Radio button control

Use this control to add a radio button to a form. A radio button enables the user to select one value from a set of mutually exclusive values. The items in the set are associated with a database field or variable. Use radio buttons to give the user a quick way to choose one option from a set of fixed and mutually exclusive string values. It is a good practice to group related radio buttons within a frame.

Search for	Example	Results
A single word	`cat`	Topics that contain the word "cat". You will also find its grammatical variations, such as "cats".
A phrase. You can specify that the search results contain a specific phrase.	`"cat food"` (quotation marks)	Topics that contain the literal phrase "cat food" and all its grammatical variations. Without the quotation marks, the query is equivalent to specifying an OR operator, which finds topics with one of the individual words instead of the phrase.

Search for	Operator	Example
Two or more words in the same topic	`AND` `and` `+` (plus symbol) `&` (ampersand)	`cat AND dog` `"cat food"+milk` `"cat food"&"dog food"`
Either word in a topic	`OR` `or` `\|` (pipe)	`cat OR dog` `cat \| dog`
Topics that do not contain a specific word or phrase	`NOT` `not` `!` (exclamation point)	`NOT cat` `! dog`
Topics that contain one string and do not contain another	`^` (caret)	`cat ^ mouse`
A combination of search types	`( )` parentheses	`cat + (dog \| mouse)` `cat \| dog + (! mouse)`

Note: Radio buttons are not supported on record lists.

Best practices

If the choice is logical (true or false), use a check box instead.

If choices are extensive or if the user may need to enter a choice manually, use a Combo Box instead.

To place a radio button on a form, click Radio button and then click the form.
Be sure to put the name of the database field or variable that you want to associate with this control into the Input property.

Property	Usage
Name	Specify a unique identifier for the object on the screen. (Optional) This name is used by external applications, such as RAD, to dynamically change the properties of the object.
X	Specify the object’s horizontal position based on the left edge of the object.
Y	Specify the object’s vertical position based on the top edge of the object.
Width	Specify the width of the object in alignment grid units.
Height	Specify the height of the object in alignment grid units.
Visible	Select this option to make the object visible on the form. Clear the check box to hide the object from view on the form.
Visible Condition	Specify an expression to override the Visible property when that expression evaluates to true.
Caption	Specify a text caption for the object.
Caption Condition	Specify an expression to override the Caption property when that expression evaluates to true.
Input	Specify the database field or variable to associate with this control.
Accessible Name	Specify a component name for use with accessibility software. (Optional) Note: This function is only supported by the Web client. If no name is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, it uses the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information and use it to present data to the user in a variety of ways. For example, speech simulation software says the name and the type of component when the component has focus.
Accessible Description	Specify a component description for use with accessibility software. (Optional) Note: This function is only supported by the Web client. If no description is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, the Web client will use the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information, and use it to present it to the user in a variety of ways. For example, when a component gets focus, speech simulation software will say the name and the type of component, based on the settings in the Accessible Name and Accessible Description fields.
Tab Stop	Specify the tab sort order for this field. By default, the TAB key navigates the focus on a form from top to bottom and left to right. Objects that have a non-zero Tab Stop are visited first, in ascending order. For a button, file, radio button or check box, you will almost always use the default of 0.
Foreground Color	Select the text color from the drop-down list.
Read-Only	Select this option to disable editing capabilities and provide only viewing access to the field. Give read–only fields a tab–stop value of –1 to prevent users from tabbing into them.
Read-Only Condition	Specify an expression to override the Read-Only property when that expression evaluates to true.
Mandatory	Select this option so that a red asterisk indicating a required field is displayed. This is a visible change only. - To make the field mandatory for any form it appears on, use the System Definition Utility. - To make the field mandatory for a small number of forms only, use Format Control.
Mandatory Condition	Specify an expression to override the Mandatory property when that expression evaluates to true.
Data Changed Event	Specify the option number (such as Button ID) to call if the data contained in the object changed. This sends an event to the display RAD application.
Value	Specify the value to assign to the field or variable specified in the Input property when a user selects this radio button.

Property

Usage

Name

Specify a unique identifier for the object on the screen. (Optional)

This name is used by external applications, such as RAD, to dynamically change the properties of the object.

Specify the object’s horizontal position based on the left edge of the object.

Specify the object’s vertical position based on the top edge of the object.

Width

Specify the width of the object in alignment grid units.

Height

Specify the height of the object in alignment grid units.

Visible

Select this option to make the object visible on the form. Clear the check box to hide the object from view on the form.

Visible Condition

Specify an expression to override the Visible property when that expression evaluates to true.

Caption

Specify a text caption for the object.

Caption Condition

Specify an expression to override the Caption property when that expression evaluates to true.

Input

Specify the database field or variable to associate with this control.

Accessible Name

Specify a component name for use with accessibility software. (Optional)

Note: This function is only supported by the Web client.

If no name is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, it uses the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information and use it to present data to the user in a variety of ways. For example, speech simulation software says the name and the type of component when the component has focus.

Accessible Description

Specify a component description for use with accessibility software. (Optional)

Note: This function is only supported by the Web client.

If no description is present, the Web client defaults to looking for a nearby label to use for the name of the component. For buttons, check boxes, or radio buttons, the Web client will use the component’s text. Accessibility software can query the Web client to get this information, and use it to present it to the user in a variety of ways. For example, when a component gets focus, speech simulation software will say the name and the type of component, based on the settings in the Accessible Name and Accessible Description fields.

Tab Stop

Specify the tab sort order for this field. By default, the TAB key navigates the focus on a form from top to bottom and left to right. Objects that have a non-zero Tab Stop are visited first, in ascending order. For a button, file, radio button or check box, you will almost always use the default of 0.

Foreground Color

Select the text color from the drop-down list.

Read-Only

Select this option to disable editing capabilities and provide only viewing access to the field. Give read–only fields a tab–stop value of –1 to prevent users from tabbing into them.

Read-Only Condition

Specify an expression to override the Read-Only property when that expression evaluates to true.

Mandatory

Select this option so that a red asterisk indicating a required field is displayed. This is a visible change only.
- To make the field mandatory for any form it appears on, use the System Definition Utility.
- To make the field mandatory for a small number of forms only, use Format Control.

Mandatory Condition

Specify an expression to override the Mandatory property when that expression evaluates to true.

Data Changed Event

Specify the option number (such as Button ID) to call if the data contained in the object changed. This sends an event to the display RAD application.

Value

Specify the value to assign to the field or variable specified in the Input property when a user selects this radio button.

Related concepts