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formulalotus-noteslotusscript
Nuri Ensing
Nuri Ensing

Reputation: 2030

ibm notes how to make computed field editable

In ibm Notes i have a document in which there is a field (for example price) when someone opens up the document, the field will be prefilled with data from somewhere else. So I made this field a 'computed field for display' but I want users to also let them edit the field, but this is not possible. So how can I make a computed field editable for users?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1080

Answers (4)

JSmart523
JSmart523

Reputation: 2497

It depends on why your field is computed for display.

Fields that are computed for display do not get written to disk, which means the formula is executed every time you open a doc, not just when you open a new doc or are refreshing/saving a doc that's being edited.

If that's your intent then you can't have any other field and will need a different, editable field to allow for a user to override that number. If your computed for display field was called ExamplePrice, what I'd probably do is

  • create a new editable field called ExamplePrice_Edit,
  • create a checkbox or radio button field called ExamplePrice_Mode (or maybe ExamplePrice_Override) that would allow the user to indicate whether or not they wanted their edited version to override the default version. Make sure it refreshes fields when changed.
  • Change ExamplePrice's field formula:
    • If the formula is complex, add @If(ExamplePrice_Mode = ""; 0; @Return(ExamplePrice_Edit)); before the first line, or
    • If the formula is simple, wrap it with @If(ExamplePrice_Mode = ""; and ExamplePrice_Edit);
  • Change your hide whens to show-hide ExamplePrice_Edit depending on whether or not ExamplePrice_Mode was flagged by the user or not.

On the other hand, if it's okay if ExamplePrice doesn't change unless the document is edited and saved again, then you could still do it the above way, or you could get away with one less field by letting your ExamplePrice field be editable and then using an Input Enabled formula.

  • Copy ExamplePrice's field formula to the clipboard because we might (briefly) lose it.
  • Change ExamplePrice to an editable field.
  • Paste your formula into the default and input translation formulas of the field.
  • Create a checkbox or radio button field called ExamplePrice_Mode (or maybe ExamplePrice_Override) that would allow the user to indicate whether or not they wanted a computed or editable version. Make sure it refreshes fields when changed.
  • Change ExamplePrice's input translation formula:
    • If the formula is complex, add @If(ExamplePrice_Mode = ""; 0; @Return(@ThisValue)); before the first line, or
    • If the formula is simple, wrap it with @If(ExamplePrice_Mode = ""; and @ThisValue);
  • Set ExamplePrice's Input Enabled formula to ExamplePrice_Mode != ""

Upvotes: 1

rakesh
rakesh

Reputation: 338

If you really want one field, you can make it work with help of form events, but it does not work when you need to show the latest 'price' when the document is opened again.

One way is to have 3 fields

  • a computed when composed field like you have
  • a editable 'override' field which is blank by default. The user can fill in the value when required
  • a separate final-price field which will be computed. So if the override field has value that is taken else the default field.

Upvotes: 0

Duston
Duston

Reputation: 1641

The typical solution is to have two fields, one editable, hidden when document is open for reading and printing, and one computed for display, hidden when document is open for editing.

Upvotes: 1

Ken Pespisa
Ken Pespisa

Reputation: 22284

You could solve this a couple of ways.

First you have to think of the user experience. The same field will be both computed by default and editable when needed.

One way to make that happen is keep the field always computed and provide an edit button that launches a dialog popup to let you edit the value. Your computed formula would look for that overridden value and if it doesn't exist it would just do the calculation.

Another solution is to have it always editable and set the value when other fields change. The code for that would be placed on the fields used in the calculation.

There may be other ways to solve the problem and it is helpful to start with the user in mind.

Upvotes: 4

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