[Solved] How to set up a form for multiple records?

[beginner2010]

Hi experts,
It's probably a dumb beginner question. How do I set up a form that displays a list of multiple records of a data source on the same screen (such as all rows in a table)? What I'm searching for is not a datasheet view. I would like to see all record at once, and each in a freely definable design, e.g. "columnar arrangement".
Have a nice new year!
Igor

[Villeroy]

The general idea of Base forms is to restict the design to what the form developer wanted to confront the user with, just like the HTML form I'm typing into right now.
While working with any form, you can hit the last button of toolbar "Form Navigation" and get a grid view on the form's content with the same types of controls as in the form page.
Then there is a more explicit table control (TB "Form Controls"->Button "More Controls"->"Table Control"). That one allows the user to rearrange the order of columns. The order of rows can be set at any time using the sort buttons.

[beginner2010]

Thank you! Does that mean it is not possible to show all records of a table at once in a non-table, non-datasheet manner? What I have in mind is something like the following example for a table with 3 records.

Code: Select all   Expand viewCollapse view

            __________               __________
Given Name |_Anton____|     Surname |_Müller___|   
            __________
Age        |_14_______|

            __________               __________
Given Name |_Berta____|     Surname |_Miller___|   
            __________
Age        |_16_______|

            __________               __________
Given Name |_Cecilio__|     Surname |_Maler____|   
            __________
Age        |_15_______|


[Villeroy]

No, this layout is impossible in Base. Databases can have millions of rows. Imagine the load time.

[beginner2010]

Thanks again for your response, Villeroy!

Some thoughts:
- not all applications work with millions of rows. In a billing system e.g. items per invoice won't exceed a reasonable number and it would be useful to be able to edit them all at once (with all features a custom form design can offer, such as checkboxes and list boxes etc.)
- if load time isn't an issue for huge datasheet/table views, why would it be for basically the same thing, but with custom row layout.
- I think what I am seeking is possible in MS Access : with the division of forms into "head", "detail" and "foot" you can define any design in "detail" and it will be repeated for each record

If no-one else has any suggestion for me I would like to close this thread and file a bug report/enhancement request.

[Villeroy]

The difference between Access and Base amounts to a multi-millions dollar budget, spent more than a decade before Base was introduced. No more than 5 people constitute the core of Base developers (I don't know exactly, but they are a tiny group)

[eremmel]

The only way to handle a list of records is via a Table Control (grid). You can enhance a column of table control by making it a List Box, etc. Not all control types are possible. This might be an alternative for your approach. When you right click the header column of a table control in design mode you can change the default field control with 'Replace with...'. The possibilities might be sufficient for an acceptable result.

[det]

I played around with Table Controls (TC) in Forms and found out:
1. You can put only one TC into the same Form
2. The second TC has to go into a Sub-Form, unless it is linked to the same Table or Query as the first TC.

Wouldn't that solve you problem? You have two Tables on the same screen, where you can enter your data.
If you don't have millions of records, you can put a few ListBoxes to save typing as suggested by eremmel.
Hope that helps. Det

[Villeroy]

You can put any amount of table controls into the same form, subform, sub-subform, sub-sub-subform ...

[det]

Sorry, I don't understand. Your TableControl.odt shows 4 Forms (2 Main and 2 Subs) not one.
As I understand it you have 4 Forms on one screen. Am I correct?
Let me quote from BaseHandbook.pdf:
"A Form in Base is a structure invisible to the user. It serves within Base to allow contact with the database."
"What is visible to the user is the set of Controls, which serve for the entry or display of text, numbers, and so on. These controls are divided by the GUI into various types."
Det

[Villeroy]

It is one form document with 2 logical main forms in pink and blue having 2 subforms in yellow and green, each (sub)form with 2 visible table controls which gives 8 table controls.
The form navigator (see screenshot on the form) makes logical forms visible. You can use this tool to access elements conveniently by means of right-click. You can also use it to move forms and form controls by means of drag&drop. menu:View>Toolbars>Form Desigh, button #5 shows the form navigator.
The root of the hierarchy is always the "Forms" container appearing on top of the form navigator. In this example there are 2 independent main forms attached to the forms container.

Table controls are not linked to any record set or fields. They do bundle other types of form controls. In this example each table control bundles only one text box (normally you would put both of them in one table control). The abstract form is linked to some record set and the text box is linked to one field in that table. The function of the table control is to let each contained data control show more data from above and below the current record. "Normal" form controls not bundled in table controls show data from the current record only.

[det]

Thank you for the explanations. It cleared up my understanding. It also highlighted the misunderstanding.
The name "Form" has two meanings:
1. The Screen you create by pressing Forms and "Create Form in Design.." or "Wizard..." in Database
2. The Form in the Form Navigator (You call logical?)

I am referring to the second meaning only.
With the Form Navigator you can create many Forms that you can fill with Controls, which you see on the screen.
You can check which item belongs to which Form by clicking it. If you click the item on the screen,
it is highlighted in the Form Navigator and vice versa.

Now to my original Point.
You can put many repetitive Controls into one single Form but you can put only one TableControl.
The second TableControl has to put into another Form.

[Villeroy]

Click through the table controls on my form document. There are always 2 table controls in sync because they refer to the same record set represented by the same logical form. The same form can have many table controls. However, I don't know how this could be useful. Normally, a form has only one table control.

[det]

I agree, there can be more than one TableControl (TC) in one Form, but only if they refer to the same record set, as I said in my first statement. Otherwise the Form Navigator creates a new Form no matter what I tried. Det