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DEFINE BROWSE statement

Defines and creates either a read-only or updateable browse widget that is created at compile time for use in one or more procedures, or within a single class.

Note: Does not apply to SpeedScript programming.

Syntax

DEFINE {[[ NEW ] SHARED ]|[ PRIVATE ]}
  BROWSE browse-name
  QUERY query-name  
    [ SHARE-LOCK | EXCLUSIVE-LOCK | NO-LOCK ][ NO-WAIT ] 
  DISPLAY
    {column-list|record[ EXCEPT field...]} 
    [browse-enable-phrase] 
    {browse-options-phrase}
    [ CONTEXT-HELP-ID expression]
    [ DROP-TARGET ]
    [ TOOLTIP tooltip]
NEW SHARED BROWSE browse-name
Defines and identifies a browse widget that can be used by other procedures. When the procedure containing this statement ends, the browse is no longer available.
SHARED BROWSE browse-name
Defines and identifies a browse that was created in another procedure with the DEFINE NEW SHARED BROWSE statement.
[ PRIVATE ] BROWSE browse-name
Defines and identifies a browse widget as a class-scoped object. A class-scoped handle-based object is not a member of a class, but provides a resource that is privately available to the class definition similar to a non-shared data element in a procedure definition. The option to specify the PRIVATE access mode is provided for readability. You cannot specify PRIVATE when defining a browse widget as a data element in a method or procedure.
Note: This option is applicable only when defining a class-scoped browse widget in a class definition (.cls) file.
BROWSE browse-name
Defines and identifies a browse widget whose query you can access only within the current procedure, class, or method of a class.
QUERY query-name
The name of the query to browse. You must have previously defined or opened the query.
[ SHARE-LOCK | EXCLUSIVE-LOCK | NO-LOCK ]
Specifies the locking mode for records retrieved by the browse widget. The default locking mode is NO-LOCK. To control locking during preselection for a query associated with a browse widget, use the SHARE-LOCK, EXCLUSIVE-LOCK, or NO-LOCK option in the OPEN QUERY statement that opens the query.
NO-WAIT
Specifies not to wait for a record that is currently locked by another process. Instead, the record in conflict will be made available in NO-LOCK mode and the LOCKED function for that record will return TRUE.
DISPLAY column-list
Specifies the column items to display in the browse. Note that the column-list cannot contain widgets other than fill-ins (default), combo-boxes, and toggle-boxes, and the column-list cannot contain SKIP options. 
DISPLAY
  {expression
      [ column-format-phase]
      [@ base-field]
      [view-as-phrase]
  }...
expression
A field name, variable, constant, or expression to display in each iteration of the browse frame.
column-format-phrase
Specifies the format for a value displayed in the browse. The column-format-phrase is a subset of the Format phrase. 
[ FORMAT expression ]
  [ LABEL label| NO-LABELS ]
  [ WIDTH n ]
  [ COLUMN-FONT expression ]
  [ COLUMN-LABEL label ]
  [ COLUMN-DCOLOR expression ]
  [ COLUMN-BGCOLOR expression ]
  [ COLUMN-FGCOLOR expression ]
  [ COLUMN-PFCOLOR expression ]
  [ LABEL-FONT constant ]
  [ LABEL-DCOLOR expression ]
  [ LABEL-BGCOLOR expression ]
  [ LABEL-FGCOLOR expression ]
WIDTH n
Specify a width for the browse column. n represents a multiplier of the average character width of the column font. Specifying a width smaller than the format string creates a scrolling browse cell, if the column is updateable.

For more information on FORMAT strings and label options, see the Format phrase reference entry. The column and label color and font options work like those specified in the browse-options-phrase. If color or fonts are specified with this phrase, they only affect the specific column and override similar options specified in the browse-options-phrase.

@base-field
The base-field must be the name of a field or variable; it cannot be an expression or constant.

The AVM reserves enough space for the base-field to hold the longest format displayed there. All right-justified fields (numeric fields that do not use side labels) are right justified within the reserved area.

To determine the format to use for displaying the expression at the base-field, the AVM looks at the following and uses the first format that applies:

  • An explicit format used with the expression.
  • If the expression is a character string constant, a format that accommodates that string.
  • If the data type of the expression matches that of the base-field, the format of the base-field.
  • The standard format of the expression as if it were displayed without a base-field.
view-as-phrase
Specifies the type of widget to use for displaying values in the browse column. This is the view-as-phrase syntax, which is a subset of the VIEW-AS phrase: 
VIEW-AS combo-box-phrase| TOGGLE-BOX

If you do not specify a view-as-phrase, the widget type for the browse column is FILL-IN, by default.

Note: In a character interface, the browse column value is always displayed as a FILL-IN widget no matter what widget type you specify.

For more information, see the VIEW-AS phrase reference entry.

DISPLAY record
Specifies the record you want to display. If you specify a record, all fields from the record are displayed unless you use the EXCEPT option to eliminate specific fields.

See the Record phrase reference entry for more information.

EXCEPT field . . .
Specifies fields that are not displayed in the browse. You can use the EXCEPT option only if you specify a record name in the DISPLAY option.
browse-enable-phrase
Specifies which fields in the column-list are enabled for input. 
ENABLE
  {{field[ HELP string]
      [ VALIDATE ( condition , msg-exp ) ]
      [ AUTO-RETURN ]
      [ DISABLE-AUTO-ZAP ]
     }...
     ALL [ EXCEPT field]
  }

List each field or variable from the column-list that you want enabled. Specify ALL to specify every item in the column-list. Use the EXCEPT option to exclude specific items when you use the ALL option.

For each field or variable, you can also specify custom help and validation, as shown in the next two entries.

HELP string
Represents a character string that you want to display whenever the user enters the frame field for the field or variable. When the user leaves the frame field, the AVM removes the help string from the message area. You must enclose the string in quotation marks ("").
VALIDATE ( condition, msg-expression )
Specifies an expression against which you want to validate the data entered in a browse cell. The condition is a Boolean expression (a constant, field name, variable name, or expression) whose value is TRUE or FALSE.

When you use the VALIDATE option to validate a specific cell, any reference to that cell in condition is assumed to be the new input value. For example, in the browse-enable phrase below, the PromiseDate that is compared to the OrderDate is the new user input, not the existing data:

ENABLE PromiseDate VALIDATE(PromiseDate > OrderDate,
  "Promise date must be later than order date").

To validate a new value against another new value, use the INPUT qualifier, as shown:

ENABLE OrderDate PromiseDate VALIDATE(PromiseDate > INPUT OrderDate,
  "Promise date must be later than order date").

If the value of condition is FALSE, use msg-expression to display a specific message. You must enclose msg-expression in quotation marks ("").

The AVM processes validation criteria whenever the user attempts to leave the browse cell. If the cell value is not valid, the AVM displays msg-expression in the message area, causes the terminal to beep, and does not advance out of the browse cell.

If the user tabs to a cell, makes no changes, and leaves the cell, the AVM does not process the validation criteria specified with the VALIDATE option until you press GO (F1). If the user presses ENDKEY or END-ERROR, or an error occurs, the AVM does not test the validation criteria specified with the VALIDATE option.

If the input source for the procedure is a table, the AVM validates each input field (except those with a value of "-"). If the result of the validation is FALSE, msg-expression is displayed and the AVM treats the validation as an error.

To suppress the Data Dictionary validation criteria for a cell, use this VALIDATE option:

VALIDATE(TRUE,"")
AUTO-RETURN
Indicates whether the AVM behaves as if the user pressed the RETURN key when the user enters the last allowable character in a browse cell of the specified browse column.
DISABLE-AUTO-ZAP
Indicates whether the AVM should ignore the value of the browse column's AUTO-ZAP attribute and assume it is FALSE.
browse-options-phrase
Specifies options that affect the browse widget as a whole. The options affect both the layout and the function of the browse widget. Note that you cannot include aggregate-phrases (such as TOTAL, MIN, etc.) in this phrase. This is the syntax for browse-options-phrase: 
WITH
  {[constant] DOWN [ WIDTH width]|[size-phrase]}
  [ FGCOLOR expression]
  [ BGCOLOR expression]
  [ DCOLOR expression]
  [ PFCOLOR expression] 
  [ LABEL-FONT expression]
  [ LABEL-DCOLOR expression]
  [ LABEL-FGCOLOR expression]
  [ LABEL-BGCOLOR expression]
  [ MULTIPLE | SINGLE ]
  [ SEPARATORS | NO-SEPARATORS ]
  [ NO-ASSIGN ]
  [ NO-ROW-MARKERS ]
  [ NO-LABELS ]
  [ NO-BOX ]
  [ FONT constant]
  [title-phrase]
  [ NO-VALIDATE ]
  [ NO-SCROLLBAR-VERTICAL | SCROLLBAR-VERTICAL ]
  [ ROW-HEIGHT-CHARS | ROW-HEIGHT-PIXELS ]row-height
  [ FIT-LAST-COLUMN ]
  [ EXPANDABLE ]
  [ NO-EMPTY-SPACE ]
  [ DROP-TARGET ]
  [ NO-AUTO-VALIDATE ]
[ constant ] DOWN [ WIDTH width]
The constant value is the number of rows displayed in the browse and must be at least 2. You can optionally specify the width of the browse, where width is the width of the browse in character units.

A browse-options-phrase must contain a DOWN option or a size-phrase.

size-phrase
Specifies the outer size of the browse border. When this option is used instead of the DOWN option, the AVM determines the number of rows that can be displayed in the browse. Following is the syntax for size-phrase: 
{ SIZE SIZE-PIXELS }width BY height

For more information on size-phrase, see the SIZE phrase reference entry.

A browse-options-phrase must contain a DOWN option (optionally with a WIDTH option) or a size-phrase.

FGCOLOR expression
Specifies the foreground color for the browse in graphical environments, but not the label foreground color. The value of expression must be an integer value that specifies an entry in the color table. This option is ignored in character environments.
BGCOLOR expression
Specifies the background color for the browse in graphical environments. The value of expression must be an integer value that specifies an entry in the color table. This option is ignored in character environments.
DCOLOR expression
Specifies the display color for the browse in character environments. The value of expression must be an integer value that specifies an entry in the color table. This option is ignored in graphical environments.
PFCOLOR expression
Specifies the prompt color for the browse in character environments. The value of expression must be an integer value that specifies an entry in the color table. This option is ignored in graphical environments.
LABEL-FONT constant
Specifies the font of the browse labels.
LABEL-DCOLOR expression
Specifies the display color for the browse labels in character environments. The value of expression must be an integer value that specifies an entry in the color table. This option is ignored in graphical environments.
LABEL-FGCOLOR expression
Specifies the foreground color for the browse labels in graphical environments. The value of expression must be an integer value that specifies an entry in the color table. This option is ignored in character environments.
LABEL-BGCOLOR expression
Specifies the background color for the browse labels in graphical environments. The value of expression must be an integer value that specifies an entry in the color table. This option is ignored in character environments.
[ MULTIPLE | SINGLE ]
Specifies whether multiple rows can be selected from the browse or only a single row at one time. The default is SINGLE.
[ SEPARATORS | NO-SEPARATORS ]
Specifies whether row and column separators are displayed within the browse. The default is NO-SEPARATORS.
NO-ASSIGN
Disables automatic writes on new data in an updateable browse. If this option is not specified, data entered into an updateable browse is assigned on any action that results in a ROW-LEAVE event. This option is intended for use with user-defined triggers on the ROW-LEAVE event. Essentially, when this option is specified, you must make all data assignments by way of the updateable browse. 
ON ROW-LEAVE OF my-browse DO:
  IF Customer.State:SCREEN-VALUE IN BROWSE my-browse NE "MA" THEN DO:
    MESSAGE "Customer is out of state."
    RETURN NO-APPLY.
  END.
  
  /* Your code. Transaction scope is up to you. */

  FIND CURRENT Customer.
  IF NOT CURRENT-CHANGED Customer THEN
    ASSIGN INPUT BROWSE field1 field2 field3 field4.
  ELSE MESSAGE "Record has changed since last read.".
END.

In the above example, the code looks for a special case where automatic database writes are not desirable and prevents them. The body of the trigger handles other processing before proceeding to commit the changes. First the trigger refinds the current Customer record and then uses the CURRENT-CHANGED function to see if it has changed while the user was updating the browse cells. If it has not changed, the changes are committed. If it has changed, the trigger would handle that condition, too.

Note that an ASSIGN statement with the INPUT BROWSE option can be mixed with other assignment types, as shown:

ASSIGN
  Name
  a = b
  INPUT FRAME my-frame c d
  INPUT BROWSE my-browse order-date promise-date
  INPUT e.
NO-ROW-MARKERS
By default, an updateable browse displays row markers, which allow the user to select currently displayed rows in an updateable browse widget. This option prevents row markers from being displayed.
NO-LABELS
Does not display labels above the columns of the browse.
NO-BOX
Does not display a box around the browse. If you do not use this option, the AVM displays a box around the data you are displaying.

If you are sending data to a device other than a terminal and you do not use this option, the AVM omits the sides and bottom line of the box and replaces the top line with blanks.

FONT constant
Specifies the font of the browse. Labels also use this font, unless otherwise specified.
title-phrase
Displays a title as part of the top line of the box around the browse. For example: 
TITLE [ DCOLOR expression][ title-string ]

The title-string is a constant, field name, variable name, or expression whose result is a character value. The expression is the value you want to display as a title. If title-string is a constant character string, it must be surrounded by quotes (""). The AVM automatically centers title-string in the top line of the browse box.

You can use the DCOLOR option to specify the color of the title under a character user interface.

You cannot specify the title color or font of a browse in a graphical interface.

NO-VALIDATE
Tells the AVM to ignore the validations conditions in the schema for all fields in the browse.

Since browses do not inherit the NO-VALIDATE option from a parent frame, if you want a browse to have this option, you must specify it explicitly.

NO-SCROLLBAR-VERTICAL | SCROLLBAR-VERTICAL
Indicates whether the browse displays a vertical scrollbar. The default is to display the vertical scrollbar.
ROW-HEIGHT-CHARS | ROW-HEIGHT-PIXELS row-height
An integer representing the browse's row height in either characters or pixels.

This option applies to graphical interfaces only.

FIT-LAST-COLUMN
Allows the browse to be displayed so that there is no empty space to the right and no horizontal scroll bar by potentially widening or shrinking the last browse column's width.

This option applies to graphical interfaces only.

When this option is specified, and the last browse column can be fully or partially displayed in the browse's viewport, then the last browse column's width is adjusted so that it fits within the viewport with no empty space to its right and no horizontal scroll bar.

If the last browse column is fully contained in the viewport with empty space to its right, it grows so that its right edge is adjacent to the vertical scroll bar.

If the last browse column extends outside the viewport, it shrinks so its right edge is adjacent to the vertical scroll bar and the horizontal scroll bar is not needed.

The default value is FALSE.

Note: The FIT-LAST-COLUMN option performs the same function as the EXPANDABLE option. Progress Software Corporation recommends that you use the FIT-LAST-COLUMN option instead of the EXPANDABLE option. This recommendation includes replacing EXPANDABLE with FIT-LAST-COLUMN in your current code.
EXPANDABLE
If you set a browse's EXPANDABLE option to TRUE, the AVM extends the right-most browse column horizontally to the browse's right edge, if necessary, to cover any white space that might appear there — unless you explicitly set the width of the right-most browse column using the WIDTH-CHARS or WIDTH-PIXELS option. The expansion of the right-most browse column might occur anytime the browse or another browse column is resized.

The right-most browse column expands only when there is no horizontal scroll bar. This is because when there is a horizontal scroll bar, no white space appears between the right edge of the right-most browse column and the right edge of the browse.

Note: The EXPANDABLE option performs the same function as the FIT-LAST-COLUMN option. Progress Software Corporation recommends that you use the FIT-LAST-COLUMN option instead of the EXPANDABLE option. This recommendation includes replacing EXPANDABLE with FIT-LAST-COLUMN in your current code.
NO-EMPTY-SPACE
Allows the browse to display with no empty space to the right and no horizontal scroll bar.

You cannot specify both NO-EMPTY-SPACE and FIT-LAST-COLUMN for the DEFINE BROWSE statement. If you specify both, the compiler displays an error message. If you set either the NO-EMPTY-SPACE option or the DEFINE BROWSE option to TRUE and one of them is already TRUE, a warning message displays at run time.

NO-AUTO-VALIDATE
Tells ABL to compile into the code all relevant validations it finds in the OpenEdge Data Dictionary, but to run the validations only when the code for a browse or a browse column specifically invokes the VALIDATE() method.
CONTEXT-HELP-ID expression
An integer value that specifies the identifier of the help topic for this browse in a help file specified at the session, window, or dialog box level using the CONTEXT-HELP-FILE attribute.
DROP-TARGET
Indicates whether the user can drop a file onto the object.
TOOLTIP tooltip
Allows you to define a help text message for a browse widget. The AVM automatically displays this text when the user pauses the mouse pointer over a browse widget for which a ToolTip is defined. You can add or change the TOOLTIP option at any time.

If TOOLTIP is set to "" or the Unknown value (?), then the ToolTip is removed from the browse. No ToolTip is the default. ToolTips are supported in Windows only.

Examples

This procedure sets up a read-only browse widget for the Customer table. The browse displays the CustNum and Name fields. A separate frame, f2, displays more information on the currently chosen Customer.

r-browse.p 

DEFINE QUERY q1 FOR Customer.
DEFINE BROWSE b1 QUERY q1 DISPLAY CustNum Name
   WITH 17 DOWN TITLE "Customer Browse".

DEFINE FRAME f1 b1
  WITH SIDE-LABELS AT ROW 2 COLUMN 2.
DEFINE FRAME f2
  WITH 1 COLUMNS AT ROW 2 COLUMN 38.

ON VALUE-CHANGED OF b1 DO:
  DISPLAY Customer EXCEPT Customer.Comments WITH FRAME f2.
END.

OPEN QUERY q1 FOR EACH Customer.
ENABLE b1 WITH FRAME f1.
APPLY "VALUE-CHANGED" TO BROWSE b1.
WAIT-FOR WINDOW-CLOSE OF CURRENT-WINDOW.

The VALUE-CHANGED event occurs each time the user selects a row within the browse widget. The associated database record is automatically placed into the record buffer. The trigger on the VALUE-CHANGED event displays that record in frame f2.

The APPLY statement causes the first Customer record to display before the user selects a record.

The second example sets up an updateable browse that displays some fields from the Customer table. Select a row marker to select a row. Select a cell to edit it. Select a column label to initiate a search. (The trigger on ROW-LEAVE is only necessary because the NO-ASSIGN option prevents automatic commitment of the data when the user leaves a row.)

r-brows2.p 

DEFINE VARIABLE method-return AS LOGICAL NO-UNDO.

DEFINE QUERY q1 FOR Customer SCROLLING.
DEFINE BROWSE b1 QUERY q1 NO-LOCK DISPLAY Customer.CustNum Customer.Name 
  Customer.Phone ENABLE Customer.Name Customer.Phone 
  WITH 15 DOWN NO-ASSIGN SEPARATORS.
DEFINE BUTTON button1 LABEL "New Row".
DEFINE FRAME f1 
  SKIP(1) SPACE(8) b1 SKIP(1) SPACE(8) button1
  WITH NO-BOX.

ON ROW-LEAVE OF b1 IN FRAME f1 DO: /* No-Assign Browser */
  /* If new row, create record and assign values in browse. */
  IF b1:NEW-ROW THEN DO:
    CREATE Customer.
    ASSIGN INPUT BROWSE b1 Customer.Name Customer.Phone.
    DISPLAY Customer.CustNum WITH BROWSE b1.
    method-return = b1:CREATE-RESULT-LIST-ENTRY().
    RETURN.
  END.
  /* If record exists and was changed in browse, update it. */
  IF BROWSE b1:CURRENT-ROW-MODIFIED THEN DO:
    GET CURRENT q1 EXCLUSIVE-LOCK.
    IF CURRENT-CHANGED Customer THEN DO:
      MESSAGE "This record has been changed by another user." SKIP
        "Please re-enter your changes.".
      DISPLAY Customer.CustNum Customer.Name Customer.Phone WITH BROWSE b1.
      RETURN NO-APPLY.
    END.
    ELSE /* Record is the same, so update it with exclusive-lock */
      ASSIGN INPUT BROWSE b1 Customer.Name Customer.Phone.
      /* Downgrade the lock to a no-lock. */
      GET CURRENT q1 NO-LOCK.
  END.
END.

ON CHOOSE OF button1 IN FRAME f1 DO: /* Insert */
  method-return = b1:INSERT-ROW("AFTER").
END.

OPEN QUERY q1 FOR EACH Customer.
ENABLE ALL WITH FRAME f1.
WAIT-FOR WINDOW-CLOSE OF CURRENT-WINDOW

Notes

See also

ADD-CALC-COLUMN( ) method, ADD-COLUMNS-FROM( ) method, ADD-LIKE-COLUMN( ) method, Class-based data member access, CLOSE QUERY statement, CREATE BROWSE statement, CURRENT-CHANGED function, CURRENT-RESULT-ROW function, DEFINE QUERY statement, DISPLAY statement, FIND statement, FORM statement, Format phrase, Frame phrase, GET statement, NUM-RESULTS function, OPEN QUERY statement, RUN statement

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