The @when user key function/feature....

[John Esak]

The consistency thing is really important, I agree.  I've tried to implement
F8/F9 for move up and move down on various screens that hold "lines" or
"row" of information.  (It's kind of 	 bad that F3/F4 couldn't carry their
functionality through to the runtime field level, but of course this doesn't
really *mean* anything in a runtime program. So, it's just a fluke that
these keys do the same thing in filePro.)

Well, anyway, after a long time I stopped using F8/F9 and just picked the F9
key itself to do this fun function for both up and down.  It basically
prompts that when it is allowable to push lines down or pull lines up to hit
the F9 key.  At that point I use the actual UP and Down arrow keys  "CRUP"
and "CDWN" to instigate the move. It's much more intuitive and it gives the
user a chance to kind of see and understand what happens before it actually
happens. I get to put a bit more prompting and description on the screen,
etc.  Usually, moving a bunch of rows up or down just means indexing into an
array one down or one up... If the screen array is simply visual.  If it is
real (maybe even updateable) fields, then it's a matter of physically moving
the data up and down in the array(s) overlaid on them up and down.  Either
way, it gives the illations of being in a word processor more than a
database. 

I'll talk about this more if anyone asks... But the intriguing thing about
the @wuk  feature is where you actually *are* in processing when it starts,
while it's going, and when it ends, plus where are you physically left when
it ends. This is critical for it looking and working like a nice thing
should. Often, this means SKIP'ing to the next field, or indexing into the
field you were in as many characters in as you were when they pressed the
@wuk key.  All in all, it is a nifty, fantastic feature, but doing it and
keeping your @when leaving/entering stuff all functioning correctly, too, is
sometimes interesting. 

John
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-
=valar.com at lists.celestial.com 
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces+john=valar.com at lists.celestial.co
> m] On Behalf Of Craig Tooker
> Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:21 PM
> To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> Subject: Re: The @when user key function/feature....
> 
> 
> On 10/27/10 14:15, John Esak wrote:
> > @wukNNN - F3, F4, F8, F9
> >
> > So how many people use this great function?
> >
> Thanks for keeping us on topic John.
> 
> I use this feature on invoicing/cms applications to manage addresses 
> with the F8 key.  In @entsel I trap F8 and on screens I use the @wuk* 
> construct to call up editing screens or browses for addresses (ship 
> to/bill to).
> 
> The user knows that the F8 key will display/manage client addresses, 
> phone numbers, email addresses and the like.
> 
> It's another way to keep the user interface consistent across an 
> application.
> 
> Craig
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