the database fields have not been populated and are all null… Do I have to do something to make project_name, project_desciription the values that I see on the screen…
Obviously I have setup the globals.project_description variable up.
But why is project_name and project_description null in the code yet I can see them on my form (I have checked this in debug mode). The forms datasources are from the “project” table and are called “project_name” and “project_description”? Why are these null in the code when on the screen they are showing a value at the time I do the assignment. Do you have to refer to the table fields in a certain way, is there a scope for them where they are not seen… I hope I am making sense.
I also note from the CRM example. Fields change there background colour and Servoy does not do this immediately (looking at debug). These fields only changes the colour when the program returns for user input… I think I am missing some fundamental understanding of how Servoy works and would appreciate a little bit of direction…
So you filled the fields project_name and project_description by hand and then if you run a method they seem empty? That should not be the case.
How is the method triggered?
Is that a method from that same form? Otherwise you also have to specify the formname, like: forms.yourformname.project_name
Welcome to the happy band of Servoy users. I’ve been working with the platform for about 2 years now, and I’m glad that I switched (came from MSAccess). I still consider myself somewhat of a rookie, so don’t feel bad if things don’t always “click” for you right away.
The documentation gets better and better all the time. Unlike other platforms, I think that they do assume a certain amount of experience in the people using Servoy. You can go to Amazon and get 20 or 30 books to help you get started in something like Access, or Filemaker, or what have you, and that just doesn’t exist for Servoy. There are plenty of resources to help you, tho, and I think half the battle of becoming competent in Servoy is learning where to look for things. Of course, that’s probably true for anything, but it becomes important in Servoy because we don’t have the luxury of going on Amazon and ordering the latest “Servoy cookbook”. Someone did write an electronic book of sorts that is kind of a “beginner’s guide”; it’s getting a little dated in its references, but it’s still a good thing to look at. The wiki is getting very good, but it can still be hard to track things down in there.
I have had the tremendous benefit of having a Servoy tech person, Jason, to work with while I’ve been coming up to speed on Servoy and building my first application with it. He is my “Obi-wan”, or as I like to refer to him, “Obi-Jason”. Unlike something like Access or Filemaker, I think that there are very few people who could wade into Servoy as a novice and start building things from the readily available information. You really need to work with someone who has experience with it. Well, at least, I did, or do.
The forum can be very helpful. But sometimes, not. About the only thing that concerns me about Servoy right now is when I ask a question about a particular error and get just silence as an answer. Especially when you consider that Servoy folks are on here as well. I’ve got a question like that on the forum right now, and while I figured out a way around it, I have no real idea why the error occurs, or for that matter, what the error is telling me. That’s kind of scary going into a production environment.
But I can say with confidence that Servoy is the right platform for me considering where I want to go with my product platform. I hope that you’ll find that to be true for yourself as well.
My opinion is that the Sevoy documentation needs to be better (sorry Servoy guys!). I think if the product is going to take off - which in my opinion (too) Servoy seems to deserve!!! How to learn and how to use Servoy when you are new is very important for the product uptake. I had two colleagues which were both goiung to learn Servoy and I am the only one that has stuck to it. My feedback from them they had no idea how to use Servoy and the learning curve was too steep without adequate documentation.
The turorials are good when they cover an area. I think there are a not enough of them. I don’t think any of the tutorials should cost or there should be enough free tutorials to understand the product.
I am an ex-foxpro developer. Foxpro documentation was great and I was able to learn the product. I guess you were right I was able to pick up the odd book for Foxpro which I guess made it easier.
The problem with Servoy documentaion is twofold, for me. First, I suspect the Servoy documentation is mainly there BUT when you search for a topic the right documentation is hidden by a lot of documentaion that you don’t want to see. So the issue is for Servoy would be somehow appreciate “how a new user will see Servoy” and to “prioritise key information”. The more I use Servoy the more I get to understand the design of how to use it - I am getting into the mindset of the product developers. I think Servoy is classes above Foxpro (at this moment in time)… Second, there are not enough examples in the documentation. I note that with Servoy they often use the same example over and over… what would help is much varying examples.
[ Finally, there nee to be more tutorials ]
ANyway, this Forum has made it possible for me to gradually move forward. Without the help from this forum I think I would have been lost. Each little piece of information allows me to move forward.
I started working on Db front ends using 4D a few years years ago. 4D was then not just a RAD application but an all-in-one product and obviously not in the same league as Servoy but you could build quite complex applications using a proprietary scripting language. 4D also had no books written by some external authors but the documentation was exceptionally well written and full of examples to guide anybody through the intricacies of development. Servoy is really an outstanding product but it has obviously been built by geeks for geeks. Until version 4 there was a printed documentation that was not exhaustive and not too clear, but at least you could read it end to end (almost) and slowly climb the learning curve. Now only the wiki exists, which is good for checking a syntax, not for learning. Studying requires linear reading, not the hypertext model of the wiki. But there is this forum, probably one of the best, where the people from Servoy and very friendly, experienced developers are always ready to help. Sorry for the OT.