Lessons Learned(from the Simple HTML Editor)

A Presentation for the

Microsoft Access SIG

of the North Texas PC User Group

by Larry Linson

.© Copyright 2000 by L.M. Linson, all rights reserved

Specifications

Prepare a Microsoft Access database Simple text editor for SIG Leader Allow addition of new records Allow deletion of existing records Allow editing of new and existing records

Specifications

Automate insertion of HTML markup– <P> for paragraph– <BR> for break (new line)– <B> for bold– <I> for italic– <A> for link or anchor

Supply appropriate ending markup

The Plan . . .

Main form allows:– Display– Selection– Addition– Deletion– Editing

Click button for function

The Plan, cont’d

Popup Form for Link– Universal Resource Locator (URL)– Option to open in new Window– Text to be displayed

Anchor markup deferred (not to be done)

Seems Simple Enough . . .

Combo Box for Selection Text Box for Title / Identification Text Box for Date (default to Today) Text Box for HTML Text Buttons for Add, Delete, Close, Markup

Seems Simple Enough, cont’d

Processing markup– when a Markup button is clicked

– use the Text Box .SelStart and .SelLength properties to

– Split the text,

– Insert the beginning markup,» precede by new line if <P> or <B>

– Reinsert highlighted text, if appropriate,

– Insert the ending markup, if appropriate,

– Append the remainder of the original

Seems Simple Enough, cont’d Processing a Link

– When the Link button is clicked

– Open the popup, dialog Form

– Text Box for URL

– Disabled Selection, Text Boxes for Anchor

– Text Box for Display Text

– OK Button

– Cancel Button

Seems Simple Enough, cont’d Processing a Link

– Display the highlighted text in URL Text Box

– Display the highlighted text in Display Text Box» if no text was highlighted, leave both empty

– Allow Cancel

– If OK, create a link of the form<A href=“http://www.abc.com” target = “_new”> Site Name </A>

– where href contains contents of URL Text Box

– “Site Name” is contents of Display Text Box

Seems Simple Enough, cont’d When done with any markup, return the

cursor To the HTML Text Box on the main Form With the originally highlighted text still

highlighted Except, if a Link, with the Display Text

highlighted

Let’s Take a Look

at how the

SIG Leaders HTML Editor

turned out

First Lesson Learned When you move off a TextBox

– Highlighting vanishes– No SelStart– No SelText

Workaround– Save SelStart and SelText in the LostFocus

event

Another Lesson Learned When you store modified text

– Back into the text box– You are back at the beginning – Nothing highlighted

Workaround– Modify the saved SelStart and SelText values

and reset them so the same text is highlighted as before the markup

Side Lesson When you reset the SelStart and SelText

– Highlighted code will be visible– But not where you left it positioned – May be at bottom of box

Workaround– I couldn’t find one

Yet Another Lesson Learned Vanishing highlights

– If the modal popup dialog had been used– Sometimes no SelStart and SelText– Why? I didn’t figure it out!

Workaround– Save SelStart and SelText values in the KeyUp

event instead of Lost Focus

Conclusion

There are some unobvious stumbling blocks There are workarounds for most There are no workarounds for a few You can write an editor in Access BUT There are probably better tools for writing

editors

Thank you

Thank you for your kind attention

Please come again And, please . . .

– Gently wake your neighbor before leaving