog)

**the pilcrow is the paragraph glyph available in your calculation dialog box

Then go to NewNote and set it to

- Auto Enter Calculation

- ALLOW Modification

- Calculation Replaces Existing Contents

The calculation will be:

Case(Notelog; "")

Now place both fields on your layout. Make them both enterable and make the NoteLog field large enough to show several lines of text. Show the scroll bar too. Make sure that the layout is set to save changes automatically.

Type something into the NewNote field and exit the field by your preferred method. The NoteLog field should nicely log your entry with a date stamp and your login account name. You can modify the auto enter calculation to include any tracking data you like as long as it can be pulled from within the calculation. Nobody will be able to modify the NoteLog field but you can search it, select it, and copy data from it without any hassles.

There are hundreds of possible variations on this concept that can vastly extend the power of a user interface, not the least of which is to create an automatic log of activity and changes to the data using other calculations to get the contents of NoteLog.

I do not know who originated this trick, some credits for my learning experiences go to:

La Retta

Database Pros

Ray Cologon

Is this the best solution for your purpose? I have no idea, it's just another way to set up a linear note log. You will also need to play with it to get a sense of what you can do and how to make your particular needs fit into the model.

[SurferNate]

also see this post for other methods.

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/171291/post/182613/hl/+surfernate/#182613