Forms 6i and required fields

[Scott Mattes]

Forms [32 Bit] Version 6.0.8.11.3 (Production)
Oracle8i Enterprise Edition Release 8.1.7.2.0 - Production
With the Partitioning option
JServer Release 8.1.7.2.0 - Production
Oracle Toolkit Version 6.0.5.35.0 (Production)
PL/SQL Version 8.0.6.0.0 (Production)
Oracle Procedure Builder V6.0.8.11.0 Build #449 - Production
PL/SQL Editor (c) WinMain Software (www.winmain.com), v1.0 (Production)
Oracle Query Builder 6.0.7.0.0 - Production
Oracle Virtual Graphics System Version 6.0.5.35.0 (Production)
Oracle Tools GUI Utilities Version 6.0.5.35.0 (Production)
Oracle Multimedia Version 6.0.5.34.0 (Production)
Oracle Tools Integration Version 6.0.8.10.2 (Production)
Oracle Tools Common Area Version 6.0.5.32.1
Oracle CORE Version 4.0.6.0.0 - Production

Is there some way to put up a message to the user when a required field is
null? Right now all it does is move the cursor to the field and that isn't
very friendly for our use. It totally ignores the when-validate-item trigger
code until there is a value in the field.

Thank you.

[Daniel Morgan]

Scott Mattes wrote:

Be proactive. Make required fields a different background or promopt color. Then
they will know which ones must be filled in without having to be bothered with
error messages.

Daniel Morgan

[Scott Mattes]

The required fields are already a different color, for this particular
canvas there are 3 per record (first 2 items and last item) and 10 records
are displayed. The customer has already set in stone the GUI.

When the cursor goes back to the null required field it is right next to the
left boundary of the field, which makes it hard to see. Since no error/info
msg comes up the user has to look around, instead of focusing directly on
the problem. If the buttons were turned on/off based on available actions
then this would be less of a problem, but that isn't how they want it.

"Daniel Morgan" <dmo...@exesolutions.com> wrote in message
news:3DC81093...@exesolutions.com...

[Martin Doherty]

I disagree with your statement that no error/info msg comes up. The standard Forms behaviour is to display the message 'FRM-40202: Field must be entered' on the message line at the bottom of the window (admittedly not exactly in ya face, but it IS there).

I googled for FRM 40202 and the very first hit was to a tip from the Malaysia Oracle User Society which precisely addresses your problem.
http://www.myoug.org/ora-entered.html

Identify Which "Field must be Entered"

Henk Rook

If Oracle Forms issues a "FRM-40202 Field must be entered" error, it's sometimes hard to find the cursor. You can change the background color of the item to red after Oracle Forms comes up with the "FRM-40202". If the user moves out of the item after he or she has entered a value, the color changes back to the old color.

Here's the code I used in our message procedure (called from the ON-ERROR and ON-MESSAGE triggers in the form). You have to define the visual attribute REQUIRED_ITEM in the form or in the resource file. Of course, l_msg_code and l_current_item are declared in the declaration section of the message procedure.

IF l_msg_code = 'FRM-40202' THEN
   l_current_item :=
      NAME_IN('SYSTEM.CURRENT_BLOCK')||'.'||
      NAME_IN('SYSTEM.CURRENT_ITEM');
   DISPLAY_ITEM(l_current_item,'REQUIRED_ITEM');
   SYNCHRONIZE;
   DISPLAY_ITEM(l_current_item, 
      GET_ITEM_PROPERTY(l_current_item,
      VISUAL_ATTRIBUTE));
END IF;

[Alan Mills]

"Scott Mattes" <Sc...@TheMattesFamily.ws> wrote in message
news:GLSx9.6568$6g.23...@news1.news.adelphia.net...

This test for a null value is made BEFORE any written code kicks in. One
way around your problem is to leave all fields as NULL ALLOWED and write
When-Validate-Items triggers and When-validate-record triggers to catch a
null value. This way you code the test and can produce whatever error you
like, over-riding the default message on the status bar.