Details of how Filter By Form works

[Danny]

I'm trying to use Filter By Form in some applications for several projects,
and the more I use this functionality, the more it baffles me. For instance:

- When a form is displayed as FilterByForm, clicking to close the form
doesn't close it - it changes it from FBF view to normal form view

- Command buttons are disabled on the form when viewed as FBF

- Non-search fields - for instance, a field in the form footer - are
disabled, so that a value can't be assigned to those fields while FBF is in
force

Is there a document out there that explains just how a form in FBF behaves,
and how to work with such a beast?

Thanks.

Danny

 

[Allen Browne]

FBF is a bit of a fudge. It is designed purely for entering criteria to
filter the form.

Once you enter the criteria, it switches back to the previous view (as you
found.) Since you are *only* entering criteria, no code runs at all (that
includes command buttons), and no other controls are available.

In addition to the problems you mentioned, FBF doesn't work at all in
runtime.

It's so limited, that you would be better off designing your own filtering
system that's more obvious, intuitive, and appropriate to the particular
form you are designing.

If you're not sure how to do that, download the example from this article:
Search form - Handle many optional criteria
at:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-62.html

 

[Danny]

Hi Allen - thanks for the reply.

FBF IS a fudge, but a really convenient fudge, and worth the clunkiness most
of the time. The time it would take to build a search screen like this from
scratch - which would never really be anything but a one-off - is too much.

I did look at your example db with the search screen. Thanks for the link.

Cheers.

Danny