Freeze Window

[Charity]

I search for it and find wayyyy too many posts which are just using it as part of a script or something but nowhere can I find information about this step itself. Filemaker help does not say when and when not this works. My reason for seaching...

I have several scripts which do a lot of things, going to different layouts, searching, sorting and even though I put Freeze Window at beginning, many times it still shows flashing and windows and I do not know what all because it is too fast.

So I add another Freeze Window down in the script. And this goes on. I do not want to stick them anywhere and besides it doesn't work anyway. Can anyone tell me what breaks the step? Do all subscripts? Do custom dialogs? New or changing Windows? I know layout changes themselves maintain the freeze, it is the other stuff that I do not know.

If I find out what breaks the step then I will know where in my scripts to add one back. I hope.

[Fitch]

From the help:

"Stops updating the active window."

So yes, changing windows would break it. Custom dialogs kind of goes without saying. A subscript would not necessarily break it.

[David Jondreau]

Don't forget Refresh Window[]!

If you add a new Freeze Window[] after FM refreshes, it will freeze there, not where you started from, which may not be desirable.

I recommend creating an offscreen window and doing all your script steps there and then closing it when you're done.

[Charity]

Thank you both, Fitch and David, for responding.

So if I have a custom dialog then I should always freeze the window again afterwards? SKIP PRIOR PLEASE. I DECIDED I DON'T WANT TO FREEZE AT LATER POINT. And this part, ""Stops updating the active window." I do not see that happening always. Here is one example I am working on please see file, it is easier to explain.

"Stops updating the active window"

Is not a window part of the active window? Sample shows the active window title changing after an immediate freeze window. There are other actions which 'show through' during script run which seem to fall through some logic crack. Even if I figure out how to do the off-screen action suggested by David, which I'm going to try as well as trying minimize windows, I still need to understand all of this.

Don't forget Refresh Window[]!

If you add a new Freeze Window[] after FM refreshes, it will freeze there, not where you started from, which may not be desirable.

I understand I think how another Freeze Window will freeze at new location and that is not good. But David, I do not understand your "Don't forget Refresh Window[]!" Would you be so kind as to explain a bit more why you made this reference here? Thank you for help.

windows.zip

[Charity]

I have been studying windows behavior and wonder why people never mention using Adjust Window[Hide]. It seems easier than moving windows off screen and it might use less ram? Are there reason I have never read a post using this script step?

It seems I must select a window before hiding or unhiding it but that appears to be the only disadvantage other than the window must have a name so you can specify by name which window to hide/unhide. Also can I stop the show window so user can not unhide them manually? Thank you.

If I have five windows off screen does it use more ram (or cache) than if I have five windows hidden? This is sample question so I understand which uses more ram. And I forgot to test yet, can I still work in windows if they are hidden such as looping in a script or setting a field if I select them first but leave them hidden?

Char

also I forgot. I notice that if you hide the last window in FileMaker it sometimes closes the program. This is not good at all so I will need to be careful about how to handle this Adjust Window.

Edited December 4, 2011 by Charity

[Vaughan]

I have been studying windows behavior and wonder why people never mention using Adjust Window[Hide]. It seems easier than moving windows off screen and it might use less ram? Are there reason I have never read a post using this script step?

Good suggestion. The issue of using less RAM is not significant IMHO, but being easier than moving windows off-screen is significant.

Can you test whether hiding a window causes the windows to de-maximize?

[Charity]

Hello Vaughan, thank you for assisting.

Yes, I had seen it would lose maximization but I do not have it in my design anyway. I use windows almost maximized by sizing. I tested and I can set a field when a window is hidden. Seems if I script Go To The Layout [] then it unhides the window. I need to find out more.

[Vaughan]

Ah, that might be the problem: once you try to use the hidden window, it un-hides.

Thanks for discussing. :D