ESTOP

{ESTOP: target_field_name,
        field_value = field_value
        [, field_display_value = field_display_value]
        [, page_title = message_to_display_to_user]
        [, button_yes = button_title]
        [, button_no = button_title]
        [, button_cancel = button_title]
        [, window_height = height]
        [, window_width = width]}

The ESTOP, or Extended Stop action allows the administrator to configure the the STOP action by providing a configurable message and configurable buttons that appear to the user when the action is triggered.  Note that the action rule must be used in conjunction with a "flag" field.  The reason is that simply introducing a pause into the pre-update process menas there is a likelihood that the rule will be executed again when the user clicks the continue button, and the ESTOP rule wlll then trigger again.  View the example below on how to use a field, which may be hidden from view to the user, to avoid this problem.

  • This action only works within a <== preupdate ==> rule directive
  • The target_field_name must exist on the form and be writable.  This parameter is required
  • The field_display_value parameter is only used with fields that have a POPUP display type (only list and user fields may be configured with POPUP attributes
  • The field_value must be provided
  • The page_title parameter is the message that will appear to the user within the popup dialog that is triggered with the action.  This message may contain valid HTML
  • The button_yes, button_no and button_cancel parameters allow you to display different labels on the Yes, No and Cancel buttons that appear on the popup dialog.  These are optional.  For example, you might only provide the button_yes and button_no buttons on the popup dialog
  • The window_height and window_width parameters should be integer numbers, for the height and width of the popup dialog window, expressed in pixels.

Example

As a precursor to executing this example rule, the administrator will have placed the CATEGORY field on the layout, and there will be a text field named FLAG_FIELD on the layout.  This field may be hidden.

<== preupdate ==>
if (PRIORITY!='High' && IS_HIGH_RISK = 'Yes' && RISK_FLAG_FIELD != 'Y') {
  { ESTOP: 'PRIORITY',
           FIELD_VALUE   = 'Yes',
           BUTTON_YES    = 'Yes, set the Priority to High',
           BUTTON_NO     = 'No, leave Priority as is',
           PAGE_TITLE    = '<b>This issue has been identified as High Risk, should the Priority be set to High?</b>',
           WINDOW_HEIGHT = 250,
           WINDOW_WIDTH  = 500
  };
  RISK_FLAG_FIELD='Y';
}

This will result in a popup when the rule is triggered.  This will have the message "This issue has been identified as High Risk, should the Priority be set to High?  There will be two buttons with the labels Yes, set the Priority to High and No, leave Priority as is. At the same time, the value of RISK_FLAG_FIELD is set to Y, which prevents the ESTOP rule from firing a second time.

Tip

It is not easy to read more than simple HTML for the PAGE_TITLE parameter within the rules editor.  You can consider entering the HTML into an HTML Area field, either hidden on the current form or held in a different Business Area / Project and accessed with a LINK directive rule.  Then you can simply refer to a hidden field within the same Business Area / Project like so:

PAGE_TITLE = field_name;