Pre-selected text in new FM-14 calculation dialog

Issue report by Dennis Burnham

Product

FileMaker Pro

Version

14

Operating system version

Mac OS-X 10.10.4

Description of the issue

If any text already exists in any calculation dialog (field definition , script step, etc) and you click to view the calculation dialog, such as to edit it, you will see that the entire calculation is selected by default.

This is a PITA nuisance, because if you don't make a habit of de-selecting the block of text before you type even a single keystroke, your entire calculation is replaced by whatever you typed. Undo does not restore it, so you must remember to close it without saving it or else it's totally gone.

There is no reason to pre-select the entire calculation text.

Steps to reproduce the problem

Use the SendMail script step, just to take a common example Define the body of the email message to be a lengthy, complex calculation. Then, test it out and realize that you have to make some spelling changes, or perhaps insert different fields into the calculation.

You click the button on the right side of the definition of the message body to use a calculation. The calculation dialog box opens, and everything you previously wrote is selected. Now, type any character or select any field from the list of fields and it will overwrite your previously written calculation.

Expected result

Either you should be able to use UNDO to correct the keystroke error or the text should not be pre-selected in the first place.

There is no advantage at all to having it preselected. It only makes it vulnerable to wasted time or lost definitions.

Actual result

There is no advantage at all to having it preselected. It only makes it vulnerable to wasted time or lost definitions.

Workaround

Make sure to de-select any existing text any time the calculation dialog is opened.