A value list choice of "none"?

[K1200]

Following the creation of a new record, I use a value list (showing keys from another table) for the user to establish a link to a pre-existing, but optional, set of information -- and that Popup selection method works well for the users.

The problem arises when someone changes their mind and wants to remove/clear the link. Is it possible to have the Popup Menu include a "null/empty" value that they could select to remove any prior assignment? I really don't want to have a "clear link assignment" button for such a minor usage case. And for the obvious reasons, I'd like to avoid having a dummy record with a blank ID, but that's the only way I've come up with.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Ocean West]

Make the label a hyper link type button format the label like [color:blue]this then when they click on it it can clear your field.

Perhaps a tool tip on the label or field.

If the user picks something from the value list and does not "TAB" to the next field you can use the clear button on the keyboard to remove the entry from the field all together.

[K1200]

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, this particular field is displayed in a middle column of a portal and doesn't have an associated label. The dummy record method I mentioned gives exactly the behaviour I'm looking for, but with the downside of having to deal with a dummy record (i.e., it shows up in other processing). I guess I was hoping there was a way to "augment" a value list with a values from another table or with a static value.

Thanks again.

[dwins]

The field itself could be a button which clears itself and remains selected for the popup. So, first click clears it, second click pops it open.

Set Field [popup; "" ]

Set Selection [popup]

[K1200]

That certainly sounds like what I want ... but my attempts to implement only succeed in clearing the field. Can you elaborate on how to get the popup to occur on the second click? Is a script required?

[dwins]

Use the Set Selection as the LAST step in scrip and just indicate the target field, no other parameter necessary.

so:

Set Field [popup; "" ] clears it

Set Selection [popup] selects it

One click effects the above script, and since the field is now selected, the second click opens the popup.

[Genx]

The problem arises when someone changes their mind and wants to remove/clear the link. Is it possible to have the Popup Menu include a "null/empty" value that they could select to remove any prior assignment?

Try this: Add an "None" item to the value list, next go to define database and change the auto-enter calculation for your field to be: If( Field = "None" ; "" ; Field) - replacing the value of "Field" with your field name. Make sure you untick the do not replace existing values checkbox.

[K1200]

Add a "None" item to the value list

The value list is defined to "use values from field", so I don't know of a way to add "None". Is there a way?

[K1200]

The set selection method almost works. The first click, however, performs both actions. The only way I've been able to clear an occupied field is to click outside of the popup box while the popup is active -- a "no selection made" operation, I guess. But I'm not sure users will think to do that. I'll continue to work with the idea.

Thanks again.

[Genx]

The value list is defined to "use values from field", so I don't know of a way to add "None". Is there a way?

Well hmm, probably not unless you actually added the entry to a field...

Just a general FYI: Holding down shift while clicking a selection will deselect it..

[K1200]

Thanks for the tip. Given the choices I have at this point, the problem now becomes picking something that will make sense to the users. It's made more difficult by the fact that this particular layout isn't used very often.

[Ocean West]

another option would be to use a (dialog) type plugin that would allow you to generate your own list of related values and add additional "fixed" options. then present that to the user to pick from a popup via the dialog. Then on selection set the field.

[macavity]

Is there a reason you don't want to use a drop-down list? Clearing the contents of the field would be intuitive enough - using the backspace key.

[K1200]

My value list uses both an Entry ID and an Entry Name. The popup approach lets the user see only the name on their form -- and select from a list of names. The drop down approach shows the names as the choices, but after the selection is made, the Entry ID is what displays on the layout, which means nothing to the user.

For lack of anything better, I'm now using the popup approach but with a tooltip to instruct the user to click in an empty area of the layout (while the popup list is displayed) if they want to clear the field. It's a little odd, but it works.

[Robert Kidd]

If you put a field over the top of your ID field that is the related Entry Name field and set this field to not allow entry in browse mode you can use a drop down list for the value list and therefore clearing is intuitive.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Guest

[macavity]

Similarly you can select "Include arrow..." and make the ID field a square the size of the arrow. Place the related name field next to it. That's how I've done it, but Robert Kidd's suggestion is better!

[K1200]

Thanks for the suggestion. I forgot to mention that the field I'm working with is in a portal. When I try to overlay a display-only field, it displays the Entry Name on every row, not just on the row where the ID was entered (since the displayed field is not from the record the row is displaying).

[Robert Kidd]

You need to add another table occurance ( if it doesn't exist )of the table that contains the data you want to display and add a relationship from the TO that your portal is based on to that new TO based on the id field. You can then use this new relationship to display the field in your portal row.