How to Use a Builder to Change a Text Box Name to a Field Name

ID: Q139159

3.00 WINDOWS

 kbhowto

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

Usually, when you want to change the name of a text box control, you must select each control, and then change the Name property of each control. However, it is possible to create a Builder that changes the name of multiple controls at once. The example presented in this article assumes that you want to change the name of the text box controls to the name of the field specified as the control source.

MORE INFORMATION

There are several ways to register and call a custom builder. This article explains a method that includes two basic steps.

1. Create a new program file that executes the desired changes by entering

   the following code:

   * Builder code to change name of selected text boxes
   * to underlying control
   x =""
   nObjects = 0

   *The ASELOBJ() function creates an array referencing the selected
   *controls. It also returns the number of selected controls
   *Hence, nObjects is the number of selected controls
   *aSelobjects is the name of the array created by ASELOBJ()

   nObjects = ASELOBJ(aSelobjects)

   *The FOR loop cycles through the array of selected controls
   IF nObjects > 0
     FOR nCnt = 1 TO nObjects
        *store the name of the table and field to a variable x
        x = ASELOBJECTS(nCnt).ControlSource
        *The ATC() function locates the decimal separating the
        *table name and field name.
        *The SUBSTR() function then extracts the field name
        *and resets the control's name to that of the field
        ASELOBJECTS(nCnt).Name = SUBSTR(x,ATC('.',x)+1)
     NEXT
   ENDIF

2. Register the program properly in the Builder.dbf table. The program must

   be properly registered before the builder becomes available in the Form
   Designer.

   a. Open the Builder.dbf table located in the \Vfp\Wizards directory.

   b. Append a new blank record. Three fields in the table must be filled:
      in: Name, Type, and Program. The Name field is the name you want to
      give to the builder. For example, the Name field can contain "Field
      name builder."

   c. Enter Multiselect in the type field. With this keyword, the builder
      is used when multiple controls are selected.

   d. Enter the name of the program including the path in the program
      field.

   e. Close the Builder.dbf table. When you select multiple text box
      controls and call a builder, your new builder should appear as one of
      the available choices.

NOTE: as mentioned previously, this builder is designed to change the name of the text box control to the field name specified as the control source. It derives the field name from the entry in the ControlSource property, assuming that the entry is of the type:

   table.field

You could modify the code to rename the controls differently.

Additional reference words: 3.00 VFoxWin wizard KBCategory: kbhowto KBSubcategory: FxotherGeneral

Keywords          : kbcode FxotherGeneral 
Version           : 3.00
Platform          : WINDOWS