Prompt Error Message on ciw when fields is empty

You'd probably have a callback on the form (specified via ?callback in the hiCreateLayoutForm) which checked the values of the fields in question and ensured they are correct. You could use blankstrp() to check if they are empty, or whatever logic you need to determine whether they are valid or not. Then print a message in the CIW (using printf - I'm assuming I don't need to explain how to print information). You could also use hiDisplayAppDBox (or one of the other DBox functions) to display a dialog box.

Another strategy (still using the callback to check) would be to use ?unmapAfterCB on the hiCreateLayoutForm and then hiSetCallbackStatus within the callback to either allow or veto the closure of the form. Typically you might then raise a dialog box, print in the CIW, or use hiHilightField to draw attention to the field in question. This approach is used in examples in the SKILL Language Programming training class on Cadence Online Support that I have referred you to before.

Andrew

Thanks, Andrew..I have written below skill code its working fine as expected...
Few are my questions..
Here is an issue,when * marked field is empty error prompt is opens but the parent window and the if any value in parent window given gets disappears...i want that When the error window prompts...the parent window will remain so that the user can edit or modify it.

procedure(LayForm()
let((field1Label field1Entry field2Label field2Entry extraParams browse_file_Entry
paramLabel minLabel stepLabel maxLabel
paramEntry minEntry stepEntry maxEntry
gridLayout)
field1Label=hiCreateLabel(
?name 'field1Label
?labelText "block test1*"
?justification 'right
)
field1Entry=hiCreateStringField(
?name 'field1Entry
)
field2Label=hiCreateLabel(
?name 'field2Label
?labelText "block test2*"
?justification 'right
)
field2Entry=hiCreateStringField(
?name 'field2Entry)

browse_file_Entry=hiCreateButton(
?name 'browse_file_Entry
?buttonText "Browse"
?callback "ddsFileBrowseCB(hiGetCurrentForm() 'field2Entry \"*.tvf\")")

extraParams=hiCreateDisclosureTriangle(
?name 'extraParams
?labelText "Extra Parameters"
?onFields
list(
'paramLabel 'minLabel 'stepLabel 'maxLabel
'paramEntry 'minEntry 'stepEntry 'maxEntry
)
)
paramLabel=hiCreateLabel(
?name 'paramLabel
?labelText "<b>Parameter</b>"
)
minLabel=hiCreateLabel(
?name 'minLabel
?labelText "<b>Minimum</b>"
)
stepLabel=hiCreateLabel(
?name 'stepLabel
?labelText "<b>Step</b>"
)
maxLabel=hiCreateLabel(
?name 'maxLabel
?labelText "<b>Maximum</b>"
)
paramEntry=hiCreateStringField(
?name 'paramEntry
)
minEntry=hiCreateStringField(
?name 'minEntry
)
stepEntry=hiCreateStringField(
?name 'stepEntry
)
maxEntry=hiCreateStringField(
?name 'maxEntry
)
gridLayout=hiCreateGridLayout(
'gridLayout
?items list(
list(field1Label 'horiz_align 'right 'row 0 'col 0)
list(field1Entry 'horiz_align 'right 'row 0 'col 1 'col_span -1)
list(extraParams 'horiz_align 'left 'row 1 'col 0)
list(paramLabel 'horiz_align 'left 'row 2 'col 0)
list(minLabel 'horiz_align 'left 'row 2 'col 1)
list(stepLabel 'horiz_align 'left 'row 2 'col 2)
list(maxLabel 'horiz_align 'left 'row 2 'col 3)
list(paramEntry 'horiz_align 'left 'row 3 'col 0)
list(minEntry 'horiz_align 'left 'row 3 'col 1)
list(stepEntry 'horiz_align 'left 'row 3 'col 2)
list(maxEntry 'horiz_align 'left 'row 3 'col 3)
list(field2Label 'horiz_align 'right 'row 4 'col 0)
list(field2Entry 'horiz_align 'right 'row 4 'col 1 'col_span -1)
list(browse_file_Entry 'horiz_align 'right 'row 4 'col 8 )
list('col_stretch 0 1)
list('col_stretch 1 1)
list('col_stretch 2 1)
list('col_stretch 3 1)
)
)
hiCreateLayoutForm(
'LayForm
"PARAM"

;--------------------------------------------------------
; Surrounding vertical box layout is to have a stretchable
; item below the layout to absorb all the stretchiness!
;--------------------------------------------------------
hiCreateVerticalBoxLayout(
'vbox
?items list(
gridLayout
list('stretch_item 1)
)
)
?callback '(firstForm)
)
LayForm
)
hiDisplayForm(LayForm)
)
procedure( firstForm(form)
let((Sel cellName)
Sel='()
foreach(var '(field1Entry field2Entry )
set(var getq(get(form var) value))
);foreach
ddsEndSyncWithForm()
if(forall(lib list(field1Entry field2Entry ) !blankstrp(lib)) then
hiSetCallbackStatus(form t)
Sel=append1(Sel field1Entry )
Sel=append1(Sel field2Entry )
cellName = outfile("./cellname" "w")
fprintf(cellName "%L " field1Entry)
fprintf(cellName "%L " field2Entry)
close(cellName)
hiSetCallbackStatus(form t)
else
hiSetCallbackStatus(form nil)
hiDisplayAppDBox( ?name 'errorbox2 ?dboxBanner "ERROR" ?dboxText "Enter Cell Name and View name \n" ?buttonLayout 'Close ?buttons 'Cancel)
); if

);let
);procedure

You didn't add ?unmapAfterCB to the hiCreateLayoutForm call as I suggested before. If you add this, then it solves your problem, For example:

?callback '(firstForm)
?unmapAfterCB t

Andrew

Thanks a lot, Andrew; it worked perfectly...
Andrew, for the below skill code...I have two queries.
1) for the radio button, which is dependent on text string on/off...If a text box is disabled using the radio button.. error window is still poping...how can I fix that error window  only pops for enabled field?

2)blankstrp() - this is used to check blank string...is there any alternative to the same check for the list box?

Regards,
SRV

Entry=hiCreateListBoxField(
?name 'Entry
?prompt "entry_all"
?multipleSelect t
?choices (list "1" "2" "3" "4" "5" ))

net= hiCreateStringField(
?name 'net
?prompt "Enter Netlist Path"
?value ""
)

button_net_data = hiCreateButton(
?name 'button_net_data
?buttonText "Browse"
?callback "ddsFileBrowseCB(hiGetCurrentForm() 'net \"\" 'fileOnly)"
)

libNameField = hiCreateStringField(
?name 'libName
?prompt "library_name"
?value ""
)

browseSourceButton = hiCreateButton(
?name 'browseSource
?callback "dmbSyncWithForm(AppForm 'browse 'libName 'CycField)"
?buttonText "Browse"
)
netlists=hiCreateRadioField(
?name 'netlists
?prompt ""
?choices list("Netlist Path" "Cell View")
?value "Cell View"
?enabled t
; no idea how this was supposed to work - it's a random set of values!
;?callback list("(hiSetFieldEnabled() 'netlists 'net '(t nil ) ;;)"
?callback list("MyEnableFields(hiGetCurrentForm())")
)

procedure(MyEnableFields(form)
let((netEnabled)
case(form->netlists->value
("Cell View"
netEnabled=nil
)
("Netlist Path"
netEnabled=t
)
)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->net netEnabled)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->button_net_data netEnabled)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->libName !netEnabled)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->browseSource !netEnabled)
)
)

hiCreateAppForm(?name 'forum86 ?fields ?callback '(firstForm) list(Entry net button_net_data libNameField browseSourceButton netlists)
?unmapAfterCB t)
MyEnableFields(forum86)
hiDisplayForm(forum86)

procedure(firstForm(form)
let((Sel cellName)
Sel='()
foreach(var '(net libname Entry )
set(var getq(get(form var) value))
);foreach
ddsEndSyncWithForm()
if(forall(lib list(net libname Entry ) !blankstrp(lib)) then
hiSetCallbackStatus(form t)
Sel=append1(Sel net )
Sel=append1(Sel libname )
Sel=append1(Sel Entry )
cellName = outfile("./cellname" "w")
fprintf(cellName "%L " net)
fprintf(cellName "%L " libname)
fprintf(cellName "%L " Entry)
close(cellName)
hiSetCallbackStatus(form t)
else
hiSetCallbackStatus(form nil)
hiDisplayAppDBox( ?name 'errorbox2 ?dboxBanner "ERROR" ?dboxText "Enter Cell Name and View name \n" ?buttonLayout 'Close ?buttons 'Cancel)
); if

);let
)

It's really hard debugging your code when there's no indentation. I'm assuming this is being lost when you've pasted it, but it ought to be possible to paste into the browser with the indentation (I do this all the time, as do many others). Without that I have to re-indent the code to understand it.

For the first question, this is presumably just a matter of using either the value of form->netlists->value to determine which fields are valid to check, or form->libName->enabled etc to determine whether the field is enabled. I'll let you determine the logic to use because currently your code is writing all the field values out into a file - presumably that doesn't make sense if not all the fields are valid?

I don't really understand what you mean by an equivalent of blankstrp for list boxes. Presumably you just check form->Entry->value - if it's nil, then nothing is selected. If one or more lines are selected, the ->value is the list of selected items.

Andrew.

It's really hard debugging your code when there's no indentation. I'm assuming this is being lost when you've pasted it, but it ought to be possible to paste into the browser with the indentation (I do this all the time, as do many others). Without that I have to re-indent the code to understand it.

For the first question, this is presumably just a matter of using either the value of form->netlists->value to determine which fields are valid to check, or form->libName->enabled etc to determine whether the field is enabled. I'll let you determine the logic to use because currently your code is writing all the field values out into a file - presumably that doesn't make sense if not all the fields are valid?

I don't really understand what you mean by an equivalent of blankstrp for list boxes. Presumably you just check form->Entry->value - if it's nil, then nothing is selected. If one or more lines are selected, the ->value is the list of selected items.

Andrew.

Hey Andrew,

am getting this error -- *Error* blankstrp: argument #1 should be a string (type template = "t") - nil

procedure(forum86()
let((Entry net button_net_data libNameField browseSourceButton netlists)
Entry=hiCreateListBoxField(
?name 'Entry
?prompt "entry_all"
?multipleSelect t
?choices (list "1" "2" "3" "4" "5" ))

net= hiCreateStringField(
?name 'net
?prompt "Enter Netlist Path"
?value ""
)

button_net_data = hiCreateButton(
?name 'button_net_data
?buttonText "Browse"
?callback "ddsFileBrowseCB(hiGetCurrentForm() 'net \"\" 'fileOnly)"
)

libNameField = hiCreateStringField(
?name 'libName
?prompt "library_name"
?value ""
)

browseSourceButton = hiCreateButton(
?name 'browseSource
?callback "dmbSyncWithForm(AppForm 'browse 'libName 'CycField)"
?buttonText "Browse"
)
netlists=hiCreateRadioField(
?name 'netlists
?prompt ""
?choices list("Netlist Path" "Cell View")
?value "Cell View"
?enabled t
; no idea how this was supposed to work - it's a random set of values!
?callback list("MyEnableFields(hiGetCurrentForm())")
)

procedure(MyEnableFields(form)
let((netEnabled)
case(form->netlists->value
("Cell View"
netEnabled=nil
)
("Netlist Path"
netEnabled=t
)
)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->net netEnabled)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->button_net_data netEnabled)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->libName !netEnabled)
hiSetFieldEnabled(form->browseSource !netEnabled)
)
)

hiCreateAppForm(?name 'forum86 ?fields ?callback '(firstForm secondForm) list(Entry net button_net_data libNameField browseSourceButton netlists)
?unmapAfterCB t)
MyEnableFields(forum86)
hiDisplayForm(forum86)
)
)

procedure(firstForm(form)
if(blankstrp(form->Entry->value) then
warn("Entry is empty, please check and try again\n") ;; issue a warning message
hiHighlightField(form 'Entry 'error) ;; hilight the string field
hiSetCallbackStatus(form nil) ;; prevent the form from unmapping from the screen
else
hiHighlightField(form 'Entry 'background)
;; do the desired form action...
); if
)

procedure(secondForm(form)
if(blankstrp(form->netlists->value) then
warn("String filed is empty, please check and try again\n") ;; issue a warning message
hiHighlightField(form 'netlists 'error) ;; hilight the string field
hiSetCallbackStatus(form nil) ;; prevent the form from unmapping from the screen
else
hiHighlightField(form 'netlists 'background)
); if
)

Please, please, please take the SKILL Programming class! You need to understand the basics of how there are various different types of data (strings, lists, integers, etc) in the language, and how functions are designed to work with particular types of data. 

form->Entry->value is going to return a list. blankstrp is expecting a string, so clearly that's never going to work if you pass a list to a function expecting a string. You do not need to use blankstrp here - you're not trying to see if a string is blank, so why would you use it?

It should be sufficient to do this (remember that in SKILL, nil means false, and anything else means true).

if(form->Entry->value then
   ; some value was selected - do whatever you want here
else
   ; nothing was selected - display the error
)

Also, you have specified the ?callback for hiCreateAppForm as a list of two callback functions. If you do that (if you read the documentation, you'll see this) then the first is the OK callback and the second is the Cancel callback. So that means that secondForm is only called if you hit Cancel, which I assume is not what you wanted.

Andrew