formatted memo question

I have a form field which I would like to use to modify a formatted memo table field without giving the user direct access to the underlying table.  I can get the table field to display in the form field, but when I try to update it the formatting doesn't seem to work.  (tab and enter keys take me out of the form field).  I have tried both undefined and defined field creation and the only difference is that I have to press F9 when entering text into the defined field version.  How do I enter formatted text into this field?

in the properties of the memo field on the form, you can change the font and attributes, and that might be all you're looking for

but if the point is to copy/paste formatted stuff from other places (Word, Excel, etc), some modern platforms don't transfer 100% correctly

formatted memo fields can be VERY problematic, when heavily edited, over time.. if possible, avoid them

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

Maybe I didn't explain the issue clearly.  I don't want to copy or paste things from other soruces.  I am trying to enter or modify the comments in a memo field in an existing table using a data entry field on a form.  The font property only chooses a particular font and font size.  This would help align columns only if the font were something like courier new.  Not what I'm after.  There does not seem to be any 'attribute' tab in the properties pop-up, and nothing in the pop-up that references using the tab key for horizontal spacing, or the enter key for next line within the memo field.  Nor can I find any reference in the Help function that would assign the "formatted memo" data type to the display field.  The end result should look like there are two columns of info, separated by tabs, with some additional comments either above or below them.  If I'm updating the field directly in the table in edit mode (F9) I can do that.  When I try it on the form, both the tab key and the enter key move me to the next field on the form.  When I modify the keyPhysical method trying to insert a tab or next line value into the field, I get the /t or /n literals inserted into the text. I am at a loss to figuring out how to make the display field behave like a formatted memo.

yes, that's a much more specific question :-)

either way, form or table, you should be able to  hit Field View (F2), or pick Field View from the menu

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

Well, if the field is a defined field, pressing F2 and starting to type getss me a message that I should press F9 to be in edit mode.  Typing then updates the table field directly, but it still doesn't let me enter a tab or nextline key.   When the field is an undefined field pressing F2 doesn't seem to make any difference.  After doing a little more reading in the Help function, I'm thinking at this point that I should go back to the keyPhysical method and try appending the VK-TAB or VK_RETURN values (instead of "/t" & "/n" literals) to the existing field contents.  I'll let you know if that works or not.

Ok, update to last comment.   That resulted in the numerical value of the key event being appended to the data.  So, no different from forcing a "/t" into the data.  I would have thought that if there is a formatted memo type indicator (F) available when you are creating the table structure that here should be a formatted memo data type available when you are generating the Var, endVar portion of a form or method.  But if there is, I can't find any reference to it in either the objectpal help or the manuals.

the data entry behavior, for memo and formatted memo, are essentially the same in a raw table session.. when you go to the field in edit mode, and hit F2 or Shift-F2, you get a "notebook" kind of screen.. you're in Memo View mode.. you're entering raw text, which includes tab, enter, and all the other ascii characters

but on a form, F2 puts you in Field View mode, Shift-F2 puts you in Memo View mode.. for a formatted memo field, that's not the same.. you need to be in Memo View mode to use tab, enter, and all the ascii stuff

but the point remains, you're still just entering the same "text" stuff, either way.. the purpose of the "formatted" memo, and all the other BLOB field options, was to allow it to contain stuff that paradox itself could not create.. that's one of the things all the "read to/from file" commands are for

over time, we found out that all of this BLOB stuff was mostly a really bad idea

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

OK.  The Shift F2 makes it work like I thought it should.  I'm sure that that is somewhere in the reference manual and I've been glossing over it.  I'll need to include a text reminder on the screen above the field in order to have the users update the field properly, :-)  but that's no biggie.  Thanks for the help.