... invalid date field needs a 'trap'

[ron G]

My app runs really well except for this problem:

There are 2 date fields:

startdate

enddate

There is a portal field called TransactionDate

There is a FIND button that searches the appropriate table for a TransactionDAte range produced but the input startdate...enddate. This works.

However, [color:blue]if a user accidentally clicks inside the date field before clicking the 'down arrow' to produce the calendar, even though he clicks a calendar date FM produces this error:

[color:red]"The value of this field must be a valid date in the range of years 1 to 4000 and should look like "12/23/2003".

Question: It seems like there should be a way to trap for this error message and revert the field.

Do you know of a way?

Thanks

[ron G]

Here is another anomoly: When I ENTER a 'trash'

value (AS IN 33a) into the date field, it adds ?

to the table record where the pointer is ... huh?

See below:

This is the script that is run.

a) if I enter 'trash' in the date field, it does

NOT enter ENTER FOUND Mode[] and when it

encoutners Set Field, it adds ? to the table

record... ?

Surely I am missing something.... Can you help?

Thanks

R

Edited August 2, 2009 by Guest
new information and pictures

[ron G]

.. ie, 'force' the user to use the drop down date menu.

I have discovered a HUGE problem. I have a date field. If the user enters '3g' for example, in the date field and I TRAP for get(lastErrorMessAGE) it returns 0 (none).

It seems that to avoid the dreaded 'revert field' and 'ok' system messages I have to do a LOT of manual programming. Or, is there an easier way?

The easiest solution I know would be to 'force' the user to use the drop down calendar. But, that begs the question [color:red]"How do I exlcude manual input by just typing into the input field?

Or perhaps the answer is "you can't do that"???

Thanks

[comment]

Please do NOT double-post:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/210415/

[ron G]

I don't think this IS a double post. The problem in this situation centers around trying to find a way to limit the user's input to the popup calendar.

The other (admittedly similar) situation had to do with related table field corruption.

I will try and be more specific and clear.

[mr_vodka]

I will add something as well as why double posting is shunned upon. It makes it hard for readers to completely follow the whole picture if its been pieced together in a bunch of posts.

[Søren Dyhr]

It makes it hard for readers to completely follow the whole picture if its been pieced together in a bunch of posts.

Indeed and even inside a single thread, let be frank here no-one can answer even in vicinity of a subjects core, without a concise declaration of context and purpose right from the beginning of the thead, any attempts to patch up during the course is often failing.

I would say when a question is supposed to look "Learned" is it actually giving the provider more away ... don't beat around the bush, the likeliness of accidentally revealing the inner secrets of a clients business model, could perhaps seem like a danger ... but then again is it pretty usual that the inner efficiency in a business has a lot lower priority than the outer ditto.

Perhaps havn't you seen this yet, but often do businesses rely on the old saying "If it aint broke..." and we the developers on the other side, often are too biased in our view of what should be done and not. Far more IT projects flunk than survive, simply because the "Champions" who hire you to a project havn't asked neither the sponsor or the users what they think about actual changes to the business model.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1816660

So what you reveal is often nowhere close to what actually is going on ... your development could easily be based purely on hearsays and fixed ideas that doesn't work at all.

--sd

Edited August 2, 2009 by Guest

[ron G]

Wow. 7 replies and not a single 'answer'. I am guessing that there is no way to prevent a user form accessing a popup date field and typing in a date; ie, 1-1-2009 instead of using the popup.

[Søren Dyhr]

Your previous behaviour could have made many turn on "Ignore" ...however a way to accomplish what you might be after is to allow only the use of the button with the tiny calendar icon.

--sd

preventIllegalDates.zip