Re: Input --- for the "Why Not?" Dept.

In article <5j8aqd$a25@panix2.panix.com>, mrh@panix.com (Michael Hoffman) wrote: >Am I missing something, or is this another instance of Informix not being >able to do the most simplistic things: > >(This is using I4mix v. 5.04 on an HP 9000 running UX 10.01) > >I have a VERY full input form. The user wants no more than 2 forms, so I >have to squeeze as much info as I can in limited space. This has led to >many "pop up" windows (windows with display arrays that the user pages >through and selects the appropriate data) with smaller display areas. >Most of the information passed from the display arrays to the main form >gets truncated on the screen, but the real data is OK. > >My problem arose when the users decided they need to free-type into one of >these fields. The screen has no more room for more lines, and the field is >only 40 characters displayed. The user nees 255 characters!!! > >The field is defined as: >{ >Detail: [a27 ] >} >table >x >attributes >a27 = x.detail > >Table x defines detail as Varchar(255,1). > >When the user is entering data into teh Detail line, Informix cuts them off >at the end of the line. How can I get Informix to continue entering on a >"scrolling" line? > We have a very similar requirement to yours (who doesn't). We've tackled it a little differently from the other suggestions put forward. Our method uses a sort of 'object' 4gl (a collection of 4 or 5 functions) which effectively allows one to provide the following functionality : 1. Allows user to add/delete/change upto 200 lines in an array (window pops up for add/change) 2. Returns a variable number of these lines (e.g. to print excerpts). 3. Returns the narration entered in formatted paragraphs of a variable width (i.e function concatenates, splits and right aligns text) 4. Allows searching for strings. 5. As we work in Arabic & English, narrations can be defaulted to either language. Narrations are stored in one table (row width 73 varchar - max size in a bordered window) with a 4-part index including rowno and narration type (so that an entity can have multiple 'free' narrations). Using this method, we have limited a policy's entry (which could need 4 A4 size pages to print) to 3 fairly neat screens with 7 or 8 calls to the narration functions. The users have taken to the method like camels to sand, and its use has proliferated way beyond our initial expectation (about 600 calls from various 4GLs to these functions). ---------------------- Rudy Fernandes GIC, Kuwait OL 7.20, 4Gl 6.04 ----------------------