G'Day,

I wonder if the following can be done. It would make QSLing and Award tracking so much easier.

Can the "form buttons" be removed from the "log form tab list"?

Can any field be "skipped" in the TAB list?

Can the "speed of typing" be adjusted?

QSLing is all about data entry. Tracking USA states is easy - the data can be entered automatically. Ditto for chasing Prefixes or DXCC. But, if one wants to track, Grid squares, German DOK, or JA JCC, or JCG, or WAB - Worked All Britan, or Russian Districts, or Oblasts - there can be a lot of data to enter.

Time is short for all of us. When dozens of QSL cads arrive at the same time, or the work is posponed for any reason until there are hundreds of cards, the more efficient one can be the better. If one reaches for the mouse - efficiency drops dramatically.

I create a Log Form specifically for QSLing the major DXCC entities, and a general combined form for the smaller entities. All the usual Info, Memberships, Other QSOs windows are open and visible.

Here is my log form for QSLing Russian cards ...



The focus starts with the QSL Rcvd field being "current" in the Log Form, and with the browse window indexed on CALL - (double click the heading).

I left click on S in the browse window, and enter the CALL from the QSL card. The first and last time I use the mouse.

I check the highlighted line in the Browse window for a matching QSO for the card. If it matches, I press C - to change the data in the Log Form. If not, the card is put aside for later analysis, and the process restarts.

The "QSL Rcvd" field is current, so I press F, and the cursor automtically moves to "QSL Sent". I press R, and the cursor moves to CQZ.

I then look at the card verifying, or entering the data in each field in turn, prsssing TAB as I go.

At the end of the process the cursor is back in "QSL Rcvd" and I press ENTER to return to the Browse window and type S to begin the search for the next card.

... and the process continues with the next Russian QSL card.

I have found the best part of the process is that it helps me remember to mark the QSL as received and decide should I send a card. In the past I often got involved in the other data on the card and forgot to mark the card as received or sent.

The process works a treat - my effiency has gone up.

But - the TAB list does not only loop through the data fields on the Log Form - it also moves through the BUTTONs on the bottom of the form partially destroying the efficiency of the work. It would be nice if these buttons where not in the TAB list - the cursor only moving in a loop around the form fields.

My form has the Userfields showing - I just want to monitor the data - I don't want to "TAB into it. Can a field be "skipped" in the TAB list?

When entering data in an "editied list" - IOTA, QRZ, ITUZ, JCC, JCG, RDA etc - one can type the code and the entry is found automatically - but only if one types at a consistent speed - type too slow and the wrong code is selected. Get it right, and one does not have to stop and reach for the mouse. For us "more elderly folks", can the speed of typing for "editied lists" be "user adjustable"?

My priorities:

Remove the buttons from the TAB list: High.
Skip a field in the TAB list: Low.
Make typing speed adjustable: Low.

These changes would allow me to make better use of my time - use what I save on "family maintenance".

Peter VK4IU

G'Day,

Thanks for checking this out.

Yes, you have the TAB process correct. Being able to reposition at the "first" entry on the form for the QSL is of great benefit. I installed .57. CTRL-HOME only works if CALL is visible on the log form. Any form for which CALL is hidden - does not respond to CTRL-HOME - nothing seems to happen. On the attached form, CALL normally does not appear - and CTRL-HOME does nothing. If I un-hide CALL, CTRL-HOME functions. Clearly, there are things happening with CALL in the form procesing - other QSOs, memberships etc. If I have to have CALL on the form, I can live with that, but would rather not.



By "speed of typing" I meant - the delay after I stop typing to when the List table respositions based on what I have typed. For JCC, if I type 140 <short pause> 14, the List table moves (when I pause) to "14001" rather than wait for the full "14014" that I wanted.

In the CQZ field. This is a trivial example, but more clearly illustrates the issue. If I want zone 36, but type 3 <short pause> 6, the List moves to zone 3, then zone 6, rather than the 36 I wanted. For zone 33, 3 <pause> 3, the List moves to zone 3, then zone 30. Trivial I know, but for longer fields like JCC, JCG, RBA, WAB etc, the issue is more serious.

It seems that when I pause in my typing, if the pause is longer than a certain length, what I have typed so far, is taken as the input, and the List table is repositioned.

I just set <double-click> speed to as slow as possible, and it seems to have had no affect on the above. I have also adjusted the keyboard "delay" and "repeat" settings which also had no affect.

Peter VK4IU

... batting ZERO is OK by me. Just stay at "home base", swinging at the ball!

Peter VK4IU

Ok, I was wrong about the mouse dblclick time controlling this. They updated VFP to have its own setting for keyboard timeout.

You can set the keyboard timeout for dropdown boxes SETTING the _INCSEEK system variable.

Go to tools/advanced/database commands. To see the current value, type

? _INCSEEK

The value is in seconds.

To set to 2 seconds, type

_INCSEEK=2

Valid range is .05 to 5.5

You can put this command in your startup .PRG in the UPDATES folder where you load your FLL as we discussed previously.

Let me know if any questions.

Tnx & 73,

Dennis WN4AZY

... I did a quick Google search and found this ...

INCSEEK at Foxpro Wiki

Setting INCSEEK too high may cause problems when one tabs to the next "drop down box" on a form. Given the form drop downs are all "seeking" on the Lists table it will be wise to keep the value at the minimum that works.

I will post what I find after some experience with the setting.

Peter VK4IU