Field number in a group

[paulclaude]

A probably simple question:

I can identify a field in a group by its order inside the group:

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put "this" into fld 3 of group "test" of group "main"

but if I know only the fld ID, how can I get its order number (3 in my example) in that group (directly, without a repeat loop scripting)?

This

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put the number of fld ID myID of group "test" of group "main"

only returns the field number relative to all fields of main group.

Thanks

Paul

[bogs]

While I don't know the answer to your actual question, I'm curious to know why if you have the fields id, you don't just set its number to whatever you like, which would not require a loop.

Does the number have to stay the number for some other code in the program?

[paulclaude]

I need to obtain the field number in the group because I must know the "next" field, so adding 1 to that number brings me to it.

[jmburnod]

Hi,
What bogs said.
Just to be sure you want the number or the layer of a field
If you want the number of a fld I think you can't avoid a loop
Best regards
Jean-Marc

[jmburnod]

Why you dont use the name of your flds "MyField_1", "MyField_2" for group flds ? You may get the name of your fld at openfield, put it into a variable or a customprop of your group, add 1 to this name to know the name of next fld.

[dunbarx]

Hi.

ALWAYS name controls that have even a remote chance of being called upon in any referential manner. NEVER try to use layer number.

I use, for fields, "f1", "f2" at a minimum, and more descriptive names, like "city1", "city2" as needed. It is nice to be able to "read" which control is which during any sort of processing.

Are you comfortable with being able to deal with that sort of thing in, say, a repeat loop? Assuming you have some fields each named "f1", "f2", etc.

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on mouseUp
   repeat with y = 1 to the number of flds
      put y * 10 into fld ("f" & y)
   end repeat
end mouseUp

Now you never have to think about it ever again. The naming convention does all the work.

Craig

[bogs]

Are you comfortable with being able to deal with that sort of thing in, say, a repeat loop?

Oh now come on here! If we could have stuck up a repeat loop, this could have been answered probably in my post!

how can I get its order number (3 in my example) in that group (directly, without a repeat loop scripting)?

...and just for the record, I completely agree with Jean-Marc and Craig, name the fields sensibly and use a loop, it really is the easiest fastest way to get there.

IF for instance, the fields were named in almost any manner that is reasonable, you could compare the names against the childControlNames of group x, and then put the layer of that control into a variable or whatever. Not that you can't do it without reasonable names either.

How unreasonable can you get ?

From what I saw setting that picture up, the groups get layered first, then the controls for each group, i.e. First I put 2 buttons on the card, then grouped them, then put 2 fields, then grouped them all into a 2nd group, but the numbering goes outside group, inside group, button, button, field and finally field, just as it looks in the project browser.

*Edit - substitute the word "number" for "layer" and it is what you were asking about.

number

Type: function

Syntax:
the number of [card|cd|background|bkgnd|bg] {objectType | parts | controls}

If it is a locked field, you can also look for the target or last target.

[paulclaude]

Thank you all, I know there are many ways to refer to a field simulating its number (name, property) or to retrieve its actual number within a group (repeat loop).

My only doubt was whether a Livecode direct function existed (with the right parameters) to know this number: it does not exist, I take note of it.

Greetings

[bogs]

My only doubt was whether a Livecode direct function existed (with the right parameters) to know this number: it does not exist, I take note of it.

If that is what you got out of what I posted last, I completely failed in my explanation.

[paulclaude]

My only doubt was whether a Livecode direct function existed (with the right parameters) to know this number: it does not exist, I take note of it.

If that is what you got out of what I posted last, I completely failed in my explanation.

Hi Bogs,maybe my explanation is misspelled (sorry for my elementary English).

I know many workarounds to resolve this problem. I only asked for a direct Livecode function (if it exists).

Example: I have a group "B" within another group "A". This group "B" only have 3 fields. Knowing only the target field ID (field that is the second of this group "B"), if I write:

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put  the number of fld ID 6890 of group "B" of group "A"... 

it gives me 13.
If I write:

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put  the layer of fld ID 6890 of group "B" of group "A"... 

it gives me 64.
I needed the function returns 2

That was my original problem.

[jmburnod]

Hi PaulClaude,
I think there is not a direct Livecode function to do what you want, but you may roll your own function
Best
Jean-Marc

[paulclaude]

Hi PaulClaude,
I think there is not a direct Livecode function to do what you want, but you may roll your own function
Best
Jean-Marc

Yeah, I think so too.

[bogs]

Then you need to learn to use and love childControlNames, because you are not looking for the number or layer of the field, but it's order within the group.

This video may make it clearer for you, but in essence, to find the order of a control within a group within a group within yet ANOTHER group is no more difficult than figuring out its line number, which you can do with code from the previous post, and without a repeat loop.

[dunbarx]

Hi.

This?

If I have a group ("grp2") of fields that are within another group ("grp1") of fields, and I want the ID of the field in grp "grp2" that has the ID "targetID":

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on mouseup
   repeat with y = 1 to the number of flds in grp "grp2"
      if the id of fld y of grp "grp2" = targetID then answer y
   end repeat
end mouseup

I get the number of the field I want. LC does the heavy lifting, since it only looks in the group you specify. More directly, you can simply get the second field in that group.

Am I missing it?

Craig

[paulclaude]

Hi.

This?

If I have a group ("grp2") of fields that are within another group ("grp1") of fields, and I want the ID of the field in grp "grp2" that has the ID "targetID":

Code: Select all

on mouseup
   repeat with y = 1 to the number of flds in grp "grp2"
      if the id of fld y of grp "grp2" = targetID then answer y
   end repeat
end mouseup

I get the number of the field I want. LC does the heavy lifting, since it only looks in the group you specify. More directly, you can simply get the second field in that group.

Am I missing it?

Craig

Yes, this is the loop "workaround" (that I've previously mentioned) that I actually use, Craig.