Dialogs

Dialog is a window by means of which data manipulations are performed. Dialogs are used to insert new records into tables, to edit existing records, to select report parameters, etc. Lets make a brief review of the most common elements of the dialogs.

In the picture above you can see a typical dialog. The most of the dialog elements correspond to some attributes of the record you are inserting or editing. Let's investigate each element of the dialog depicted above.

First element of this dialog is the edit field entitled Receiving party. The title of this field is displayed with bold font. This means that nonempty value for this field is required. Next thing you can notice is background color of this field. This color is equal to the background color of the dialog indicating that value of the field can't be edited directly. To enter value into this field you should press the button on the right of it and then choose appropriate value in the dialog that will appear.

Second element of this dialog is edit field entitled Receiving person. Title of this field isn't displayed with bold font meaning that you can leave it empty.

Field entitled Gift name has white background and has no button on the right. The value into this field has to be entered directly and can't be chosen from another dialog.

Next field is Number of units. This field differs from the previous one because here you can enter only numeric values while value of Gift name field can contain any characters.

Next element is drop-down list entitled Unit. You can't enter value for this element directly. You have to click on the button on the right site of it and then select required value from the list that will appear. You may populate this drop-down list with new alternative values by the means of Units form that can be accessed through the main menu.

Give event or place is also drop-down list, but it's value can be entered directly as well as selected from list. This list is populated automatically and there is no way to add new alternative values manually.

Next element is check box entitled Gift gived. It can have two states: checked and unchecked. When check box is in unchecked state field Give date is disabled and you can't edit it. And when you check this checkbox field Give date becomes enabled for editing.

Give date is date field. You can enter any correct date into this field directly as well as choose it from drop-down calendar that appears after click on the button on the right site of the field.

On the bottom of the dialog you can see two buttons. Button entitled OK has black border indicating that it is default button. This means that it is automatically pressed when you press Enter key while any edit field, drop-down list or checkbox has focus (i.e. receives any keyboard input). When you press this button the correctness of data in all fields is checked. If all required fields have values and other rough errors are not revealed then program writes all input into database. In other case error message occurs indicating what is wrong. You should correct stated error and press OK button again.

Second button is entitled Cancel and it closes dialog without saving any data. This button is automatically pressed when you press Esc key.

Let's look at the following dialog:

This is a type of dialogs that offers you to select several records from table and add them to another table. Selected records are ticked off. To select or unselect some record double click on it or press Space key when this record is highlighted. After all required records are selected click Add button which is similar to OK button described above.