Want: Bound Form. Don't Want: Real-Time Updates

[gemma-the-husky]

i think its hard to FORCE users to save with a button only, on a bound form though isnt it? You can do it by asking a question in the before update event, which can become tedious, for users. But if you dont do it in that way, you have to allow for other ways in which users could inadvertently save the record. so maybe you need the form to be opened in dialog mode also.

Look and feel is important as well - I have a couple of forms that have the close button disabled for similar reasons, and it feels really strange, as you are forced to look for alternative ways of closing, and select between a scrap changes button, and a save changes button.

 

[LPurvis]

Very true.
Again though, as far as Forcing the save on our own terms, flag variables can come to the rescue.
If you maintain a flag which you only set in your button click to save then any other way of saving can Cancel in the BeforeUpdate without prompt.
Your button save click sets the flag variable to a state that allows the save to progress. (Of course it could still frustrate the user still - not knowing why they can't close the form, navigate to a subform etc...)

Look and feel is very much important.
I find dialog forms can very legitimatey have their windows close button disabled / removed without problem. Larger data entry forms and it would be a more important decision that you'd have to either educate users on or just let them accept it and become accustomed to the implementation.
(There are far greater hardships for them out there I'm sure ;-)

 

[Pat Hartman]

you have to allow for other ways in which users could inadvertently save the record.

gemma, the BeforeUpdate event is the line of demarkation between unsaved and saved. If you want to stop a record from being saved, you MUST do it in the BeforeUpdate event. If you don't do it in that event, then you'll need code in every conceivable place that would cause an implicit save. So the decision is 1 place or many. You simply need to understand the correct place.