Field Level Help on Tabular forms

Hi,
Is there any easy way I can add field level help to tabular forms?
If I create a form on a table I can add help for each field, however if I create a tabular form there seems to be no way I can associate field level help with a column.
I know that I can add page level help and could describe all of the columns there, but it would be nicer to add individual help to each column.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Martin

Hi Martin!
Take a look at these sites which will provide you more information about your problem.
[http://apex-at-work.blogspot.com/2008/10/apex-select-list-with-dynamic-help-text.html|http://apex-at-work.blogspot.com/2008/10/apex-select-list-with-dynamic-help-text.html]
TRICK: Dynamic Item Help Text as Tooltip
[http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=11933:121|http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=11933:121]
Regards,
Tobias
[http://apex-at-work.blogspot.com/]

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Best way to author field level help for a CHM?

Hi
I have been asked to create an HTML help (CHM) system for a .Net application which will include context sensitive help at both page and field level.
I have used map ids for page level help before - i.e. assigned a map id to topics and given this list to a developer for implementation, but I have never created field level help.
I've been looking at the 'What's This?' help project wizard but am confused as to whether this is the best approach and how it fits with the project as a whole (or even if it compatible with .Net applications). Does this mean that I need two help projects for the application - one for the main help, and one for the field level help? Is there a way to create field level help without using the 'What's This?' wizard?
I am using Robohelp 7.
Any advice gratefully received!
Chloe

Hi, Chloe,
As Peter notes, even Microsoft has backed away from using field-level Help in the last few years, so it may be worth trying to determine whether your users will benefit from having it available to them. That's not to say that you can't deliver field-level Help, however, as all the required methods for calling it are still available to .NET developers.
To clarify, what Madcap Software calls "DotNet Help" is just a proprietary Help viewer that the company hopes will be more modern and appealing to writers than the older HTML Help (.chm) viewer. HTML Help remains the recommended format for Windows applications, whether .NET or not, and you can use any authoring tool that is capable of outputting a .chm file to create online Help for a .NET application.
The method that your developers use to call field-level Help determines how it should be authored. If they use the standard .NET method (the SetHelpString method of the HelpProvider class), each text string is embedded in the application code itself, and not retrieved from your .chm file. More information here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.helpprovider.sethelpstring(VS .71).aspx
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821777
http://helpware.net/mshelp2/demo2/h1xNET.htm
Alternatively, developers can use the old HTML Help API to retrieve the text string from a .chm file. See:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms670082(VS.85).aspx
http://helpware.net/htmlhelp/how_to_whatsthis.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=317406
The drawback of both methods is that the Help popups are plain text only — no graphics, text formatting, hyperlinks, etc. To work around this, some people use the third-party KeyHelp control to create feature-rich HTML popups. See:
http://www.keyworks.net/keyhelp.htm
This allows you to deliver the type of Help that you mentioned in your second message ("is there a way to do this so that these topics open in a small popup, without the TOC / tri-pane structure?").
Pete

Field level help

Hi,
Is portal provide any field level help. I mean to say that when i place my mouse arrow on a field than it gives me help what it does or press some key to know what this field does. Something like ballonic help in Developer 2000 Forms.
Thanks
Muhammad Ijaz

We use field-level help from within our application, Liz, and
we use Robo v5 for our HTML Help (output in CHM). I'm not entirely
sure how the code is written because I only do the Help System (our
application is currently being rewritten in Dot Net and we haven't
finalized the Help for Dot Net yet). All I do in my Robo projects
is put the bookmark where it needs to be. The F1 command that is
passed within the application calls that bookmark. The app is
currently written in Progress and the code simply calls the
module/program/bookmark. As long as the bookmark I use in Robo
matches what the Developer calls, the field level help works
perfectly. The only problem we ever had was when the field name
changed in the application and nobody told us in Documentation! As
soon as I updated my bookmarks, it worked again.
Hope this helps. If you need more info on the commands, email
me directly and I'll get with the Developer to ask about the
command line the code sends to call the CHM.

Help on tabular forms

Hi all,
I am new apex. I have couple of questions on tabular form
1. How to add user selectable no of rows display drop down list box on a tabular form (same type of display list box comes default when you create report and form)
2. How to add text search on multi row tabular form.
3. How to call pl/sql procedure when you press button.
4. How to change the query of tabular form when we you click on check box.
5. How to popup a new window when you press a button.
Please help me.
Thanks,

Hi James,
1 - In the Report Attributes for the tabular form, you have an option "Number of Rows (Item)" in which you can specify a page item name (eg, "P1_ROWS"). Obviously, you will also need such an item on your page - typically, this is a Select List with Submit (but could be a normal select list if you intend to reload the page using a button click).
2 - Do you mean a search across all fields on a displayed tabular form or a filter to restrict the rows displayed?
3 - A Process (which is what I think you mean) has a "When Button Pressed" option which allows you to pick the button that triggers your process.
4 - This depends on the checkbox and whether or not you have more than one checkbox. A simpler solution would, perhaps, be to have a select list with the required values (even if that is just "Yes" and "No")
5 - This depends on what the popup page is designed to do. You could look at the following as a starting point:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/application_express/howtos/how_to_create_custom_popups.html
If 2 and 4 are both to do with filtering the data, then you need to add a WHERE clause to the underlying SQL statement. Something like:
SELECT...
FROM ...
WHERE FIELDX := :P1_PAGE_FIELD
OR FIELDY LIKE '%' || :P1_STRING_SEARCH || '%'
The exact format would depend on the data type of the field being filtered.
You also need to have something on the page that will trigger the page refresh which is required so that the filter can be applied. Normally, this is an unconditional branch (ie, a branch that is not triggered by a button) that branches back to the same page. In the branch definition, you also need to set the "Set these items" and "With these values" to pass back to the page the values in the search fields (eg, P1_STRING_SEARCH needs to be passed back into itself otherwise the field's value is lost when the page reloads and the filter won't be applied). If you are performing a filter using multiple fields, then you would normally apply the filter using a button on the page, so you would select this button as the trigger for the branch - again, this is a "When Button Pressed" setting on the branch definition.
Regards
Andy

Field-level Help possible with WebHelp?

Hi All,
I'm trying to determine whether WebHelp supports field-level
help, and between reading the online Help and the forums, I'm
confused. The online help states "WebHelp window support is only
available with the context-sensitive Help API." Does that mean that
WebHelp doesn't officially support field-level help? I'm sure we
can implement field-level help with some creative programming, but
I'm not sure of the requirements.
Is the CSH API required for field-level help? Or do we need
only implement the solutions described on
Peter's
site detailing calling WebHelp? And the RoboHelp Office
TechNote
Calling
Topics with Two Pane View?
I appreciate any assistance that anyone can provide!
want2bewiser

want2bewiser -
If you recall, field-level help was implemented by clicking
on a Question mark icon on the top right in the title bar. Your
cursor changed to a Question Mark and pointer, and clicking on a
field, button or other control would evoke a popup.
You can duplicate that functionality, but the lions's share
of the work would be on the developers. You can provide the small
blurbs, but how it is called is up to them.
The API is useful if you might change topic ids often, or if
you need a sort of map file, or if you just want a standard way of
calling Webhelp into a certain window format. But you don't need
the two-pane format instructions for 'What's This' help.
So, your developer will have to add a function to each page
so that, if the user changes the cursor to a 'What's This' curson,
and an object is clicked during this 'What's This' state, an
explanatory popup will, um, pop up.
...Otherwise, everything behaves normally.

Field level help always shows homeID URL

I implemented context-sensitive help of 2 types:
1. Field level help - triggered from a menuitem using:
menuitem_CSH.addActionListener(new CSH.DisplayHelpAfterTracking(mainHS, "javax.help.Popup", null));
2. Help key (F1) type help - using:
mainHB.enableHelpKey(getRootPane(), "top", mainHS);
Point 2 type help works perfectly - which implies that my MAP file & setHelpID...() stuff is alright.
CSH.setHelpIDString(jbtnConfigure, "config");
CSH.setHelpIDString(jbtnAlarms, "gettingstarted");
Point 1 however always displays the URL of the homeID. I've tried all kinds of things but can't get this to work.
Am I missing something here? Any help/pointers would be appreciated.

maybe something like this will work.
works OK for System.exit(), other options??
click into the 2nd textfield, message displays
click the menu items, no message
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
class Testing extends JFrame
JMenu file = new JMenu("File");
int counter;
public Testing()
    setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
    setLocation(400,200);
    JMenuItem exit = new JMenuItem("Exit");
    file.add(exit);
    JMenuBar menuBar = new JMenuBar();
    menuBar.add(file);
    setJMenuBar(menuBar);
    JTextField tf = new JTextField(10);
    tf.setInputVerifier(new MyVerifier());
    getContentPane().add(tf,BorderLayout.NORTH);
    getContentPane().add(new JTextField(10),BorderLayout.SOUTH);
    pack();
    exit.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
      public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae){
        System.exit(0);}});
class MyVerifier extends InputVerifier
    public boolean verify(JComponent input)
      if(((JTextField)input).getText().equals(""))
        if(file.isSelected() == false) System.out.println("Invalid "+counter++);
        return false;
      return true;
public static void main(String[] args){new Testing().setVisible(true);}
}

Question on field level help and bookmarking

Hi All
I have a question about field level help and bookmarking fields. I did this before but i can't remember how. Right now, when you click on a field in my help to access our software application the page displays but at the top and not at the exact field description. I don't remember how I did this in my other help files.
Please help me so I can bookmark my field level help to go exactly to my definition on the page and not just the top of the page everytime.
Thanks
Caryn

Hi Martin!
Take a look at these sites which will provide you more information about your problem.
[http://apex-at-work.blogspot.com/2008/10/apex-select-list-with-dynamic-help-text.html|http://apex-at-work.blogspot.com/2008/10/apex-select-list-with-dynamic-help-text.html]
TRICK: Dynamic Item Help Text as Tooltip
[http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=11933:121|http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=11933:121]
Regards,
Tobias
[http://apex-at-work.blogspot.com/]

Help with Tabular form

Hi
I am using Apex 4.01 in Oracle 10g
I need a solution for tabular form issue.
I am creating a tabular form for a table with 5 colums.
col1: Primary key
Col2: seqnumber
col3: Varchar
col3: date
col4: Date
its a kind of time scheduling.
I created a tabular form with 3 updatable fields. col 3,4,5
since its a tabular form the user can add a new row and submit to insert the new row into the table,
so the primary key (Col1) is automatically doing its seq generator and inserting the key.
But what I have to do is with col2,
if the col3 value is not in the table then col2 should insert 1
if col3 value is already in the table then col2 should insert 2 (incremnt by 1) and so on..
so this value of col2 should be determined basedon col3.
How to do that for Tabular form in Apex.
Thanks,
Rik

It doesnt matter how you add a row in APEX application. Internally APEX issues INSERT or UPDATE statements when you submit the page. This in turn triggers your DB triggers and you can do your stuff in the DB trigger. If there is no need to refer page item you don't have to as long as all the fields are DB fields.
I hope I answered your question.
Sukarna
Edited by: Sukarna on Jul 19, 2011 12:21 PM

Disable Check box in tabular form

Hi,
I am working on apex4.1. I have created a tabular form.There is 2 columns Approve and Cancel. if I tick on cancel check box then Approve check box column should disable and vice versa.
How can i do this ?
Thanks & Regards
Vedant

hi,
this thread maybe help you
Tabular Form: Enable/Disable a field based on the status of a check box
regards,

Not able to perform computation on Non Database Column in Tabular Form

Hi All,
          I have a Master and a Detail Tabular Form which has the following requirement:
If I choose Two Way in my Trip Type item in my Master form,the No of Tickets field in my Detail Tabular form has to get doubled ie. 2*No of tickets
The No of Tickets is a Display as Text(does not save state) field so I am not able to select the value of the field in jquery.
Kindle help me with this.
Thanks and Regards,
Madonna

Madonna
I have added a true and a false action to the dynamic action disable.
Here is the code of the false action. The action type is Execute JavaScript Code
/*Select all input elements with the name attribute f14*/
apex.jQuery('[name="f14"]').each(
function(){
    var lNoTickets,lSpan;
    /*Calculate the number of tickets by getting the value and times 2*/
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    apex.item(lSpan.id).setValue(lNoTickets);
     /*Set the new number of tickets to the hidden element*/
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Because you have used "Display as text(saves state)" apex renders both an input item of type hidden. And a span element that displays the value.
Both these elements need to be set separately. See the last two lines of the code.
The calculation of the new Number of tickets happens for each hidden element with the name f14.
And the span element is the second sibling of the hidden element.
Adding a user to your workspace.
Go to Administration > Manage Users and Groups > Create User.
Than you don't have to share your own login credentials any more.
Nicolette

Dependent LOV in Tabular Form

All,
We are developing an application where we come across requirement to have two fields in tabular form and both are required to have LOV. But the issue is the second field LOV in the tabular form is dependent on first field value.
ex: Assume first field is "Country" and second field is "Cities", when user selects first field country as "US", then we have to populate list of citiies in "US" for that row. And if the user selects country as "UK" for the second row, we have to populate second field (city) with list of citieis in "UK".
We are unable to achieve this functionality and any help/pointers would be highly appreciated.
Ram

Hi Ram,
Please have a look at this example by Denes Kubicek
[http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=31517:176|http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=31517:176]
I was able to achieve the cascading LOV functionality based on the above example.
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Dippy

Does anyone know a way of making primary keys updatable in tabular forms

Is there a way i can make my primary key updatable in a tabular form.
I have two tables one called proposal details and one called student current details. Bascially you select one of your proposal details to become your current project this is done via the proposal id. The problem is that i cannot make this field editable in a tabular form. Does anyone know how i could make this primary key updatable?

Hi Dan,
One suggestion, perhaps, would be to base the tabular form on a View rather than directly off of the table. The view could include two instances of the proposal id field - the actual field and a second field called, say, PROPOSAL_ID_EDITABLE. You can then use an INSTEAD OF trigger on the view to update the actual table data with the value entered/selected in this second field.
The reason why Apex will stop you updating primary keys is that it needs to be able to use these to get back to the original record to apply any changes. If you use a view instead, ensure that the primary key fields are not editable but allow the user to change a dummy field instead, the pk fields are available for Apex to get back to the data but the trigger will change the value instead.
Regards
Andy

Providing application-level help within Flex apps

What is the general guideline / approach for help (not
embedded or field-level help but page level or application level
help like you get when you click Help in most applications) within
a Flex app? Is it to spawn a new Window that goes to standard
HTML-based help engines/content or to display the content in a
dialog within the Flex application itself? Thanks

Slow down! Found it here:
http://raghunathraoflexing.blogspot.com/2006/12/flex-i-frame.html

Help- I have added a field in my tabular form and now i get an error in mul

Help- I have added a field in my tabular form and now i get an error in muli update form; Here is the error, how do I go in to change the process, adding the extra field??
Error in mru internal routine: ORA-20001: Error in MRU: row= 1, ORA-20001: ORA-20001: Current version of data in database has changed since user initiated update process. current checksum = "F10F6D7EC4CF938382C6DC2EE22800F6", item checksum = "90E47F32E95B71B7A9D47A1311063445"., update "CAPRS"."CONTRACT_ERRORS" set "ID" = :b1, "CONTR_NUM" = :b2, "REPT_MONTH_CD" = :b3, "REPT_FISCAL_YEAR" = :b4, "REPORT_FAC_CAGE_CD" = :b5, "END_ITEM_NUM" = :b6, "END_ITEM_DESC" = :b7, "WSSC" = :b8, "WBS_CD" = :b9, "WPC_CD" = :b10, "CONTR_CLIN" = :b11, "CO
Error Unable to process update.

Hi,
I believe the error is due to the checksum process which doesn't have that additinoal field's information. You can try creating the form again with the additional field, or if needed you can go with the Manual tabular form.
Thanks,
Manish

Unable to pass a parameter to a field in a tabular form.

I created a tabular form with 2.0 using the wizard. Im having issues though with 2 of my columns.
The two columns are last_edit_user and last_edit_date. As you can tell Im trying to pass the system date and :app_user to these two fields.
I read this thread Default Value in Tabular Form and decided to create a simple function on the database that returns the system date. Then under report attributes I went to the last_edit_date column. In Tabular Form Element I changed it to Display as Text (saves state) made the default type a PL/SQL expression or function then put the function name in the default text field.
When I try to update a field I then get:
Error in mru internal routine: ORA-20001: Error in MRU: row= 1, ORA-01407: cannot update
I have also tried creating a computation and passing the date to a hidden item then use default type item and list the hidden item in the default text box. I get the same error.
Considering how often these fields or similar would come up in a tabular form I cant help but think there must be an easy way of passing parameters to fields in a tabular form without making them editable.
Message was edited by:
[email protected]

This keeps coming up often and I find that the easiest way to handle this is in a row-level trigger on the underlying table
create or replace trigger t
before insert or update on mytable
for each row
begin
:new.last_update_date := sysdate;
:new.last_update_user := nvl(v('APP_USER'),user);
end;
/

Field Level Help on Tabular forms

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