Any ideas? "New Button stays stubbornly in a Group"

[Philip Curtis]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum and new to FM-Pro14.  I have been knee-deep reading books and tutorial videos on it for 2-3 weeks so far.

I am stuck on a problem and I can not find any documentation.  I wonder if someone can help.  I am guess this is an easily solution and my beginner status is the problem <;

When I create a new button, or modify the existing button, it keeps reverting back to being part of a Group.  I have 'Arrange-->Ungroup' many times without success.  

When I go back to Browse mode and click the button, all fields are selected.

When I go to Layout mode and select the button alone, then select 'Arrange-->Ungroup' (it greys out-temporarily), the Right-Click and select 'Button Action'-'Single Step', I continually get a message saying the button is part of a group.

When I select all fields while in Layout mode and then select 'Arrange-->Ungroup', it is greyed out which tells me they are not part of a group.  But back in Browse mode selecting the button selects all fields.

I've been doings circles with this without resolution.  Whew!!

Is it possible I did something incorrectly when I first started by dragging all the fields at once onto the Layout from the Field Picker?

Thanks,

Phil

BTW, the problem is associated with this text:

Attach a button definition to an existing object or objects, like text or a field

Select the object(s) and choose Format menu > Button Setup. If you select multiple objects, select only objects that have no previous button definitions. FileMaker Pro groups the objects when you define them as a button. See Grouping and ungrouping objects.

If you attached a button definition to an existing object, you can only use an action for the button, so skip to step 5.

 

https://www.filemaker.com/help/14/fmp/en/html/create_layout.9.47.html

https://www.filemaker.com/help/14/fmp/en/html/edit_layout2.11.16.html#1192005

 

I have read and re-read these pages without resolution.

The message I get is the button can only be used for an action.  But I have not 'attached a button defination to an existing object'  Where can I see the status of this?

Am I on the right track here?

Thanks again,

Phil

Edited February 11, 2016 by Lee Smith
Changed the font to be more readable

[bruceR]

I suggest you attach an example file illustrating the problem.

If you use the native button tool, then this problem does not occur.

If you try to turn some other object; such a text block or field; and then convert it into a button; then you are getting the necessary and expected results. 

[Philip Curtis]

Hi Bruce,

 

Thanks for taking your time and helping out.  I apprecitae it.

I created the buttons using the button icon on the toolbar shown below.

[Lee Smith]

Hi Philip and welcome to the FMForums,

If I understanding you correctly, create a Style for the button that you are changing, and if you are going to use this style on other layouts, then create a new Theme?

If you don’t save these changes to either a new button style the button will revert to the Default Style and / or theme when you make changes to the layout.

I hope you can understand my brief explanation, the changes of Styles and Themes are hard to explain in just a few lines. There are however, plenty of blogs, and white paper on this subject.

Lee

[bruceR]

I don't see any buttons in your screenshot.

A screenshot is helpful but an example file or clone of your actual file would be more helpful.

Attached is a screenshot showing options for a button, set up in 14, and designed using the button tool.

Something is missing in your description.

[Lee Smith]

I think it would be better to have a copy of the file or a mockup showing the problem.

[Philip Curtis]

Hi,

I am finally back at my PC and here is the screenshot.

The Theme is 'Enlightened', the default.

I have not created, or done anything with Styles.

I am very new at FM, about a month.

I still can not set the button to anything, it just keeps going back to 'Do Nothing'

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Phil

Edited February 12, 2016 by Philip Curtis

[Lee Smith]

Philip,

Your screen shot isn’t providing much help, because we can’t actually see if you have attached a script. Hold on, I just notice the Button Setup window it shows that it is set to “Do Nothing"

The Arrange Menu is for working with layout objects, not scripts? 

What shows under Scripts (next to the Arrange)? 

It appears that you have an orphan button (i.e. no action assigned to it).

Lee

[Philip Curtis]

Hi,

 

I am just geeting back to this now, 8pm at night.  Busy day for me and I still have anchor schematics, elevator troubleshooting, and inventory pictures to do before I can get back to this, the fun stuff!  I read up on Themes and Styles last night and wrote some notes.  I haven't gotten to that part of the book yet so it seems I am a bit behind.  I'll get it, just not as quick as I would like.

Thanks for the help.

Phil

 

[Lee Smith]

 Hi Philip,

I think we’ve gone beyond the original question about Button formatting changing (Style). The more I see,  I’m now thinking that it was a question about providing a script step for the button. Perhaps this question actually belongs in Scripts? 

Did you read and understand my last post? I’m confused why I got three new screenshots relative to the button?

I see everything, but a script for the button “Email”.

 Lee

[Philip Curtis]

I was not trying to do a script, only a 'Single Step', 'Miscellaneous', 'Send Email'.

Phil

[Lee Smith]

 I’m sending you a private message, which I’m in the process of composing.

 

[Lee Smith]

7 minutes ago, Philip Curtis said:

to do a script, only a 'Single Step', 'Miscellaneous', 'Send Emai

A script is a script, weather or not it has one step or many. Look at the

Templates >> Contacts.fmp12 example that was included with your application.

Lee

[bruceR]

Actually, in FileMaker 14, you have the option to set a button to use a single script step, such as send Email; and then if you want, convert it into a script. Looks like Philip is almost there, and actually just needs to double click the step he has selected in the first image of his message from 2 hours ago. This would cause the script step to appear in the "type a step..." region.

But that said - I think is usually far better to actually go ahead and use Perform Script, thus allowing you to more easily edit or adapt or troubleshoot the script.

Edited February 13, 2016 by BruceR