System Options 

PxPlus Auto Complete enables Multi-Line or Grid controls to show suggested text based on partially typed entries. This is useful for handling repetitive data entry. You can populate the data in advance so that the user will receive suggestions from a preset list of matches as he/she types in the field. The preset data can be retrieved from application data files accessed in Read Only mode. See Assigning Auto Complete Entries below.

For multi-lines, this functionality is also handled by the 'AutoComplete$ control object property.

The Auto Complete feature will be disabled when a multi-line is used for a password field. This functionality (for both multi-lines and grids) can be suppressed at the application level by setting the NOMADS variable %NOMADS_Suppress_Auc=1. See NOMADS Variables.

See NOMADS Auto Complete Definition to set up how the Auto Complete is to be applied in your application.

Keyed File

The list of entries for Auto Complete is stored in a PxPlus keyed file that is accessible to the application for this purpose. Generally, a keyed file should be created by you for each set of multi-line entries required for your application:

0010 LET F$="AutoComplete1.dat"; ERASE F$,ERR=*NEXT
0020 KEYED F$,[1:1:30:"C"],0,-40

Auto Complete will be based on the internal key of the key file, and the key has to be case insensitive for this functionality to work correctly. If the key is case sensitive, all lowercase keys will be ignored.

See KEYED directive for information on creating keyed files in PxPlus.

Quotes or apostrophes can be used to surround any of the Auto Complete parameter values so that trailing or leading spaces remain intact, as in the two examples below.

Example Using Quotes:

MULTI_LINE 100,@(10,10,30,1),HLP="[AutoComplete]DATAFILE=test.dat;FIELD=2;PREFIX=""CLIENTCO       """

Example Using Apostrophes:

MULTI_LINE 100,@(10,10,30,1),HLP="[AutoComplete]DATAFILE=test.dat;FIELD=2;PREFIX='CLIENTCO       '"

Previously Entered (Recorded) Entries

With Auto Complete turned on, a multi-line field can be set up to record what a user has already entered so that the next time he/she begins typing, it displays a list of suggestions to complete the word or phrase. The associated keyed file starts empty. Once the user enters new text, each word/phrase will be saved so that when the user tries to type the same information again, he/she will be presented with a match from the associated keyed file. This type of entry does not work for grids.

When defining this type of Auto Complete scenario, the keyed file must be set up with Read Only set to No. This allows the user to remove any unwanted Auto Complete entries that are, for example, the result of spelling or typing errors. To remove unwanted entries, the user first uses the Up/Down arrow keys on the keyboard to highlight the Auto Complete entry in the drop down list and then immediately presses the Delete key. If the user presses another key before pressing Delete, then only a single character in the input control is deleted.

Preset Entries

Both grids and multi-lines will accept preset Auto Complete entries, where the associated keyed file will already be populated with data. This could be an existing source data file used in your application.

For multi-lines, the keyed file must be set up as Read Only in the Auto Complete Definition window so that it cannot record new entries from the user. In a client-server environment, the default functionality requires that the keyed file be present on the client machine. However, the keyed file can exist on the server if the Process on Server option is turned On in the Auto Complete Definition window. Auto Complete entries that are based on preset data with the READONLY= parameter set to Yes cannot be removed by the user.

For grids, Auto Complete will only work with Read Only files on the server side, and the Process on Server option must be turned On in the Auto Complete Definition window.

Auto Complete Definition

The Auto Complete Definition window in NOMADS is used to set up how the Auto Complete is to be applied in your application. Definitions created using this window will be stored in the providex.auc file.

To invoke this window, use one of the following methods:

This window consists of the following:

Alternate List Contents

If the Read Only and Process on Server options are selected, two new options, Display Value and Return Value, including a new Define button, are displayed in the List Contents section of this window. This allows a more complex display list and return value to be defined, consisting of a combination of literals, formatted fields and sub-fields.

The expression to specify the list contents and return value is defined on a separate Define Display Value panel that is invoked by selecting the Define button associated with each of these new options.

Assigning Auto Complete Entries

For a multi-line, assign a specific Auto Complete definition to the multi-line by using the Auto Complete option, which is accessed by selecting the Query tab of the Multi-Line Properties dialogue. Click the drop-down arrow for a list of existing entries (if defined using Auto Complete Definition).

For a grid, Auto Complete entries are assigned to individual cells via the Presets Definition, which is accessed by selecting the Presets tab of the Grid Properties dialogue. From the Property drop-down list, select AutoCompName. Enter a Column (Number or Name) and a Row. The Auto Complete name can be an expression or an existing Auto Complete definition. To assign an existing Auto Complete name, click the Query button (magnifying glass) in the Value/Expression cell to invoke an Auto Complete List of existing entries. The value is passed back to the Value/Expression cell once the dialogue is closed.

New entries are added to an Auto Complete file by clicking the Edit File button in the Auto Complete List window. At run time, NOMADS reads the providex.auc file using the Auto Complete key and assigns the selected Auto Complete definition to the multi-line field or grid cell.