Save button should get enabled if changes are made to initial submission

Question

Under the form, I have a save button that will be disabled after the form submission. The button should be enabled if any changes are made to the data or a comment is added.Any help will be appreciated.

Stefan Helzle · Accepted Answer

I recommend to not implement one huge form covering all use cases. This becomes complex and hard to maintain. 
 But, to answer your question, add a local variable "isModified" and default it to false. Then add a a!save() to all fields to update isModified to true(). Then use that status to add some logic to the submit button. 
 Now, check my first sentence ...

Mike Schmitt · Answer

A simplified example: 
 a!textField(
 label: "my data",
 value: ri!textField1Value,
 saveInto: {
 ri!textField1Value,
 a!save(
 local!isModified,
 true()
 )
 }
)

Mike Schmitt · Answer

for any child interfaces where data could also be modified, and which would thus need to trip the "isModified" flag, simply pass in the "isModified" local variable into a rule input in the child(ren), and save into it from any relevant field(s) there.

Mike Schmitt · Answer

This would work except the way you've declared local!originalData , is causing it to automatically update any time any change is made to local!data. 
 Remember that a!localVariables() variables have a default behavior which assumes "refresh on referenced var change" is TRUE. That means, as you have it written, if you save anything into ri!orgValue (for instance), it automatically refreshes local!data, which by update chaining, updates local!originalData (which you don't want). 
 Luckily the fix is very simple. 
 local!originalData: a!refreshVariable(
 value: local!data,
 refreshOnReferencedVarChange: false()
 ) 
 With the above change in place, your "local!modified" variable should now properly hold its existing value in spite of updates made to the referenced variable.

Mike Schmitt · Answer

Also, this is not the correct name 
 The actual function name is "a!refreshVariable()" 
 Additionally the correct spelling of the parameter name is "refreshOnReference d VarChange" - not "refreshOnReferenceVarChange". The interface designer's built-in error messages should prompt you for these things.

Mike Schmitt · Answer

Here's a simplified, ready-to-paste example of exactly how this sort of thing can-and-should work, FWIW. a!localVariables(
 local!name: "Mike",
 local!date: today()-4,
 
 local!data: {
 local!name,
 local!date
 /*ri!datasubset,
 ri!transValue,
 ri!orgValue,
 ri!ageValue*/
 },
 local!originalData: a!refreshVariable(
 value: local!data,
 refreshOnReferencedVarChange: false()
 ),
 local!modified: not(
 exact(
 tostring(local!data),
 tostring(local!originalData)
 )
 ),

 a!formLayout(
 contents: {
 a!textField(
 label: "Name",
 value: local!name,
 saveInto: local!name
 ),
 a!dateField(
 label: "Date",
 value: local!date,
 saveInto: local!date
 ),
 a!richTextDisplayField(
 value: {
 a!richTextItem(
 text: "not modified...",
 showWhen: not(local!modified),
 style: "EMPHASIS",
 color: "SECONDARY"
 ),
 a!richTextItem(
 showWhen: local!modified,
 text: "Modified!",
 color: "POSITIVE",
 style: "STRONG"
 )
 }
 )
 }
 )
)

Mike Schmitt · Answer

Tan18 said: Whenever I do some changes to data buttons are not getting enabled 
 You should be troubleshooting this by viewing the values of the local variables in the interface designer's "local variables" pane as you enter new values for test inputs, etc. For instance you should be able to see the value of "local!modified" change, not just judging by whether or not the buttons become enabled. 
 As always, I suggest you start with simpler code that you can understand, and work up from there only once you absolutely understand what's going on. If it helps, see the simplified example code I posted above, which can be copied/pasted into a blank interface designer window and tested with.

Mike Schmitt · Answer

I'm a little confused at the context here, but for times where you need to access an index (numeric position) in an array where you're not 100% sure that index will exist, you should use the index() function with a "default" parameter.

Save button should get enabled if changes are made to initial submission

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