The CSS based styles are great. But they don’t seem to be of much help when dealing with bordertypes… and a few other properties. Maybe I’m missing something, or, how can I set the default border type of an object type?
The same goes for default scroll bars…
Maybe I’m missing something, or, how can I set the default border type of an object type?
I’m having trouble with this, too, Christopher. I tried simply adding border-color and border-size properties, and modifying the border-type property, directly within the “field” class in the style sheet applied to a form.
If I change the background-color of the field class, it changes when I save the style. But the changes or additions to border properties within the field class do nothing.
So then I thought maybe you can’t add properties to the top-level class, so I created a subclass called field.myformfield and included border-width and border-color properties there. Then I selected all fields on the form and typed “myformfield” in the styleclass property for the selected objects as style elements. Also zero results.
Should I just keep patrolling the documentation and actually learn what the hell I’m doing?:lol:
Or is there a problem in Servoy for making changed or new field border properties actually show up on the form to which that style is applied?
Or do particular LAFs perhaps override some of the Servoy style classes? (I’m using the default LAF on Mac OS X)
Harriet
Our current style implementation does not include all the settings possible in the “borders” property.
One way to duplicate the same border - setup one object with the border you want, copy/paste and change the referenced field.
Hope this helps.
Hi Bob
do you know if these default settings are on the development list?
Being able to control the default border settings through out a solution would be great. Also security issues like disabling the “Delete All Records” command through out a solution would be great for piece of mind.
There are a few other settings which would be nice to be able to turn off by default rather than having to remember to do it manually on every form.
many thanks
Eugene
bcusick:
Our current style implementation does not include all the settings possible in the “borders” property.One way to duplicate the same border - setup one object with the border you want, copy/paste and change the referenced field.
Hope this helps.
This explains our troubles!
I’m currently converting my in-house FM7 system to Servoy. While development in Servoy is very fast, it could be even faster 
Style Sheets need to be extended
- I’m spending too much time resetting default border and scroll bars…
Just try placing a checkbox on a form. I need to:
- get rid of the border
- get rid of the scroll bars. Who the hell would want scroll bars on a checkbox ?
- make the background transparent
Stylesheets are great for what they do, but I hope more comprehensive style sheets are on the way!
Duplicating Forms
Every time I duplicate a form, I have to duplicate the scripts individually and reconnect them.
All my scripts reference functionality in modules, so they are typicallly one line scripts passing in one or two values. Modules are extremely powerful…
Script Parameters from Events
If there was a way of specifying parameters for scripts from the property panel, I could get rid of most my scripts…
i18n labels
If you have specified an i18n label for a field and you place that field again on another form it should default to the i18n label you have already used…
Assigning a dynamically created javascript global as a datasource for a field
This way I could get rid of most my globals… Alternatively, allow variables at the form level and let them be used as data sources.
Allow a SQL query with parameters as a datasource or
Allow database managed calculations
At present I have to double up Servoy calculations and PostgreSQL triggers in some places to get the expected effect. This seems to work fine, it is just a bit of extra work.
Anyway, Servoy development is reasonably fast, it just could be even better. I’m happy to say that the resulting Servoy system is much more responsive than my old FM7 system, even when running developer on Mac OS X, G4, 1500Mhz. Also, I have managed to fully integrate my phpbb forum running on MySQL into the system 
bcusick:
Our current style implementation does not include all the settings possible in the “borders” property.
Well that’s an important thing to know! (having just spent a couple of hours trying to figure out what she must be doing wrong… I should have asked a lot sooner, I guess.) Thanks for cluing me in, Bob.
Perhaps in the next version of the documenation that is published, then, the numerous references (both in the charts of properties, and in some actual code examples) to various border properties should be omitted. Even the Appendix in the developer’s reference, to which one is clearly referred in Help as the place that lists the actual Servoy CSS classes & properties, includes all kinds of different border properties that do not seem to be working.
Now, Christian (sorry for getting your name wrong in my earlier post!) noticed that there were “other” properties that he couldn’t make work either. Is there a list anywhere of properties that are not yet implemented? For example, which border properties can we use and which should we not waste time with? And what other properties that the docs talk about are actually on the unimplemented list? A table of these would be SO helpful – without it our only way of figuring out which style-props work and which don’t is by a time-consuming process of trial-and-error…
One way to duplicate the same border - setup one object with the border you want, copy/paste and change the referenced field.
Hmmm. Sounds a little like FileMaker Pro.
Hope this helps.
It does – I’m thankful to have been alerted to this issue. Thanks Bob!
Harriet
Hi Harriet,
there is a list in the online help and PDF manuals somewhere of the properties which are supported. One issue here is that while basic CSS border properties are supported, they don’t fully control the Servoy “bordertype”. Confused?
I like your comparison with FileMaker Pro Should motivate the Servoy team to prioretize this…
Hi Christian,
One issue here is that while basic CSS border properties are supported, they don’t fully control the Servoy “bordertype”. Confused?
Yes I am confused.
Is there any light that you can shine on what you mean by that and why there seems to be this iniquity ?
Cheers
Harry
Hi Harry,
I suspect it depends on how the widget is implemented, whether the Servoy crew can control the look. On a label, the CSS border properties work fine…
Ah, so you are saying that issues with CSS properties are object specific as opposed to global implementation problems
Harry
swingman:
there is a list in the online help and PDF manuals somewhere of the properties which are supported.
I’ve been following this thread with interest because I, too, have spent a good deal of my time aiming for success with style properties that do not seem supported, and are listed in the documentation as being supported.
For example, in the “Servoy CSS Style Properties” of the online Help, the introductory text says: “The following tables show the CSS properties, value(s), and examples for the style definition (and a style class definition) of each object supported in a Servoy style.” And then the following chart does include “fields” as in each object list for all the border properties.
I also double-checked the Appendix in the Developers Reference and all border properties are listed there, and are listed as being “shared” by all objects, as well.
Is there somewhere else within the documentation where the real list is shared with us?
And I agree with Harriet that mention of properties that actually cannot be implemented in real life (yet) should – if the work entailed would not detract from the development efforts that might actually add impelmentation of all the properties! – be omitted in the next version of the documentation… Nothing worse than spending a half-day trying to figure out what one is doing wrong, only to then learn that the product just really doesn’t do what the documentation says it does. At the very least, an “errata” or “advisory” or something might be published separately?
One issue here is that while basic CSS border properties are supported, they don’t fully control the Servoy “bordertype”. Confused?
Thoroughly. Another thing that would be most helpful would be a heirarchical chart that illustrates, beween LAF, skins, and styles, “what overrules what”. Otherwise the interface work in Servoy can be kind of like trying to play a game of Whist when nobody has said what is the trump suit. You just have to wait until you lose a hand to find out.
NOTE: THE DOCS ARE GREAT. SERVOY IS GREAT.
swingman also wrote (in response to Harriet):
I like your comparison with FileMaker ProShould motivate the Servoy team to prioretize this…
NOTE #2: Creating a form (“layout” in FileMaker-ese) goes so far beyond the formatting of objects. “Creating a form” means “pulling together all the tables, fields, methods, relationships, and calculations into the UI of an application in which the end-user works in order to accomplish his or her daily work.” That’s a big thing, and that’s what it’s all about! (You can write totally slick code but if the form ain’t workin’, the app ain’t workin’.)
Therefore, I’d like to say, given the nonmodal development environment and sheer power of Servoy, I would say that building a form for even a moderately sophisticated application (including all the assoiated programming pulled into the form) GOES ABOUT 5 TIMES FASTER IN SERVOY. I say that after a decade in FMP.
So, while I have complained in this post, it’s small potatoes, really!
kazar
swingman:
I like your comparison with FileMaker ProShould motivate the Servoy team to prioretize this…
Excellent we’ll schedule it for version 9 then.
Hi Kazar,
I agree that Servoy is very powerful and many things can be done in a fraction of the time of what it takes in FileMaker. There is also a lot of stuff which is simply impossible to do with FileMaker. But, there is still room for improvement… I’m also lazy. I like things done ‘right’ so I don’t have perform boring repetitive tasks
Another word of warning when trying out the CSS styles:
If you place a buggy CSS definition in your style sheet, the styles further down the list may fail silently. Sometimes, it is worth placing a new style right at the top if it does not work as expected…
Great Tip. A “keeper”. Thanks, Christian!
kazar
Border properties are also not exposed to methods. Our customer wanted a red border around fields when the user entry was not correct (a common web based UI feature). Having the ability to set simple borders and colors via method control would be great.
Best,
Rich Coulombre
Hi Rich,
It would be better to expose the style class to methods; then you can flip the style when the user inputs good/bad data. This keeps the ‘look’ separated from the logic.
Hai Rich,
You probably already do that but you can change fore- and background colors so that shouldn’t be an issue