How to Update a Character Field from a Popup

SUMMARY

The following code example demonstrates one method of replacing a character field with a numeric selection from a popup. Occasionally, you may need to store a character string choice made from a popup to a character field.

Normally, a popup must be assigned to a numeric database field and as a result, the numeric value indicating which bar of the popup was selected is placed in the database. This example actually places the character selection string in a character field of the database.

WARNING: ANY USE BY YOU OF THE CODE PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Microsoft provides this code "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.

   SET PROCEDURE TO dbf.prg  && The name of this program
   SET TALK OFF
   CLEAR

   ** Initialize variables and open database
   mchoice = 0
   ok = 0
   USE ":foxbase:tutorial:faculty.dbf"

   ** Main program body
   DO WHILE ok=0  && Continue until the OK button is not pressed
   SCREEN 1 TYPE 0 LOCK HEADING "Update a DBF" ;
     AT 0,0 SIZE 224,366 PIXELS FONT "Times",14 TOP
   @PIXELS 27,16 GET mchoice STYLE 0 FONT "Chicago",12 ;
     PICTURE "@^ Edit;View;Browse;Change" SIZE 19,68
   @PIXELS 18,98 SAY "The selection from a popup returns a " STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 33,98 SAY "numeric value. This numeric value is" STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 48,98 SAY "stored in the database which can be" STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 63,98 SAY "difficult to read." STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 87,98 SAY "In this example, the value stored to" STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 102,98 SAY "the database is the actual character" STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 117,98 SAY "string and not the number it " STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 140,98 SAY "represents. " STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 155,98 SAY "As you can see, the database" STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 170,98 SAY "field reads "+faculty->id+"and not the" ;
      STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 185,98 SAY "selection number from the popup." STYLE 65536
   @PIXELS 168,19 GET ok STYLE 1 FONT "Chicago",12 ;
      PICTURE "@*V OK" SIZE 2066,35

   READ
   DO xchange WITH mchoice && The popup was selected, now update the DBF
   ENDDO

   SCREEN 1 OFF
   SET PROCEDURE TO

   PROCEDURE xchange
   PARAMETERS choice && The selection from the popup
   DO CASE
    CASE choice=1 && The first choice from the popup
      REPLACE id WITH "EDIT"
    CASE choice=2 && The second choice from the popup
      REPLACE id WITH "VIEW"
    CASE choice=3 && The third choice from the popup
      REPLACE id WITH "BROWSE"
    CASE choice=4 && The fourth choice from the popup
      REPLACE id WITH "CHANGE"
   ENDCASE
   RETURN