In this example we will open multiple windows for the same table. We will then open a Select dialog for each. This shows how multiple Select dialogs providing multiple selections and multiple previews for the same table can be opened and used at the same time.
We will use a table showing products, called the Products table, that is adapted from the nwind sample database. The table shows food and beverage products offered by a merchant. In the Project pane we double-click on the Products table to open it in a window. The table window is also called Products in the title bar. We alt-click the title bar of the window to undock it and then we re-size the undocked window to a convenient size.
Ctrl-Click on the record handles of two of Chef Anton's products to select them.
With the Products table window open we choose Window - New Window in the main menu to open a second window for the same table.
This window is named Products (2), indicating it is the second window open for the Products table. The window opens as a docked tab. We Alt-Click on the tab name to undock the window and then resize it as seen in the illustration above.
In the Products (2) window we Ctrl-Click on their record handles to select Grandma's and Uncle Bob's products.
We now have two windows open for the same table and each of them has a different selection. A selection is a property of a specific window. We can open multiple, different windows that show the same drawing or table and each such window can have a different selection.
We click on the Products window to move the focus to that window and we choose Edit - Select to launch the Select dialog for that window. We click on the Window tab of the dialog and see that it shows one other window, the Products (2) window, from which we can take selections to use in combination with the selection in the dialog's current window, the Product window.
If we Click on the Products (2) choice in the Window tab the Select dialog will preview what that selection is in blue preview color in the Products window served by the dialog. As we can confirm by checking the illustration for the Products (2) window seen above, the selection in the Products (2) window is indeed the two Grandma's and Uncle Bob's records.
We now click on the Products (2) window to move the focus to that window and then we click on the Edit - Select menu command to open the Select dialog for that window. We click on the Window tab and there we see the other window, Products, listed as a window from which we can combine selections with the Products (2) window served by this dialog.
The Select dialog can combine selections from all windows that are open for the same table, including table windows, drawing windows and layers in map windows that are all for the same table. If we open a Select dialog for any of those windows the Window tab in that dialog will list all the other windows open for that table.
In this example so far we have opened two windows for the same table, the Products window and the Products (2) window, and we have opened a Select dialog for each. The Window tab in the Select dialog opened for the Products window shows the only other window that is open for that table, the Products (2) window and conversely, the Window tab in the Select dialog opened for the Products (2) window also shows the only other window that is open for that table, the Products window.
In the Window tab for the Products (2) window's Select dialog we can Click on the Products choice to get a preview in blue preview color in the Products (2) window of what selection that would involve. Note that as seen in the illustrations above the selection in the Products pane is indeed the two Chef Anton's records.
With the focus on either the Products window or on the Products (2) window we can again choose Window - New Window to open yet a third window into the same table, which will be called Products (3) to indicate it is the third window open for that table. That window also opens as a docked tab, which we Alt-Click to undock so we can resize it as seen above. As yet there is no selection in the Products (3) window.
We choose Edit - Select to open up a Select dialog for the Products (3) window. We now have three windows open into the same table and each window has a Select dialog open. If we click on the Window tab we see that the Products (3) Select dialog shows selection options for the other two windows.
In the Select dialog for the Products (3) window in the Template tab we choose the Text Contains template, which opens two combo boxes. We choose the Name field for the Value and enter 'Cheese' in the Search for box. Right away the dialog previews the two records that would be selected, both with Cheese in their names.
We press the Replace Selection command button to select them.
In the illustration above the records are already selected. They would be seen in red selection color but since the preview in blue preview color is still active for the Text Contains template the records end up being shown in a blended color which is a combination of the red and blue colors.
If we click back onto the Products window we see that the Windows tab in the Select dialog for the Products window now includes the Products (3) window as well as the Products (2) window. The Products (3) choice automatically appeared in the tab the moment we opened the Products (3) window. If we Click the Products(3) choice to highlight it the preview of the selection it contains will appear in the Products window. That is, indeed, the selection in the Products (3) window, the two products that contain Cheese in their names.
Showing a reduced view (to fit into this documentation) we can see that we have three different windows open into the same table, with each window having its own Select dialog open. All three of the windows and all three of the Select dialogs can be utilized independently of the other windows and dialogs. We can make different selections in the three different windows and we can have different tabs active in the different Select dialogs and show different previews based, for example, on different templates or expressions or selections from other Windows.
Obviously it is very useful when working with bigger table windows and having multiple table windows open to have plenty of space available for our Manifold desktop by using multiple monitors. It also helps avoid confusion to group any open Select dialogs near to and grouped with the table windows for which they were opened.
Example tables - In this topic we use tables adapted from the ubiquitous nwind example database. To keep the illustrations as small as possible to fit into this documentation we will often take a moment to hide the mfd_id field and to hide other fields in the table window that are not being used or are not central to the example. We also frequently show dialogs overlapping the table windows. There is no requirement to overlap a table window with a dialog for that table window but doing so allows us to fit more dialogs and tables into a smaller illustration.
Transition from pre-Radian products - The Select dialog provides within a single dialog the functionality of the Selection Toolbar, Saved Selections pane and Selection Modes in pre-Radian versions of Manifold GIS.
Example: Using the Select Dialog Template Tab - A sequence of actions using Select dialog templates.
Example: Using the Select Dialog Saved Tab - How to save selections and then use them later.
Example: Using the Select Dialog Window Tab - How to transfer selections between windows.
Example: Multiple Windows with Multiple Select Dialogs - Open multiple windows for the same table and open a Select dialog for each. This shows how multiple Select dialogs providing multiple selections and multiple previews for the same table can be opened and used at the same time.
Example: Construct JSON String using Select and Transform - Use the Select and Transform dialogs to manually construct a JSON string using values from other fields in a table. Shows how we can manipulate text to build desired contents in a field.