FORM.LOAD()

Syntax

<FORM> as P = FORM.LOAD( Form_Name as C [, Style as C [, Window_Name as C [, Horizontal_Position as N [, Vertical_Position as N ]]]] )

Argument

 

Description

Form_Name

 V5

The name of the form to open. In the case where there are duplicate form names in the database, you can qualify the form name with the table name using this syntax: Form Name@Table Name. For example, if a database has a form called Customers for the Current_Customers and the Past_Customers tables, you can specify the form as: Customers@Current_Customers, or Customers@Past_Customers.

Style

 V5

Optional. Default = "Dialog". Determines the mode of the form.

  • "Popup" = Open the form as a popup window.

  • "Dialog"= Open the form as a modal dialog box.

If a form is opened using the "Popup" style, the following rules apply:

  • Xbasic does not pause, as it does in the case of "Dialog" style.

  • The window can be moved outside of the Alpha Five frame.

  • Alpha Five menus are not active (just like "Dialog" style).

  • The window is not modal. (unlike "Dialog" style).

  • The window is always on top of all other Alpha Five windows.

  • When Alpha Five opens the form it tries to name the window the same as the form name. If a previous instance of the form is already open, then Alpha Five will assign a unique name to the window by adding a digit to the end of the form name. You can explicitly assign the window name by specifying the Window name.

Window_Name

 V5

Not applicable.

Horizontal_Position

 V5

Optional. Default = "center". The horizontal position of the window. Possible values are:

  • "left"

  • "right"

  • "center"

  • "fill"

V6

"pixel_coordinate"

Vertical_Position

 V5

Optional. Default = "center". The vertical position of the window. Possible values are:

  • "top"

  • "bottom"

  • "center"

  • "fill"

V6

"pixel_coordinate"

Description

The FORM.LOAD() method loads Form_Name into memory and returns an object pointer. The form window is hidden. To display the window, you must use the <FORM>.SHOW() method. Use the FORM.LOAD() method rather than the FORM.VIEW() or FORM.VIEWQUERIED() methods when you want to manipulate objects on the form, or set form properties, before making the form window visible.

Supported By

Alpha Five Version 5 and Above

Limitations

Desktop applications only.

Examples

This script loads the Customer form into memory. It then sets the form's filter and order properties and then shows the form.

Form.load("customer")

:customer:Tables:customer.filter_expression = "State_prov = 'MA' "

:customer:Tables:customer.order_expression = "Company"

:customer:Tables:customer.query()

:customer.show()

:customer.activate()

This script does the same as the previous script. It uses object pointers rather than the object name.

dim frm as P

frm = Form.load("customer")

frm:Tables:customer.filter_expression = "State_prov = 'MA' "

frm:Tables:customer.order_expression = "Company"

frm:Tables:customer.query()

frm.show()

frm.activate()

This script does the same as the above two scripts, but it uses the FORM.VIEWQUERIED() method (introduced in V5).

filter = "State_prov = 'MA'"

order = "Company"

frm = Form.viewQueried("customer",filter,order)

Using the Dialog Style to Prepare a Form with Default Values

This technique allows you to prepare the form with default values before showing it to the user.

Note : You must end with the <FORM>.CLOSE() method or you will eventually run out of sessions.

dim frm as P

frm = form.load("DialogForm1","dialog")

' create a new record and set default values

frm.New_Record()

frm:Lastname.text = "Rabins"

frm:Firstname.text = "Selwyn"

' now show the form

frm.show()

' the user inputs values into the fields

' the user closes the form, but actually just hides it

'now, really close the form

frm.close()

Using the Dialog Style to Capture User Input

This script shows how to use a form bound to a "dummy" table to capture user input. The form fields are based on local variables. You could achieve the same effect with an Xdialog form.

Note : You must end with the <FORM>.CLOSE() method or you will eventually run out of sessions.

dim frm as P

frm = form.load("DialogForm1", "dialog")

' show the form - script will pause and wait till user 'closes' the form

frm.show()

' the user inputs values into the fields

' the user closes the form, but actually just hides it

' you can now read field values if you wish

lastname = frm:lastname.text

firstname = frm:firstname.txt

'now, really close the form

frm.close()

See Also

Form Functions and Methods