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Highlight List View Rows

Posted by: Editor / Monday, June 15, 2009 – 6:37pm

by Matt Petrowsky

9
 minutes

You'd think highlighting the current record row within a FileMaker list view would be a simple thing. Turns out, there have been a number of attempts at making this easy - it just hasn't been the case. The older method found in Highlight Record Row in list view used a script-trigging plug-in and there was another method that used a hyper-extended web viewer to force row background color.

With FileMaker 10, the easiest way, to-date, is here. In the associated file, it's just a straight simple Script Trigger. All you really need to do is set a global variable and this can be done with a layout script tied to OnRecordLoad.

However, I take an extra bit of effort to use conditional formatting to make the effect happen. My reasoning is described in the file.

If you haven't added this feature into your own solutions then you need to watch this video. It's just way to simple to add this feature in!

Details: Released - 6/15/2009 / Size - 9.07 MB / Length - 9 min
About author

Matt Petrowsky is the Senior Editor for ISO FileMaker Magazine. Matt has been involved with FileMaker Pro since the early '90s. Having authored many articles, a popular book, spoken at conferences and seminars, as well as provided private training, Matt is continuously updating his knowledge and skill about the powerful FileMaker platform. You can contact Matt by sending email to editor@filemakermagazine.com.

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Highlight List View Rows - suggested modification

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Very nice simple technique, but I don't like the window flash when moving from record to record.

I modified the script to NOT refresh but to set the value of $$current.record into a global field. This seems to work well without any screen redraw. I think a single global is a price woth paying to eliminate the window flash...

PJ

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Yes, good idea! - ADMIN POSTED THIS

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I've not tried that in list view. I knew it worked with portals, but forcing the whole window to redraw on Windows sucks!

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A Little Variation

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First I would like to say, I always learn something new every time I watch one of your videos. I also use this technique. I do not use the first condition formatting however, I set the global variable (I have also started to use a global field. This prevents flashing of the screen on computers using windows (macs no problems) ) in the script used by the script trigger.

Todd Dignan

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Sloooooooooow !

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Yes, It works great with few records without related or cascading unstored calcs, but try it with one hundred lines with those king of fileds and you'll kill yourself.The $$global variable is the worst performer because it needs the refresh, and thet refresh takes a long time. The Global fields, which doesn't need the refresh is faster, but still 10 times slower than the webwiever method. So I urge anyone with real lisst to stay the webviewer method.

And of course this message to FM Inc : all those tricks are slow and more or less cumbersome, so you NEEED to have a built-in, clean way to do this !

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webviewer method?

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What is the webviewer method?

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Click the link in the description - ADMIN POSTED THIS

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The link to the older article has the older method and the one using the web viewer.

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Even further advice... - ADMIN POSTED THIS

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ANYTHING unstored within a list view will kill FileMaker's speed. Each time something new comes on screen then FMP want's to recalc all unstored objects. This is why FMP (over the Internet) is essentially worthless if you want to use the "tricks" you have to use to make a good interface. FMI could stand to overhaul it's whole screen redraw routines. The problem, however, is that the standard line is something like "Use Citrix or Terminal services"..... Bah, just fix your software (at least if you want people to use it). :P

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Web viewer method

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After viewing the older method, though it is unique and I like how you used the web viewer to trigger zippScripts......... I like the newer method better because it is native to FMP 10. No third party plugins needed. I really can not see where there would be any speed advantages using the web viewer. Both scripts have a refresh window step in them.
OK, I just did some testing on both windows and mac. I have a global field named g_highlight. I have a script trigger that runs on record load. The script is simple, Set Field( GLB_Globals::g_highlight, Get ( RecordID ). My Conditional Format calc on the field is GLB_Globals::g_highlight= Get ( RecordID ). This works fast. I tested it with displaying 60 records from a MYSQL shadow table

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