Build Help functionality on the data entry Form of Hands-On 01, at the items' level.

During your prototyping iterations, the User thought it would be useful to have a Help option on the Form. A Help function will enable them to view descriptions of Form items as they move from item to item., and see helpful hints for each, on format requirements and  content. For example, date should be keyed in the format MM-DD-YY, or currency amounts displayed with the dollar '$' sign, with format mask $99,999.99.

In this “Hands-On” you will learn how to:  Use and change the Help, Hint, and format mask of properties.

Open the “customer_orders” form from the “iself” folder.

Click on the “customer_orders” form.

When the color changes to blue.  Change and then save the Form name as version 02.  (This way the original form is untouched.)

Choose the "Tools" option and select "Layout Editor."

Adjust the window if needed.

Select the "custid.” And open its "property palette” using right click.

Go to the “Tool tip” property and type "Enter customer id."

Click on the “Name” item.

Notice: the “custid” is changed to “name.”

Set "Display Hint" to "yes"; then type the hint on the "Hint" Box.

Press the entry key and then close the window.

You can do the same process for each item in the canvas.

You will change the “Comments” item properties and its layout.

Select the customer's frame and click on the “delete” key to remove it.

Select the "Comments" item and expand it to allow for multi-lines.

Open its "property palette."

Set "multi-line" to "Yes."

Close the window.

Go to the "Orders" tab.  Delete its frame.

Open the “orderdate” property and change its "format mask."

Press the enter key to apply all the changes then close the window.

Do the same for the "shipdate" item.

Press the enter key and close the window.

Select the "total" item and open its property palette.

Change its format mask.   (to $99,999.00.)

Change “justification” to right.

Close the window.

Go to the "items" tab.

Select "itemtot" and open its property palette.

Change its "justification" and "format mask" properties.

Do the same for the "actualprice" item.

Repeat the same for the quantity item ("Qty"), but don't change it's format mask.

Remove its frame; and then navigate through the tab pages.

Before to run the application, collapse all the "Data Blocks" objects.

Click on the "Run” icon, to compile and run the application.

If there are any errors in the compilation, you will get them this time.

Click 'Execute Query.'

Navigate through the application and test the modification changes.

Notice! On the “Orders” tab page, the format mask of “orderdate,” “shipdate,” and “Total items” were changed.

On the “Items” tap page, the format mask of “actualprice,” “qty,” and “itemtot” were changed.

Try to navigate to see the changes.

Notice!  The quantity item (“qty”) doesn't have comma.

Close the form.

Open the “Qty” item property and change it's format mask.

Close the property window and run it again.

Click “Execute Query” and navigate through its records.

Go to the customer tab and test the help function.

This is an example of tooltip.

This is an example of help hint.

On the comments box, write multi-lines comments to test the modification.

Save the changes.

Changes were saved.  Navigate through the records and see the changes.

Now, you should practice this over and over, until you become a master at it.

Good Luck.