Utils.auto_refreshing - what's the difference between self.refresh_data_bindings and the forms refreshing_data_bindings event

[rhurlbatt]

I see in this code that it relies on self.refresh_data_bindings. Does this function also call the form's refreshing_data_bindings event indirectly?

My thought was to use this as a way of running a form input validation check and enabling or disabling a save button whenever data is entered. This way if you are editing an item, you can also check if it has changed. For example, when ever auto_refreshing runs self.refresh_data_bindings it should also run the form's refreshing_data_bindings event. Therefor I could write my validation code in the form_refreshing_data_bindings() function which is called the event and have auto_refresh run it any time the tiem changed.

I originally thought that the forms refreshing_data_bindings event (not self.refresh_data_bindings) was called any time the item changed but it does not seem to be the case.

[s-cork]

The event triggers any time:

The form's item is changed like:
self.item = self.item
Or
You invoke refresh_data_bindings

refresh_data_bindings is equivalent to
self.item = self.item.

Side note - the anvil-labs atomic module is like a super charged version of auto_refreshing.

Edit:
If the above doesn't seem to be the case - clone link?

[s-cork]

Yeah it's basically a convoluted way of doing the following.

class A(B):
  def __init__(self):
    super().__init__()
    self. a = 1

# equivalent to
class A(B):
  def __init__(self):
    super(A, self).__init__()
    self. a = 1

The super object takes the parameters and walks the base classes to finds the next base class that has the method you're after.
In our example the "next in line" for init_components is the FormTemplate's init_components method.

We could even clean up the calls by creating the super object in the auto_refreshing decorator and passing this to the override helpers instead of the cls.

Looking forward to the pr 😉

[rhurlbatt]

Close but no cigar - if a component is bound to a dict within self.item, it still does not call the form_refreshing_data_bindings() event.
for example: self.text_box_1.text is bound to self.item['data_dict']['text']

If the component bound to a key in the base dict this works as expected.

See same clone link
I am not sure how to get around this or if it is even possible

🤔

[s-cork]

The clone link works as expected?
The refresh databindings is triggered on the lost focus or pressed enter event - as you'd expect.

Yeah nested dictionaries aren't implemented.

[rhurlbatt]

The clone link works as expected?

Yes but not with nested dicts - was not sure if this was the case originally.

I will create a PR for code and docs accordingly.

Thanks for your help Stu (or more correctly: Thanks for fixing this issue Stu)

[s-cork]

Good stuff.

I'm gonna keep plugging the anvil-labs atomic module.

Nested dicts will just work there.