selecting multiple rows?
Does anyone know if it's possible to select multiple rows from an array
or outline field?
I haven't been able to find a way to do this, and the manual indicates
that for an outline field, there is a node focus that is separate from
the widget focus on the outline field itself. Similarly, the array field
has a row focus that is separate from the focus on the array field.
I'd like to let the user select multiple rows from a list by using the
standard Macintosh shift-click. In trying to simulate this behavior with
an outline field, I put some logic in to detect each shift-click and set
the IsSelected attribute for the previously selected node(s) to TRUE (to
override the default behavior of deselecting the previous selection), but
it's not working and I think it's because of the node focus issue. I can
see the previous selection getting highlighted, but it is quickly
deselected and only the currently selected row remains highlighted.
Any help would be appreciated.
Paula Cue
Paula Cue
Apple Computer, Inc.
phone: (408) 974-1105
e-mail: cue.p@apple.com
[1221 byte] By [
] at [2007-11-25 4:59:42]
At 11:12 AM 7/10/96 -0800, you wrote:
>Does anyone know if it's possible to select multiple rows from an array
>or outline field?
Paula,
Simple, easy answer - yes and no. You can't do multiple selection in the
standard way ("shift click"). But you can develop "select-act" user
interactions where the action takes place on multiple "selected" items.
The typical suggested workarounds are to embed checkboxes as attributes in
the outline or array field, and use the checkbox to delineate "selected"
rows from "unselected" ones.
Another mechanism for array fields is to change the row color. How to do
this is detailed in a tech note (it is not easy). Basically you'd maintain
an internal variable reflecting the current row color, toggle the row color
via a click ("shift click" is not possible still). When you take an
action on the selected list, you then loop through the array and act on ones
with the selection color toggle on.
Its too bad that it is this way. Multiple selection is such a fundamental
user interaction on all platforms. The above work arounds do "work" but
they are minimalist. You could, after all, build functional user interfaces
without buttons.
Regards,
John
>
>I haven't been able to find a way to do this, and the manual indicates
>that for an outline field, there is a node focus that is separate from
>the widget focus on the outline field itself. Similarly, the array field
>has a row focus that is separate from the focus on the array field.
>
>I'd like to let the user select multiple rows from a list by using the
>standard Macintosh shift-click. In trying to simulate this behavior with
>an outline field, I put some logic in to detect each shift-click and set
>the IsSelected attribute for the previously selected node(s) to TRUE (to
>override the default behavior of deselecting the previous selection), but
>it's not working and I think it's because of the node focus issue. I can
>see the previous selection getting highlighted, but it is quickly
>deselected and only the currently selected row remains highlighted.
>
>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>
>Paula Cue
>
>
>Paula Cue
>Apple Computer, Inc.
>phone: (408) 974-1105
>e-mail: cue.p@apple.com
>
>
**************************************
John Jamison
Sage Solutions, Inc.
353 Sacramento Street, Suite 1360
San Francisco, CA 94111
415 392 7243 x 508
john.jamison@sagesoln.com
at 2007-6-29 9:16:58 >
I have actually found that implementing the row highlighting capability
defined in the tech note to be somewhat straight forward. However, we ran
into a problem with highlighting when we attempted to resize the window
which changed the number of visible rows in the array field. While
attempting to fix this problem I found that the logic in the technote
(while the most efficient) is not as straight forward as it could be.
Also, if I remember correctly, you will have to write the logic to get the
next highlighted row - but is no big deal either.
I agree that this is fundamental behavior. Does anyone have any idea if
this functionality will be in an upcoming release?
-
Tony Elmore <tonyelmore@eosinc.com>
-
> From: John L. Jamison <john.jamison@Sagesoln.com>
> To: Paula Cue <cue.p@apple.com>
> Cc: kamranamin@yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: selecting multiple rows?
> Date: Wednesday, July 10, 1996 2:59 PM
>
> At 11:12 AM 7/10/96 -0800, you wrote:
> >Does anyone know if it's possible to select multiple rows from an array
> >or outline field?
>
> Paula,
>
> Simple, easy answer - yes and no. You can't do multiple selection in
the
> standard way ("shift click"). But you can develop "select-act" user
> interactions where the action takes place on multiple "selected" items.
> The typical suggested workarounds are to embed checkboxes as attributes
in
> the outline or array field, and use the checkbox to delineate "selected"
> rows from "unselected" ones.
>
> Another mechanism for array fields is to change the row color. How to do
> this is detailed in a tech note (it is not easy). Basically you'd
maintain
> an internal variable reflecting the current row color, toggle the row
color
> via a click ("shift click" is not possible still). When you take an
> action on the selected list, you then loop through the array and act on
ones
> with the selection color toggle on.
>
> Its too bad that it is this way. Multiple selection is such a
fundamental
> user interaction on all platforms. The above work arounds do "work" but
> they are minimalist. You could, after all, build functional user
interfaces
> without buttons.
>
> Regards,
> John
>
> >
> >I haven't been able to find a way to do this, and the manual indicates
> >that for an outline field, there is a node focus that is separate from
> >the widget focus on the outline field itself. Similarly, the array
field
> >has a row focus that is separate from the focus on the array field.
> >
> >I'd like to let the user select multiple rows from a list by using the
> >standard Macintosh shift-click. In trying to simulate this behavior
with
> >an outline field, I put some logic in to detect each shift-click and
set
> >the IsSelected attribute for the previously selected node(s) to TRUE
(to
> >override the default behavior of deselecting the previous selection),
but
> >it's not working and I think it's because of the node focus issue. I
can
> >see the previous selection getting highlighted, but it is quickly
> >deselected and only the currently selected row remains highlighted.
> >
> >Any help would be appreciated.
> >
> >
> >Paula Cue
> >
> >
> >Paula Cue
> >Apple Computer, Inc.
> >phone: (408) 974-1105
> >e-mail: cue.p@apple.com
> >
> >
> **************************************
> John Jamison
> Sage Solutions, Inc.
> 353 Sacramento Street, Suite 1360
> San Francisco, CA 94111
> 415 392 7243 x 508
> john.jamison@sagesoln.com
at 2007-6-29 9:16:58 >
