Format based on mode?

[Wickerman]

Hi -- I have a Sub-summary List View layout in which I want to display the data with merge fields formatted as buttons so that the user can navigate to Form Views of various individual records of their choice.

I want to enable users to do a Find on one of these fields, which I would like top put in the Header part. I know how to allow entry only in Find mode, fine, but I don't want the Field box to display any data when in browse mode -- just have the box appear empty.

Is there a way of achieving this? Is there such a thing as conditional formatting based on "mode" -- so that in Browse I would make it invisible but in Find it would be visible as the user types?

Suggestions for approaching this situation in other ways also welcome!

thanks

[Vaughan]

Conditional formatting can be based on mode -- use the Get( WindowMode ) function -- but conditional formatting only works on text objects, and it only changes the text formatting. It cannot hide fields or buttons.

There is a portal invisibility trick to hide fields and buttons, but I don't think that will help you here.

Navigating from a list view to a form view only requires changing the layout; or if you want to get fancy, opening a new window and changing the layout. It's not hard, so don't over-think the problem.

I use separate browse and find layouts in my solutions, and use the OnModeEnter trigger to switch between them seamlessly. The find layout has all the buttons and ephemera removed that are superfluous in Find mode, such as those to delete portal rows and run script to print. I also change the background colour to remind people they aren't in Kanas any more.

[Wickerman]

Thanks Vaughan -- these were *hugely* helpful suggestions.