🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Jul27.132231.19873@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>  
ede978e@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Robert D. Nicholson) writes:
> The rtf says this.
> 
> FormCell
> 
> A mouse click event in an entry starts text editing in that entry.  A mouse  
>click event outside the Form or a RETURN key event while editing an entry  
>causes the action of the entry to be sent to the target of the entry if there  
>is such an action; otherwise the action of the Form is sent to the target of  
>the Form.
> 
> I have a form and one of the formCells connected to a validateField method. I  
>have a number of buttons which are enabled only if the fields are valid.  When  
>I type in the formcell (not pressing return) or click into another cell or  
>even _OUTSIDE_ the form the action is not sent. WHY!!!!!.
> 
> When I press return the action is sent as it should be.
> 
> Am I missing something here?

I am curious about this as well. Please post responses. If users are entering
info into a number of text fields and never hit return, it will look to them
as if all their data entry is completed. Problem is the fields will never
even have  been read by the program because nothing has caused the  
'validateField' method mentioned above to run.

Nader Sahyouni
Northwestern Univ. Med. School
xns@nwu.edu

In article <1992Jul27.132231.19873@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>  
ede978e@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Robert D. Nicholson) writes:

> I have a form and one of the formCells connected to a validateField  
method. I have a number of buttons which are enabled only if the fields  
are valid.  When I type in the formcell (not pressing return) or click  
into another cell or even _OUTSIDE_ the form the action is not sent.  
WHY!!!!!.
> 
Because this object is braindead.  8^)

Seriously, only an actual <CR> forces the action method. This is a Bad  
Thing, because I have watched many users not bother to hit any field  
movement key after they finish typing a field. If the next thing they hit  
is the Save button, the last field never gets a chance to validate.

For what you want, the matrix which contains the FormCells must have a  
text delegate, and then you must use the delegate methods (textWillEnd:,  
textDidGetKeys:, etc.) to validate as they type. Even with this procedure,  
the delegate methods seems to jump off at different points depending on  
whether the keyboard (Tab, Shift-Tab, etc.) or the mouse is used to  
trigger the next field. The bottom line is, only textDidGetKeys: and  
textDidEnd: are reliable indicators of keystrokes and field movement under  
all circumstances.

--
Gregory H. Anderson          | "We're very tolerant around here,
Benevolent Dictator-for-Life |  being only amateurs ourselves."
Anderson Financial Systems   | - Tortoise (Godel, Escher, Bach)
greg@afs.com  (Nextmail OK)  | 

In article <1992Jul27.132231.19873@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>  
ede978e@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Robert D. Nicholson) writes:
> I have a form and one of the formCells connected to a validateField  
method. I have a number of buttons which are enabled only if the fields  
are valid.  When I type in the formcell (not pressing return) or click  
into another cell or even _OUTSIDE_ the form the action is not sent.  
WHY!!!!!.
>
Because this object is braindead.  8^)

Seriously, only an actual <CR> forces the action method. This is a Bad  
Thing, because I have watched many users not bother to hit any field  
movement key after t hey finish typing in a field. If the next thing they  
hit is the Save button, the last field never gets a chance to validate.  
IMHO, any inter-field movement should trigger the action method.

For what you want, the Matrix which contains the FormCells must have a  
text delegate, and you must use the text delegate methods (textWillEnd:,  
textDidGetKeys:, etc.) to validate as they type. Even with this procedure,  
the delegate methods seem to jump off at different points depending on  
whether the keyboard or the mouse was used to instigate the field  
movement. Bottom line, the action method is not reliable.

--
Gregory H. Anderson          | "We're very tolerant around here,
Benevolent Dictator-for-Life |  being only amateurs ourselves."
Anderson Financial Systems   | - Tortoise (Godel, Escher, Bach)
greg@afs.com  (Nextmail OK)  | 

In article <1992Jul27.132231.19873@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>  
ede978e@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Robert D. Nicholson) writes:
> A mouse click event in an entry starts text editing in that entry.  A 
mouse click event outside the Form or a RETURN key event while editing an 
entry causes the action of the entry to be sent to the target of the entry 
if there is such an action; otherwise the action of the Form is sent to 
the target of the Form.

Because this object is braindead.  8^)

Seriously, only an actual <CR> forces the action method. This is a Bad  
Thing, because I have watched many users not bother to hit any field  
movement key after t hey finish typing in a field. If the next thing they  
hit is the Save button, the last field never gets a chance to validate.  
IMHO, any inter-field movement should trigger the action method.

For what you want, the Matrix which contains the FormCells must have a  
text delegate, and you must use the text delegate methods (textWillEnd:,  
textDidGetKeys:, etc.) to validate as they type. Even with this procedure,  
the delegate methods seem to jump off at different points depending on  
whether the keyboard or the mouse was used to instigate the field  
movement. Bottom line, the action method is not reliable.

--
Gregory H. Anderson          | "We're very tolerant around here,
Benevolent Dictator-for-Life |  being only amateurs ourselves."
Anderson Financial Systems   | - Tortoise (Godel, Escher, Bach)
greg@afs.com  (Nextmail OK)  | 

In article <1992Jul27.132231.19873@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>  
ede978e@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Robert D. Nicholson) writes:
> 
> I have a form and one of the formCells connected to a validateField  
method. I have a number of buttons which are enabled only if the fields  
are valid.  When I type in the formcell (not pressing return) or click  
into another cell or even _OUTSIDE_ the form the action is not sent.  
WHY!!!!!.
> 

Because this object is braindead.  8^)

Seriously, only an actual <CR> forces the action method. This is a Bad  
Thing, because I have watched many users not bother to hit any field  
movement key after t hey finish typing in a field. If the next thing they  
hit is the Save button, the last field never gets a chance to validate.  
IMHO, any inter-field movement should trigger the action method.

For what you want, the Matrix which contains the FormCells must have a  
text delegate, and you must use the text delegate methods (textWillEnd:,  
textDidGetKeys:, etc.) to validate as they type. Even with this procedure,  
the delegate methods seem to jump off at different points depending on  
whether the keyboard or the mouse was used to instigate the field  
movement. Bottom line, the action method is not reliable.

--
Gregory H. Anderson          | "We're very tolerant around here,
Benevolent Dictator-for-Life |  being only amateurs ourselves."
Anderson Financial Systems   | - Tortoise (Godel, Escher, Bach)
greg@afs.com  (Nextmail OK)  | 

One area where NeXT Responders are deficient, is that TextFields can
be TAB'ed through, and your delegate methods will never be the wiser,
if no change to the field occurs.  Otherwise, Greg Anderson is
correct, that text delegates can handle most of your validation
requirements.
-- 
Geoffrey S. Knauth, Marble Associates, Inc.                Member BCS-NeXT, LPF
gsk@marble.com, (617) 891-5555 work, (617) 547-5247 home   Standard Disclaimers