Using the Message action to create tooltips

Tooltips are brief informational messages that are displayed in response to a user action with an object on the screen. Tooltips are commonly used to provide descriptions of menu items, toolbar buttons, or other objects. In AR System server, tooltips can be applied to tables, attachments, field labels, or field data. Tooltips can include URL links, which can be added through a Set Fields action.

A user can see a tooltip by hovering the mouse over an area in a form or by clicking an object such as a button. In table fields, users can see a tooltip by hovering over a row. The tooltip displays the values for the row, even if that row is not the currently selected row.

Related topics

Creating-tooltips-with-the-HOVER-function

When a tooltip appears by hovering, it is closed when the mouse is moved outside the tooltip's border. When a tooltip appears by clicking, it is closed when you click anywhere outside the tooltip's border. A tooltip can also be dismissed by pressing the Escape key.

You can enhance the appearance of tooltips by using templates. For example, you can use a template to set the color and appearance of the tooltip's text and background. To apply a template by using the TEMPLATE function. A Set Field action sets the template result into a field. The field is referenced in the tooltip message. 

You can also format tooltips manually by using HTML. However, the HTML is not validated.

To use the tooltip option in the message action with an HTML template file

  1. Create a template HTML file (for example: file.html) with required placeholder fields (for example: Field1, Field2).
    Sample HTML file:

    <table style="margin: 10px" border="0" valign="top" align="center" width="200"> 
    <tr>                
    <td class="label">Field 1:</td>                
    <td class="data">${Field1}</td> 
    </tr> 
    <tr>
    <td class="label">Field 2:</td> 
    <td class="data">${Field2}</td> 
    </tr> 
    </table> 
  2. Create an entry in the AR System Resource Definitions form and in the attachment field, attach the HTML file.
  3. To test the tooltip, create a sample form with required data fields.
  4. On the sample form, create an active link.
    1. To use the template function which points the HTML file, write a set field action. This displays the available placeholder parameters. Map the placeholder fields to the actual fields.
      For example: Short Description = TEMPLATE("file.html", "Field2", $Field2$, "Field1", $Field1$)
    2. Write a message action and select Tooltip type and use the field as the message text.
      For example: Message text: $Short Description$

      ToolTip_AL_Actions.png
  5. To check the tooltip, open the form and perform the action required to trigger the active link.               

 

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