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Author Topic: Confused About Expression Editor  (Read 1859 times)

Doof

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Confused About Expression Editor
« on: April 18, 2008, 06:25:50 pm »

Am I correct that there's no way to get to the Expression Editor while creating a new field in the database? I can only get to it if I'm adding a new column or by adding an expression to a View Scheme?

Am I also correct in stating that once you've added an expression column, that there's no way to edit it later if it turns out your syntax was wrong?

Expressions are really nice and powerful, but it seems like such a pain to set one up. If I want one as a column in a view scheme, I have two ways to do it. Add an expression column in which case I can use the Expression Editor, but if I get the syntax wrong, there's no way to edit it. If I get the syntax right, then I find there's no way to build filters from it because it doesn't exist in my library. If I then try to add it to my library, I'm stuck with a tiny little text box to build it in.

So, I can use an expression column to build it first and then if I get it right copy and paste it to my library field, but if I forget to copy the text of it before I commit it to my column, then I have no way of getting back to the expression editor to copy it again.

And then there's building one in a View Scheme. I get the Expression Editor, and I can go back and edit it, but again, there's no way to build searches of smartlists from it because it doesn't exist in the library.

I guess I don't understand why you'd ever want to just have an expression as a column or as part of a view scheme, but not in your library. But whatever. I guess the real kicker is that if you DO want it in your library, there's really no easy way to get it in there. So I guess I have two requests.

1. Allow use of the Expression Editor from the add library field (Use Template Data) box.
2. Allow editing of Expression Columns.

Or am I just mistaken about how it all works?
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gappie

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Re: Confused About Expression Editor
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2008, 06:34:20 pm »

you are right that you can not get the expression editor when adding a calculated library field.

but it is no problem to edit an expression collumn. just click on the header (when using panes) and choose edit. or go to the view and choose edit view scheme, the columns are under step 1.

 :)
gab
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