Tech Tip: How to close out of a List form from the Close Box of a Detail form

PRODUCT: 4D | VERSION: 13.0 | PLATFORM: Mac & Win

Published On: June 22, 2012

To be consistent with Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) of both Mac and Window, a click in the Close Box should close the window of the root process. However, by default, in 4D if the user is in a Detail form, by default, clicking the Close Box does the same as clicking the Cancel button, it close the Detail form, returning the user to the List form. To exit the process the user has to click the Close Box a second time.

The instuctions and code below will give the user the default HIG Close Box behavior of completely closing all form windows, Detail and List, when the Close Box is clicked.

1) In both the List and Detail forms enable the Close Box form event property.

2) In the form, or appropriate object, method of the list form include the following code:

Case of
    :(Form event = On Close Box)
       CANCEL

    :(Form event = On Load)
       C_BOOLEAN(CloseListForm_B)

    :(Form event = On Double Clicked)
       If (Not(Locked([MyTable])))

          CloseListForm_B:=False

          MODIFY RECORD([MyTable]) // Modify the record
          UNLOAD RECORD([MyTable])

          If (CloseListForm_B)
             CANCEL // Close the List form as well
          End if
       Else
          ALERT("The record is currently in use.")
       End if

End case

3) In the form method of the Detail form place the following code:

Case of
    :(Form event = On Close Box)
       CloseListForm_B:=True
       CANCEL
End case

Now when the user clickes the Close box of the Detail form both forms will cancel and the process will be fully closed.