Logging field changes by a User

[Nitesh]

Hi guys,

I need to log each change made to a field by a user. Fields such as Firstname,ID Number and so forth.

What would be the easiest way to accomplish this. I was thinking of having two UDT's. In the first UDT I would store all the information on the form load. In the second UDT I would store the information once the user clicks save, and the I would compare the corresponding values of both UDT's and log the changed ones.

Am I on the right track here. I'd love to get your opinions.

Regards,
Nitesh

[Bruce Fox]

Depending on the data entry size (you mention Id's etc) you could duplicate the controls .Text in it's .Tag property at Form_Load. And then later compare what is in the controls .Text against its .Tag and do whatever.

(If Text1.Text = Text1.Tag Then ......)

[gavio]

How about using .Tag as goes from Bruce's advice, and simply enable/disable the 'save' button? For example (if you have a control array of TextBox-es):

Option Explicit

Private Sub form_load()
    fillTags
End Sub

Private Sub Text1_Change(Index As Integer)
    If Text1(Index).Text <> Text1(Index).Tag Then
        Command1.Enabled = True
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    'save procedure here...

    MsgBox "Saved!"

    fillTags
End Sub

Private Sub fillTags()
    Dim n As Long

    For n = Text1.LBound To Text1.UBound
        Text1(n).Tag = Text1(n).Text
    Next n

    Command1.Enabled = False
End Sub

That way the user always knows where he's at.

[Nitesh]

Hi,

Would the tag property be able to accomodate multiple lines of data from a multiline textbox.

[Bruce Fox]

Yep.

For what it's worth, how much data do you need to styore - noting you mention username, ID's etc?

[Nitesh]

Thanks guys,

I have 25 textboxes on the current tab but I have to do this for each tab and I have about 9 tabs. So there's quite alot

[Bruce Fox]

Sorry, the question is how much data (lines of text, number of characters) per control (textbox)?

I think the .Tag can store about 64k.....

[Nitesh]

oh ok,

for fields such as medical details dor example i have a multiline texbox, data could be a few lines or 1 word. For surnames and stuff I would be just storing a few characters.

[Bruce Fox]

BTW, The .Tag property may not be included in VB.Net. So if in future if you choose to port you app to VB.Net it may fall over! - some reserach required

Anyone ??

[Hack]

What are you doing with the data in the 25 textboxs?

Are you storing that in a back end db?

[Nitesh]

yes hack, that is correct.

[Hack]

Then instead of fooling around with the textboxs, why not just keep track of who made database changes?