Tab in WORDWRAP fields

[Doug Lawry]

HP-UX B.11.11 / INFORMIX-4GL 7.30.HC6

We have found a 4GL bug in which actual tab characters can be inserted into a
screen field and subsequently into the database. It only happens under exactly
the following conditions:

1) The field is multi-line (defined as WORDWRAP on the form)
2) Character insertion mode is active (Ctrl-A key)
3) Tab is pressed

There are 88 forms affected, so I really want a generic fix so I don't have to
put in a work-around in all the 4GL modules. Any ideas?

Also posted to: clas...@iiug.org

--
Regards,
Doug Lawry
www.douglawry.webhop.org

[Claus Samuelsen]

Doug Lawry wrote:
> HP-UX B.11.11 / INFORMIX-4GL 7.30.HC6

Time to upgrade? 4GL 7.30 has end-of-service Sept. 30, 2005

>
> We have found a 4GL bug in which actual tab characters can be inserted into a
> screen field and subsequently into the database. It only happens under exactly
> the following conditions:
>
> 1) The field is multi-line (defined as WORDWRAP on the form)
> 2) Character insertion mode is active (Ctrl-A key)
> 3) Tab is pressed

If this is a bug, you should report it to IBM Informix support.

[Doug Lawry]

If you would like to try it, the following test module and form
demonstrates the problem:

________________
__| tab_insert.4gl |___________________________________

MAIN

DEFINE l_contents CHAR(100)

OPTIONS MESSAGE LINE 6, PROMPT LINE 8

DISPLAY "Press Ctrl-A, Tab and Esc" AT 1, 1

OPEN FORM f_main FROM "tab_insert"
DISPLAY FORM f_main

INPUT l_contents FROM screen_record.*

IF l_contents MATCHES "*[^ -~]*" THEN
MESSAGE "Bug exists"
ELSE
MESSAGE "This 4GL version is OK"
END IF

PROMPT "Press any key to exit "
FOR CHAR l_contents

END MAIN

________________
__| tab_insert.per |___________________________________

DATABASE FORMONLY

SCREEN

{
[a ]
[a ]
}

ATTRIBUTES

a = FORMONLY.a, WORDWRAP;

INSTRUCTIONS

SCREEN RECORD screen_record (a)
_______________________________________________________

I would be interested to know whether this is fixed in 7.31 or 7.32.
Depending on the result, I will upgrade or request a patch.

--
Regards,
Doug Lawry
www.douglawry.webhop.org

"Doug Lawry" <la...@nildram.co.uk> wrote in message
news:d0kd94$ilg$1...@nntp0.reith.bbc.co.uk...

[rode...@argon.org]

I know it's 15 years later and this is the ultimate necropost.

Here in 2020 I'm having the same problem with tabs in wordwrap fields in a 4gl form (but for me it happens in both insert and overwrite modes). Did anybody ever come up with anything regarding it? I'm using 4gl version 7.51.FC1XD.

Thanks!

Roderick Schertler

[rode...@argon.org]

Mostly answering my question as stated I found this on page 4-186 of the 4gl
reference manual (version 7.32, 4gl statements > statement descriptions > input
multiple-segment fields):

TAB enters a TAB character in insert mode and moves the cursor to the next
tab stop. This action can cause following text to jump right to align at a
tab stop. In typeover mode, this key moves the cursor to the next tab stop
that falls on an intentional character, going to the next field segment if
required.

What I was really looking for was a way to override this behavior. "on key
(tab)" works in other fields but not the word-wrapped one.

- Roderick