Configurator - Setting intial value from a Character value

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1
Gibby wrote:
> That is similiar to what we are doing here. We take a string like:
> "THA23050668" Then take the third character for example and say that it is a color code or part style or something. We'd load using as you described from a csv with a progress program the dynamic list into the combo box and then would select the one we want via the character we are looking at in the string provided as a part number. This works fine, but trying to eliminate dependancies on CSV's. As we end up with a dozen or more per configurator because of the highly customizable end product. And there will be close to perhaps 20+ configurators potentially so maintaining that many CSV's could be a nightmare.
>

I'm working on something similar and not finished yet but maybe you
would be interested in it.

I'm creating a "Model Code Parsing" configurator. It takes a smart
string and parses the values and places the individual parts in global
variables. The parsing configurator then chooses the and the global
variables automatic (are supposed to) set the values in the called
configurator. I haven't tested this yet but this is my plan. You can
either start with the parsing configurator and have values filled in
where the user can then tweak choices or the user could call the
configurator directly and fill in each question.

Food for thought.

Mark W.
2
I have a configurator where everything is filled in via a smart string. Well my problem is that I have a comboa box, which is populated via a BAQ to give me like 40 options, and then with the criteria of the configurator filters the BAQ results to just one result. Now this one result is filtered via a character field with the criteria field. So it works super fast and gives me only one option which is what I want, but I want that to automatically be the intial value.

So question is how do I set an intial value from the first (or only really in this case) value in dyanmic produced list of a combo box in configurator? Ideas?
3
Hey Gibby,

> So question is how do I set an intial value from the first (or only really
> in this case) value in dyanmic produced list of a combo box in configurator?
> Ideas?

The only dynamic list that gives you the ability to set the initial
value is calling a Progress program. You can set the value there and
the field name is listed in the include file:


DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opListItems AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.
DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opInitialVal AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.

It may be possible to run your BAQ within the Progress program and set
it that way if there is only one record.

If the combo box depends on only one field, you may be able to do
something with the On Leave for that field too.

Finally, you could split it into two inputs: one combo box and the
other a text field. Use the On Leave of the Combo to set the Input.

Just thinking out loud...there's should be a more elegant solution.
Submitting a feature request so that BAQ dynamic lists can set a
default option wouldn't be a bad idea but it would have to be thought
out well first.

Mark W.
4
Thanks for the response. I guess it was more of a curiosity question if it was possible. Because I can and do in instances have progress .p programs called in an external onleave doing some of what you suggest.

But it was deploying using a BAQ that can only (As far as I know) be used with a dynamic list that was the issue. So saving time from creating a .p program based on what someone else may have done with BAQs is why I questioned how or rather it should have been if I can do this.

As far as using the BAQ to set the default idea was something like this: We have a customer number set to the configurator from externally (From order or quote) so it is an unknown to a character box, then run a dynamic list BAQ to get all the customer codes for their specific price code option for their discount. Works programically, but was something if it worked BAQ way was an option for future work was all.

Thanks.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, Mark Wonsil <mark_wonsil@...> wrote:
>
> Hey Gibby,
>
> > So question is how do I set an intial value from the first (or only really
> > in this case) value in dyanmic produced list of a combo box in configurator?
> > Ideas?
>
> The only dynamic list that gives you the ability to set the initial
> value is calling a Progress program. You can set the value there and
> the field name is listed in the include file:
>
>
> DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opListItems AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.
> DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opInitialVal AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.
>
> It may be possible to run your BAQ within the Progress program and set
> it that way if there is only one record.
>
> If the combo box depends on only one field, you may be able to do
> something with the On Leave for that field too.
>
> Finally, you could split it into two inputs: one combo box and the
> other a text field. Use the On Leave of the Combo to set the Input.
>
> Just thinking out loud...there's should be a more elegant solution.
> Submitting a feature request so that BAQ dynamic lists can set a
> default option wouldn't be a bad idea but it would have to be thought
> out well first.
>
> Mark W.
>
5
On our configurators, the initial value of a combobox from a dynamic list is always the very first entry in the list. We are using a progress program to load the data though. Let me know if you need me to post the source, as it isn't very big. We are reading from csv files into the combobox.

From what I am seeing, you want to look something up based on the customer number from the Quote or Order number? I believe we do that in our configurator. Let me know if you want to see code for this. Let me know the csv file format, with some test data also, and I can see if there's some easy way to set it up.
________________________________
From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gibby
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:32 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Re: Configurator - Setting intial value from a Character value



Thanks for the response. I guess it was more of a curiosity question if it was possible. Because I can and do in instances have progress .p programs called in an external onleave doing some of what you suggest.

But it was deploying using a BAQ that can only (As far as I know) be used with a dynamic list that was the issue. So saving time from creating a .p program based on what someone else may have done with BAQs is why I questioned how or rather it should have been if I can do this.

As far as using the BAQ to set the default idea was something like this: We have a customer number set to the configurator from externally (From order or quote) so it is an unknown to a character box, then run a dynamic list BAQ to get all the customer codes for their specific price code option for their discount. Works programically, but was something if it worked BAQ way was an option for future work was all.

Thanks.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>, Mark Wonsil <mark_wonsil@...> wrote:
>
> Hey Gibby,
>
> > So question is how do I set an intial value from the first (or only really
> > in this case) value in dyanmic produced list of a combo box in configurator?
> > Ideas?
>
> The only dynamic list that gives you the ability to set the initial
> value is calling a Progress program. You can set the value there and
> the field name is listed in the include file:
>
>
> DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opListItems AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.
> DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opInitialVal AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.
>
> It may be possible to run your BAQ within the Progress program and set
> it that way if there is only one record.
>
> If the combo box depends on only one field, you may be able to do
> something with the On Leave for that field too.
>
> Finally, you could split it into two inputs: one combo box and the
> other a text field. Use the On Leave of the Combo to set the Input.
>
> Just thinking out loud...there's should be a more elegant solution.
> Submitting a feature request so that BAQ dynamic lists can set a
> default option wouldn't be a bad idea but it would have to be thought
> out well first.
>
> Mark W.
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
6
That is similiar to what we are doing here. We take a string like:
"THA23050668" Then take the third character for example and say that it is a color code or part style or something. We'd load using as you described from a csv with a progress program the dynamic list into the combo box and then would select the one we want via the character we are looking at in the string provided as a part number. This works fine, but trying to eliminate dependancies on CSV's. As we end up with a dozen or more per configurator because of the highly customizable end product. And there will be close to perhaps 20+ configurators potentially so maintaining that many CSV's could be a nightmare.

So was experimenting with BAQ's but getting an initial value from BAQ seems to be a problem. Used wrong application as an example to make it relavent. Deciding on directions we want to pursue.

But I am curious how you make the first value of your combo box the intial value, is it with the progress code?

Thanks

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Paul E. Millsaps" <paulm@...> wrote:
>
> On our configurators, the initial value of a combobox from a dynamic list is always the very first entry in the list. We are using a progress program to load the data though. Let me know if you need me to post the source, as it isn't very big. We are reading from csv files into the combobox.
>
> From what I am seeing, you want to look something up based on the customer number from the Quote or Order number? I believe we do that in our configurator. Let me know if you want to see code for this. Let me know the csv file format, with some test data also, and I can see if there's some easy way to set it up.
> ________________________________
> From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gibby
> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:32 AM
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Vantage] Re: Configurator - Setting intial value from a Character value
>
>
>
> Thanks for the response. I guess it was more of a curiosity question if it was possible. Because I can and do in instances have progress .p programs called in an external onleave doing some of what you suggest.
>
> But it was deploying using a BAQ that can only (As far as I know) be used with a dynamic list that was the issue. So saving time from creating a .p program based on what someone else may have done with BAQs is why I questioned how or rather it should have been if I can do this.
>
> As far as using the BAQ to set the default idea was something like this: We have a customer number set to the configurator from externally (From order or quote) so it is an unknown to a character box, then run a dynamic list BAQ to get all the customer codes for their specific price code option for their discount. Works programically, but was something if it worked BAQ way was an option for future work was all.
>
> Thanks.
>
> --- In vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>, Mark Wonsil <mark_wonsil@> wrote:
> >
> > Hey Gibby,
> >
> > > So question is how do I set an intial value from the first (or only really
> > > in this case) value in dyanmic produced list of a combo box in configurator?
> > > Ideas?
> >
> > The only dynamic list that gives you the ability to set the initial
> > value is calling a Progress program. You can set the value there and
> > the field name is listed in the include file:
> >
> >
> > DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opListItems AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.
> > DEFINE OUTPUT PARAMETER opInitialVal AS CHARACTER NO-UNDO.
> >
> > It may be possible to run your BAQ within the Progress program and set
> > it that way if there is only one record.
> >
> > If the combo box depends on only one field, you may be able to do
> > something with the On Leave for that field too.
> >
> > Finally, you could split it into two inputs: one combo box and the
> > other a text field. Use the On Leave of the Combo to set the Input.
> >
> > Just thinking out loud...there's should be a more elegant solution.
> > Submitting a feature request so that BAQ dynamic lists can set a
> > default option wouldn't be a bad idea but it would have to be thought
> > out well first.
> >
> > Mark W.
> >
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>