How-to: ACTIVATE

Example 1

Task

We have a defined logic for books and categories. A form has been created with a list of books categorized.

REQUIRE Time;

CLASS Category 'Category';
name 'Name' = DATA ISTRING[50] (Category) IN id;

CLASS Book 'Book';
name 'Name' = DATA ISTRING[50] (Book) IN id;

category 'Category' = DATA Category (Book) NONULL;
nameCategory 'Category' (Book b) = name(category(b));

FORM book 'Book'
    OBJECTS b = Book PANEL
    PROPERTIES(b) name, nameCategory

    EDIT Book OBJECT b
;

FORM books 'Books'
    OBJECTS c = Category
    PROPERTIES(c) READONLY name
    PROPERTIES(c) NEWSESSION NEW, EDIT, DELETE

    OBJECTS b = Book
    PROPERTIES(b) READONLY name
    FILTERS category(b) == c
;

NAVIGATOR {
    NEW books;
}

We need to create an action that creates a new book, automatically assigns it to the current category and then makes this book active once the user saves and closes the form.

Solution

createBook 'Create book' (Category c)  {
    NEWSESSION {
        NEW newBook = Book {
            category(newBook) <- c;
            DIALOG book OBJECTS b = newBook INPUT DO {
                ACTIVATE books.b = newBook;
            }
        }
    }
}

EXTEND FORM books
    PROPERTIES(c) createBook DRAW b TOOLBAR
;

After closing the form, we need to call the ACTIVATE operator which will make the added object active.

Example 2

Task

Similar to Example 1. We have also added the customer logic. The user can set a price for each customer and book in the dedicated form.

CLASS Customer 'Customer';
name 'Name' = DATA ISTRING[50] (Customer) IN id;

price 'Price' = DATA NUMERIC[14,2] (Customer, Book);

FORM prices 'Prices'
    OBJECTS c = Customer PANEL
    PROPERTIES(c) name SELECTOR

    OBJECTS b = Book
    PROPERTIES name(b) READONLY, price(c, b)
;

NAVIGATOR {
    NEW prices;
}

We need to add a default customer whose data will be populated when the user opens the form.

Solution

defaultCustomer 'Default customer' = DATA Customer ();
nameDefaultCustomer 'Default customer' () = name(defaultCustomer());

EXTEND FORM options PROPERTIES() nameDefaultCustomer;
DESIGN options { commons { MOVE PROPERTY(nameDefaultCustomer()); } }

EXTEND FORM prices
    EVENTS ON INIT { ACTIVATE prices.c = defaultCustomer(); }
;

The property with the default customer is added to the 'Settings' form on the 'General' tab. The current object will change once the user opens the form, since the ON INIT event will be triggered.

Example 3

Task

Let's assume that we have a report form for which a date range is specified.

FORM report 'Report'
    OBJECTS dFrom = DATE PANEL, dTo = DATE PANEL
    PROPERTIES VALUE(dFrom), VALUE(dTo)
;

NAVIGATOR {
    NEW report;
}

We need to create buttons that will modify the interval to the last week, current month or last month.

Solution

setReportLastWeek 'Last week' ()  {
    ACTIVATE report.dFrom = subtract(currentDate(), 7);
    ACTIVATE report.dTo = subtract(currentDate(), 1);
}
setReportCurrentMonth 'Current month' ()  {
    ACTIVATE report.dFrom = firstDayOfMonth(currentDate());
    ACTIVATE report.dTo = lastDayOfMonth(currentDate());
}
setReportLastMonth 'Last month' ()  {
    ACTIVATE report.dFrom = firstDayOfMonth(subtract(firstDayOfMonth(currentDate()), 1));
    ACTIVATE report.dTo = subtract(firstDayOfMonth(currentDate()), 1);
}

EXTEND FORM report
    PROPERTIES() setReportLastWeek, setReportCurrentMonth, setReportLastMonth
;

Date properties can be found in the Time system module which is loaded at the very beginning using the REQUIRE statement.

Example 4

Task

When the user opens a report form, the focus must land directly on the start-date input so that a date can be typed without clicking first.

FORM report 'Report'
    OBJECTS dFrom = DATE PANEL, dTo = DATE PANEL
    PROPERTIES VALUE(dFrom), VALUE(dTo)
;

Solution

EXTEND FORM report
    EVENTS ON INIT { ACTIVATE PROPERTY report.dFrom; }
;

On form open, the ON INIT event fires and the ACTIVATE operator moves focus to the dFrom field. ACTIVATE PROPERTY works for any property displayed on the form — panel, grid, and tree alike.

Example 5

Task

A CRM form has two tabs — 'Customers' and 'Orders'. After a new order is created, the form must automatically switch to the 'Orders' tab and select the new order.

CLASS Customer 'Customer';
name 'Name' = DATA ISTRING[50] (Customer);

CLASS Order 'Order';
number 'Number' = DATA INTEGER (Order);
customer 'Customer' = DATA Customer (Order);

FORM crm 'CRM'
    OBJECTS c = Customer
    PROPERTIES(c) name

    OBJECTS o = Order
    PROPERTIES(o) number, nameCustomer = name(customer(o))
;

DESIGN crm {
    NEW tabs FIRST {
        tabbed = TRUE;
        NEW customersTab { caption = 'Customers'; MOVE BOX(c); }
        NEW ordersTab { caption = 'Orders'; MOVE BOX(o); }
    }
}

Solution

createOrder 'Create order' (Customer c)  {
    NEW o = Order {
        customer(o) <- c;
        ACTIVATE TAB crm.ordersTab;
        ACTIVATE crm.o = o;
    }
}

EXTEND FORM crm
    PROPERTIES(c) createOrder
;

ACTIVATE TAB switches the tab panel to 'Orders', after which ACTIVATE crm.o = o sets the newly created order as the current object.