Column Slider Icons Not Working

[Joe Blake]

Although I have the TABLE CONTROL window selected and I see the column slider icons, the icons do not match up with the width of the table columns,

I have moved the slider icons, but the column widths are being stubborn and are not changing.

Additionally, the page controls also are not moving, remaining fixed.

I would try to change the widths in TABLES VIEW, but all of my views have disappeared on me(see prior post).

[Steve]

Hi Joe,

This maybe because the table editors are a fixed length in your table (see Field --> display length). The designer cannot show the exact width if you have lots of columns and the columns are all enterable, because there is not enough space to display them all.

Note that when you use the sliders, this automatically convert the widths to percentages.

Kind regards

Steve Upton

[Joe Blake]

The information about sliders and percentages is a nice tidbit.

Thanks. Hope I can remember it!!!

[Joe Blake]

Ok,

I have FORM CD_EXERCISE, and in the FORM window I have PAGE PAGE_1.

In PAGE_1 I have a table being displayed. In OUTLINE VIEW I see the table and the fields of the table.

In WYSISYG view I select a column/field, CD ID. The OUTLINE VIEW has this field highlighted. Currently the FIELDS view is empty.

I goto PROPERTIES view, and then STYLE area, and select CONTROL STYLE dialog button(...).

This gives me a STYLING ASSISTANT: FIELDCOLUMN2.

On the COLUMN tab, the width shows as 3.

Is this where you want me to be?


If so, how do I set the column to allow me to change it in WYSIWYG

[Steve]

Hi Joe,

Have you many columns on the page. The value 3 does not sound very much to me.

You can set the width values either manually in the column style assistant as described in your last post. You can set each column width to either percentage %, px (pixels), em etc.... with a value e.g 250 px, or 50 %

or you can select the table control and use the sliders. The sliders will automatically adjust the columns into percentage widths regardless of the value set before.


Steve

[Joe Blake]

So you can see what I am doing, I am using this tutorial:

http://dev-docs.verj.io/ufs/doc/tables_tutorial.htm

so I only have 6 fields. Some of them are longer than they need to be. But one of the purposes of the exercise is to learn how to change widths.

The first field length was 3. I have not changed it yet.

If you goto the link, I am about 1/3 of the way through the tutorial, where the window CD_EXERCISE is shown.

The difference between the window shown in the tutorial and my window is the column width slider icons don't line up with the field columns, whereas the tutorials do. In a previous tutorial I didn't have this problem, the icons lined up with the columns and I was able to move them as needed. On my screen I cannot move the sliders to change the field width and cannot get the page controls to move(I assume they are locked with a field).

So, at this time:

1. I will change the field lengths as indicated in my last post, but I still haven't been able to find the parameter you previously suggested I check:

"This maybe because the table editors are a fixed length in your table (see Field --> display length)"

Should I change this field to a % as opposed to a pixel/in width?

2. Are the page controls locked to a field?

[Jon]

Joe,

The reason why you are seeing these discrepancies is down to the way that widths are handled in HTML tables - this is the HTML specification, nothing to do with Ebase. Basically, widths are flexible: you can supply column widths as percentages or pixel values but a browser will always treat these as a guideline and will change them if it needs to. One thing that causes this is using a input text box with a length that exceeds the column width value. This input length is always honored by a browser and will override the column width and the column will appear to stretch. The Ebase page designer is behaving the same as a browser and you are seeing the same effect. The yellow width slider icons show you what has been set for column widths but the table is behaving the same as a browser therefore the two don't line up. You can check this is the case by setting all columns to display only - this removes the input boxes and everything should line up instantaneously. To do this, select the Table Column in the outline view and set the Display Only property.

This behaviour is very sensitive to the actual width available, so if you maximize the page view window (double click the blue bar at the top) you'll probably see some changes. Also when you submit the form to a browser, you probably have more width available than you do in the designer so your requested column widths are more likely to be honored.

Hope this all makes sense. There are ways that you can change this flexible table width behaviour but to be honest, you probably don't want to. Most of the time it's a good thing.

Regards
Jon

[Joe Blake]

You have no idea how thrilled I am at your response.

Not only do you understand what is going on, you are able to explain it in a manner that allows me to understand.

And, even better than that, it all makes perfect sense.

Now, all I have to do is remember this...

[Joe Blake]

So, as I understand the situation:

There are 2 different widths in regards to a field:

1. Column Width-
Set by
right clicking a Table Field in the OUTLINE View and going down to
left click STYLE and then goto the COLUMN TAB and change the width.

For my table, field column width CDS-CD_ID is set to 9.

As I understand it, the column width should always be at least as wide as the DISPLAY LENGTH or else trouble is a brewin'...the field may not be completely shown. Is this correct?

In the documentation regarding Column Width, there is a note that says "It is recommended that the same width unit is used for all columns within a table." I assume this means pixel, in, %. But I don't see where to see the pixel, in, %.....WAIT....There it is....WAAAAAY off to the right. Wow. Why is it so hard to see when it is right where it should be? Maybe the WIDTH text box is a little longer than it has to be!!!! By about 500%, 200 Pixels, or 2.5"!!!!

2. Display Length
Set by going to TABLE view and
left click on the Table Field. The Properties tab will change,
left click on the DISPLAY LENGTH value in the Presentation section.

For my table, the DISPLAY LENGTH for field CDS-CD_ID is set to 10.

CONFLICT HERE, correct? Column width < Field length.

[Jon]

Not so simple I'm afraid. The display length is the number of characters that can be entered into the input box. Whereas the column widths are CSS units: %, em, px etc. There's no simple relationship between these two: the width of a character depends on font, font size etc. This is all HTML history - the input box with number of characters came first then CSS got added quite a few years later.

[Joe Blake]

Understood.

Thanks.