SETAUTOCALCFIELDS Function (Record)
Sets the FlowFields that you specify to be automatically calculated when the record is retrieved from the database.
Syntax
[OK :=] Record.SETAUTOCALCFIELDS([Field1,Field2, …])
Parameters
Record
Type: Record
The record in the table for which you want to automatically calculate FlowFields.
Field1, Field2, …
Type: Field
The FlowFields that you want to automatically calculate. Each field must be defined as a FlowField and must belong to the same record variable.
To remove the automatic calculation setting on a field that you previously set with the SETAUTOCALCFIELDS function, you must call SETAUTOCALCFIELDS without parameters.
Property Value/Return Value
Type: Boolean
true if the record was set successfully; otherwise, false. If you omit this optional return value and if the record cannot be set to automatically calculate, then a run-time error occurs. If you include a return value, then you must handle any errors.
Remarks
FlowFields are virtual fields. The values in these fields are not saved in the table. This means that you must use either the CALCFIELDS Function (Record)or the SETAUTOCALCFIELDS function to update them. For example, if you retrieve records using the FIND Function (Record) and NEXT Function (Record), then the FlowFields in those records are set to zero (0). However, if you call SETAUTOCALCFIELDS before you retrieve the records, then when you call FIND and NEXT, the FlowFields values are automatically calculated.
When a FlowField is a direct source expression on a page or a report, the calculation will be performed automatically.
You can improve performance by using the SETAUTOCALCFIELDS function before looping through records with FlowFields instead of calling the CALCFIELDS function on each record in the loop.
The automatic calculation setting applies to the fields that you specify until the Record parameter goes out of scope or until you call SETAUTOCALCFIELDS without any parameters.
The fields that you specify in the Field parameters are added to any fields that you previously set with the SETAUTOCALCFIELDS function. Previously set fields are not overwritten when you call SETAUTOCALCFIELDS with different parameters. To clear the list of fields that are automatically calculated, call the SETAUTOCALCFIELDS function without parameters.
If you assign a record to another record variable, then the automatic calculation setting on FlowFields is not transferred with the record.
If you copy a record by using the COPY Function (Record), then the automatic calculation setting on FlowFields is copied with the record.
The Rec and xRec system variables are set to always automatically calculate FlowFields. If you call the NEXT function on Rec or xRec, then FlowFields in the record are automatically calculated.
Example 1
The first six lines of this example show how to use the CALCFIELDS function. The last lines of this example show how you can use the SETAUTOCALCFIELDS function instead of the CALCFIELDS function to improve performance.
This example requires that you create the following variable.
| Variable name | DataType | Subtype |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Record | Customer |
// Using CALCFIELDS
IF Customer.FINDSET THEN
REPEAT
Customer.CALCFIELDS(Balance,"Net Change");
… // Do some additional processing.
UNTIL Customer.NEXT = 0;
// Using SETAUTOCALCFIELDS
Customer.SETAUTOCALCFIELDS(Balance,"Net Change");
IF Customer.FINDSET THEN
REPEAT
// Customer.Balance and Customer."Net Change" have been auto calculated.
… //Do some additional processing.
UNTIL Customer.NEXT = 0;
Example 2
The following example shows how to add fields to the list of automatically calculated FlowFields and how to clear the list of automatically calculated FlowFields
This example requires that you create the following variable.
| Variable name | DataType | Subtype |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Record | Customer |
Customer.SETAUTOCALCFIELDS(Balance);
Customer.SETAUTOCALCFIELDS("Net Change");
// The previous lines are equivalent to the following:
Customer.SETAUTOCALCFIELDS(Balance,"Net Change");
// To clear the list of automatically calculated FlowFields so that no fields are calculated automatically, use the following code.
Customer.SETAUTOCALCFIELDS();