I have a database with a form with a Text List Object. When I do a search from the menu, the Text List Object does not update to show just the results of the search. Is this the way that it should be?
Also, if I have been clicking on the Text List Object, Select All does not work. I have to click somewhere else first.
Yes, the Text List object displays data independently of searches done with the Find/Select dalog.
Yes, I can duplicate that, that is probably a bug. The keyboard is active in a text list, the up and down arrows work, and you can optionally enable it so that pressing letter keys jumps to a spot in the list. So I’ll have to think about whether Command-A can somehow do select all in the list (that may not be possible), or if it should do a regular Select-All.
The Text List Object not updating is unfortunate. I would not use it as an interface item for an uninitiated user, then. Is there some way to force the Text List to update?
I guess I didn’t explain this clearly. This is not unfortunate, it is a huge feature. The text list is designed to be independent of the Find/Select dialog. The text list object itself has built in searching, which you can set up custom for your specific application. This is great for an uninitiated user, because you can set up a specific custom search UI for your application, so that the user never needs to use the Find/Select dialog.
I’ve recently been working on a file for a new demo video that illustrates this. This file uses a Matrix rather than a Text List, but in this regard these two types of object work completely identically. The form includes a custom search panel built in to the form to specify what airports should be displayed. In this example the custom search can be by name, by location, by activity, or by elevation (or a combination). It’s designed to be very easy to use with no training. The matrix updates immediately as changes are made to the search panel. (By the way, the Find/Selet dialog includes a quite ordinary Text List object to display the preview of the search results.)
Of course it did take about 2-3 hours to set up this panel, but I think it’s worth it if you are creating an application for truly uninitiated users. This page in the help explains how to set up this sort of panel (if searching for this in the Help, the title is Text List Searching).
However, if you just want a basic search, without all these extra fancy option, the List / Matrix constructor will build everything needed for you automatically. See Text List Constructor under the heading Making the List Searchable.
If you have access to the Panorama X training videos, this topic is covered in great detail.
However, with all that said — if you really really want the Text List to display the same selection as the data sheet, it’s very easy to do. Just set the query formula to info("visible"). You do want to make sure the Database Navigator option is enabled and the Database is set to ~. With those settings, the list will show the current selection, and it will automatically update when the selection changes. I just tested this to make sure I was giving you good info, and it worked perfectly.
info(“visible”) worked for my purposes. I have been using a Text List to navigate through 172 records where there is more data than fits on one line, and I want to be able to navigate through just the subset that I have selected, without the rest of the records being visible. Without info(“visible”), I still see a conflict if the Search menu is visible when someone is doing what I am doing.
I am sorry if I have not been able to follow all of the videos. I literally inherited the management of the Oakland Municipal Band this year. My late predecessor did not prepare me for all the things that I need to do before our season starts Tuesday, and new problems crop up every few hours, so I have not been able to spend much time learning all of these new things in Panorama. It is all I can do to learn what I need to learn out of necessity. That requires asking questions.
I agree that having a text list display independent of selected records is a huge feature. It’s very useful.
Having an option is even more useful!
