Populating a field with dbcolumn

If you have the description and it's unique and the view's first column is sorted, you can get the price using
    price:= @dblookup("":"NoCache"; ""; "yourview"; description; "pricefieldname")
or if the price is in column 4 of the view, you can use
    price:= @dblookup("":"NoCache"; ""; "yourview"; description; 4)

You need to set the property Refresh fields on keyword change in the combobox.

I had tried that but it doesn't change, I must have something coded incorrectly.

For the view I have the following columns, the first column being sorted:

Stock Number
Description
Price
Description Price which has the formula   Description + "|" + Stock Number

So the combo box shows the Description Name, but has the Stock Number as the value


My combo box has the following code and I set the Refresh fields on keyword change

lutype := "Notes":"NoCache";
db :=  "";
View := "inventory";
col := 4;

@DbColumn(lutype;db;view;col)


The price field has the following code

lutype := "Notes":"NoCache";
db :=  "";
View := "inventory";
key := Description;
col := 3;

@DbLookup(lutype;db;view;key;col)


If I tried your code price := @DbLookup(lutype;db;view;key;col)  I get an error
"No main or selection expression in formula"

Impossible. @DbLookup can only search the FIRST sorted column of a view, and description is NOT the first column. It's best to make a hidden view for this purpose, first column to contain description, second column the price.

If you use just my formula, you will indeed get an error. If it's the formula in the Value-event, it is better to use
    price:= @dblookup("":"NoCache"; ""; "yourview"; description; "pricefieldname");
    @If(@iserror(price); 0; price)

Note:

So the combo box shows the Description Name, but has the Stock Number as the value


So it is searching the first sorted column

Actually, you should be doing this differently. Everything goes by Stock Number, and it's unique? Then you should store that number in the document, and the other info (if necessary) as well.

Make a view, sorted by Description, with a second column containing the Stock Number. Use a @DbColumn in the combobox for selection purposes. Make a computed field StockNumber, so when the user selects a description, hence a document, you can lookup the Stock Number in the same view and store it in the document.

Make a second (hidden) view with StockNumber as first column (assuming StockNumber is NOT a number but a text field). Then lookup the price using the stocknumber in this view using @dblookup(...; stocknumber; price_field_or_column). If you ever have to refresh the document's stock info, you can reuse the Stock Number. Using a Description as a permanent key is "not done".

Thus:
- combobox shows descriptions
- find the stocknumber using the description (@DbLookup(...view1...)
- find the price using the stocknumber (@DbLookup(...view2...)

Can I send you the database?  I really think I am really doing what you say.

You can answer to my email address   gmorrison@myway.com

Would not be fair towards the others, normally. When you send me the database (see my EE-profile for the address), then you automatically agree to send it to anyone who asks for it in EE. Be my guest, you can also prepare a db with only the form, and the views you prepared for the form.

Yes I agree with that

Got your db. Where is the formula to compute Price? The field Price should be Computed, not Editable, unless you want to allow your users to change the price. The formula should be like the last one I gave above. Also, TotalPrice should be a Computed field, with an appropriate formula. LBNL, I think you have to retrieve the StockNumber somewhere, since that is the official key to the item.

Read the documentation on @PickList, maybe that's something for you. One parameter of @Picklist is the column that should be returned after selecting something. This could be the stock number.

Sorry I was playing with that and deleted the formula, here is what I had

lutype := "Notes":"NoCache";
db :=  "";
View := "inventory";
key := Description;
col := 3;

price:= @DbLookup(lutype;View;key;col);
@If(@IsError(price); 0; price)

And you changed the field to Computed, with the formula above? Please change the word "price" in the formulae to something else, e.g. lu_price or so, so it won't interfere with the name of the field itself.

Eh, dinnertime here. Be back later.

I sent you a new copy of the database. I played around with Picklist, but couldn't quite get it to do what I wanted.

Please add Foghorn Leghorn as customer... My favourite!

Excellent I raised the points to 500, I think you went above and beyound on this one.

I will add Foghorn Leghorn as a customer :-)

Thank you! *bow* Most kind!

Eh, I don't want to discourage you, because the question isn't all that difficult. I think I should have seen the mistake without opening the design... You're learning Notes the right way: trial and error. One tip: grab a book about the Notes formula language, and read ALL functions that are available, so you'll know their names. The Designer Help database contains them as well.

Last encore: @PickList will only work well from a button. You need to add a button per line, each with a different formula. The end of the button formulae is to assign a value to Description using @SetField("Description"; descr). Once again, RTFM...

Sjef :)