Checking Out Records

-> Watch this %newwin% [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-l_Rxp_wXQ |short video of checkout in action]], along with a walkthrough of how we do it.

-> '''Your Filter Criteria.''' In our example file (WorxDemo) you'll see that we mark a record with a status of "Scheduled" when it's ready to go down to the iPad and with "Checked Out" when it's been pulled. Our filter criteria in the script "Filter Records To Pull", however, pulls records of ''both'' statuses. The reason is that if you only pull "Scheduled" items, GoZync will consider those as the only ones that should be on the iPad... and will [[deletes| delete]] the ones marked Checked Out from your device. So it's best to think of the find requests as the criteria for the records that ''should be on your iPad'', not just the new ones you want to ''get to your iPad''.

-> '''Your Filter Criteria.''' In our preview file (WorxDemo) you'll see that we mark a record with a status of "Scheduled" when it's ready to go down to the iPad and with "Checked Out" when it's been pulled. Our filter criteria in the script "Filter Records To Pull", however, pulls records of ''both'' statuses. The reason is that if you only pull "Scheduled" items, GoZync will consider those as the only ones that should be on the iPad... and will [[deletes| delete]] the ones marked Checked Out from your device. So it's best to think of the find requests as the criteria for the records that ''should be on your iPad'', not just the new ones you want to ''get to your iPad''.

-> '''Last Zync Time''' If you're pulling records that are tagged as "scheduled" or "ready", for example, you want to sync based on that, ''regardless'' of last sync time. The script "Filter Records To Pull" has an option disregard this per table, those lines are disabled by default: you'll likely want to re-enable them when doing checkout.

-> '''Preventing edits of checked out records.''' In your hosted solution, use FileMaker's built-in access privileges to prevent editing of records where "checked out" is not empty (or zero). In relational solutions you'll want to apply this restriction to child records as well: one should not be able to edit an invoice line item if the invoice is checked out, for example.

http://www.seedcode.com/rootimages/stikipad/gozync5/ifst2.png

Getting this working in your solution is pretty simple. Reading up on [[downloading found sets]] will help give you some context for the changes that follow. You'll also use [[Custom Field Mapping]] to implement this, so read up on that as well (custom field mapping is one of the most powerful features of GoZync 4).

!! Can I "check out" records so only the mobile user can edit them?

Absolutely. In fact, this is one of the most useful workflows GoZync enables. ''Note that checkout is not supported in the free version of GoZync.''

-> When users pull records down from your hosted solution, the record is marked as "checked out". You can simply set a field called "out" to 1, or record something more elaborate, like the name of the user who downloaded it, and when they did so.

-> '''Checking out.''' Create a "checked out" field in your hosted solution. Feel free to add this to layouts, but don't add it to the layout used for Zyncing in GoZyncMobile as there won't be a matching field on the mobile side. Create a branch in the script "Custom Field Mapping: Transformation and Hooks" for your table-- you'll create a branch for both the push and the pull, that is for both "gzm_YourTable" and "gzh_YourTable".

Checkout in Action.

That's it.

Getting this working in your solution is pretty simple. Reading up on [[downloading found sets]] will help give you come context for the changes that follow. You'll also use [[Custom Field Mapping]] to implement this, so read up on that as well (custom field mapping is one of the most powerful features of GoZync).

-> '''Checking out.''' Create a "checked out" field in your hosted solution. Feel free to add this to layouts, but don't add it to the layout used for Zyncing as there won't be a matching field on he mobile side. Create a branch in the script "Custom Field Mapping: Transformation and Hooks" for your table-- you'll create a branch for both the push and the pull, that is for both "gzm_YourTable" and "gzh_YourTable".

--> In the "push" branch--the one based on "gzm_YourTable"-- you'd the clear your checked out field or set it to a literal value like "0" like this:

-> Then, access privileges in your solution prevent checked out records from being edited. This is great because users on the hosted solution (users "in the office") can edit records up until the moment a mobile user checks them out. Imagine: updating trouble ticket details up until the moment a mobile technician actually begins heading to the customer's location, but being prevented from changing it after that. Users would then know they need to call the mobile technician to communicate any new details about the ticket.

-> Once the ticket is resolved and the mobile user syncs their updated ticket back to the hosted solution, the ticket is "checked back in" and is now editable again.

!! Can I "check out" records so only the mobile own can edit them?

--->SetField [ gzm_YourTable::checked_out ; 1 ]

--->SetField [ gzm_YourTable::checked_out ; 0 ]

Getting this working in your solution is pretty simple. Reading up on [[downloading found sets]] will help give you come context for the changes that follow.

-> '''Checking out.''' Create a "checked out" field in your hosted solution. Feel free to add this to layouts, but don't add it to the layout used for Zyncing as there won't be a matching field on he mobile side. Edit the script "Edit Record being Pulled (TOName)" and create a branch (an If statement like the example there) which tests for the Table Occurrence name you're interested in. Then set the checked out field in that table.

-> '''Preventing edits of checked out records.''' In your hosted solution, use FileMaker's built in access privileges to prevent editing of records where "checked out" is not empty. In relational solutions you'll want to apply this restriction to child records as well: one should not be able to edit an invoice line item if the invoice is checked out, for example.

-> '''Checking in.''' Edit the script "After Committing Entity" and you'll see branches similar to those in "Edit Record..." above. Create a branch for your table occurrence and set the "checked out" field to blank (use two quotes without a space between them).

-> (Remember, users can [[downloading found sets | download just their own records]], so it's not like it would be a surprise who downloaded the record, but seeing the name can give you an extra sense of reassurance, and can remind staffers--who may not know all the business rules--who owns which records.)

-> Then, access privileges in your solution prevent checked out records from being edited. This is great because users on the hosted solution (users "in the office") can edit records up until the moment a mobile user checks them out: imagine, updating trouble ticket details up until the moment a mobile technician actually begins heading to the customer's location, but being prevented from changing it after that. Users would then know they need to call the mobile technician to communicate any new details about the ticket.

Getting this working in your solution i s pretty simple. Reading up on [[downloading found sets]] will help give you come context for the changes that follow.

-> '''Checking out.''' Create a "checked out" field in your hosted solution. Feel free to add this to layouts, but don't add it to the layout used for zyncing as there won't be a matching field on he mobile side.Edit the script "Edit Record being Pulled (TOName)" and create a branch (an If statement like the example there) which tests for the Table Occurrence name you're interested in: the set the checked out field in that table.

-> Checking out. Create a "checked out" field in your hosted solution. Feel free to add this to layouts, but don't add it to the layout used for zyncing as there won't be a matching field on he mobile side.Edit the script "Edit Record being Pulled (TOName)" and create a branch (an If statement like the example there) which tests for the Table Occurrence name you're interested in: the set the checked out field in that table.

-> Preventing edits of checked out records. In your hosted solution, use FileMaker's built in access privileges to prevent editing of records where "checked out" is not empty. In relational solutions you'll want to apply this restriction to child records as well: one should not be able to edit an invoice line item if the invoice is checked out, for example.

-> Checking in. Edit the script "After Committing Entity" and you'll see branches similar to those in "Edit Record..." above. Create a branch for your table occurrence and set the "checked out" field to blank (use two quotes without a space between them).