Scripting- Button to hide text/merge feild

[Davisla58]

Hello, 

 

First I would like to say thanks for taking the time to read over my post. I appreciate any tips anyone can give me. If I have placed this in the wrong section apologies, I wasn't sure if this would be a scripting question or a conditional formatting question. 

 

A quick explanation of what I am trying to achieve: 

I am currently working on a project having to do with properties (just to give a better idea of how I wish to use this). I have created a merge fields/text area that will display when annual taxes are due for a particular property as follows:

"Taxes due <<TaxDate>>. Estimated amount due: <<TaxEstimate>>." 

This area is set-up with conditional formatting to appear annually for the months of December, and February (since taxes are due March 1st every year), until 30 days after the due date. Before or after this 90 day period the text is "invisible". 

 

I would like to create a "Paid" button, that when clicked will make the text be unseen. So say the payment was made on February 2nd, one would click the button and the text would vanish so someone doesn't think there is still and outstanding balance due.

 

I have tinkered with this for a few days and can't seem to get the result I want without clearing the actual text area, which of course is not idea.  

 

If anyone has any ideas I would love some feedback. 

 

Thanks again for looking over my post. If you need any additional information please let me know. 

 

[flutegirl]

When the user clicks the "Paid" button, will you be populating a field to notate that the account was paid for that year?

 

If so, you should be able to add a criteria to the conditional formatting to show the text area if dates are within range AND Paid is blank or less than a value, or something.

 

(Of course, that means you'd have to have some intelligence built in so an account marked paid for this year doesn't remain marked paid next year.)

[eos]

Are these two fields (that you reference in the merge object) stored directly in the Properties table, and do you (plan to) overwrite them each year?

 

Where would you want to store the paid status? You mention a button, but no field to set; and how would you know which year the paid status does apply to?

 

I wasn't sure if this would be a scripting question or a conditional formatting question.

 

As you see, this may be a data model problem. Maybe consider using a related table for paymentsDue (for taxes, and maybe other categories, too; with fields for dateDue, amount, paid? etc.)?!

[Davisla58]

Okay, I have it figured out. eos you were absolutely right it was an issue with data modeling. After creating a related table for taxes I was able to achieve what I was after. 

 

I took away the merged fields and opted to use a portal to display the fields: Due Date, Estimate, and Paid. 

 

I used conditional formatting to control the fields so they are not visible 61 days before the due date, or 30 days after. I scripted a button to insert a calculated value into the paid field, " [estimate] Paid [year]" (Example: 376.59 Paid 2014), which is then put into a log to hold paid information on the property that is non-editable in data entry mode, and will record each year as opposed to over writing the value, then prompts the due date field to set to the next year. Overall causing the text to white out until the following year until 60 days before the due date.

 

I've uploaded an example for anyone else that might possibly want to use it.  Or if anyone has any better ideas or improvements I will gladly take them.

 

Thanks so much for the replies, I really appreciate those who took the time to answer my post. 

Taxes.zip