"NULL" text in null field should disappear as soon as a field gets the focus

[qgib]

Author Name: Patrick Dunford (@enzedrailmaps)
Original Redmine Issue: 14932
Affected QGIS version: 3.7(master)
Redmine category:forms

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When I enter a value into a form or table all the fields are set to Null to begin with. When I type into the field the displayed word NULL turns into the text NULL. This means I have to select and delete that text if I don't want NULL appearing in that field.

The display of the word NULL in an empty field should not be with actual text that just makes extra work when entering data into fields.

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• null_values.gif (gcarrillo -)
• null_values_2.gif (gcarrillo -)

[qgib]

Author Name: Matthias Kuhn (@m-kuhn)

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In "Settings" -> "Options" -> "General" -> "Data Sources" the representation for NULL values can be changed (to e.g. an empty string).

Does that fix your issue?

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• status_id was changed from Open to Feedback

[qgib]

Author Name: Harrissou Santanna (@DelazJ)

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It might do the trick but having NULL shown in a field can be handy.
Is that not possible to clear the field content (if NULL) once the user begins typing value (or clicks inside the cell) instead of appending the new text to 'NULL'? This will ease attribute filling imho.

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• operating_system was changed from Linux Mint to
• os_version was changed from 17.3 to

[qgib]

Author Name: Giovanni Manghi (@gioman)

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This seems to have been anyway addressed in QGIS 2.18. Here on 2.18.2 when I move with TAB or click on a cell that has "NULL" this automatically disappear, with no need to select and delete it before filling the cell with actual content.

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• resolution was changed from to fixed/implemented
• category_id was configured as Attribute table
• status_id was changed from Feedback to Closed

[qgib]

Author Name: gcarrillo - (gcarrillo -)

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Reopened as this still happens in QGIS master (v2.99).

This happens in forms as well. You end up easily entering values like NULLmy value because of this issue.

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• resolution was changed from fixed/implemented to
• subject was changed from "NULL" text in null field should not be actual text to "NULL" text in null field should dissapear as soon as a field gets the focus
• description was changed from When I enter a value into a form or table all the fields are set to Null to begin with. When I type into the field the displayed word NULL turns into the text NULL. This means I have to select and delete that text if I don't want NULL appearing in that field.

The display of the word NULL in an empty field should not be with actual text that just makes extra work when entering data into fields. to When I enter a value into a form or table all the fields are set to Null to begin with. When I type into the field the displayed word NULL turns into the text NULL. This means I have to select and delete that text if I don't want NULL appearing in that field.

The display of the word NULL in an empty field should not be with actual text that just makes extra work when entering data into fields.

• status_id was changed from Closed to Reopened
• version was changed from 2.14.2 to master

[qgib]

Author Name: gcarrillo - (gcarrillo -)

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• subject was changed from "NULL" text in null field should dissapear as soon as a field gets the focus to "NULL" text in null field should disappear as soon as a field gets the focus

[qgib]

Author Name: Giovanni Manghi (@gioman)

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gcarrillo - wrote:

Reopened as this still happens in QGIS master (v2.99).

This happens in forms as well. You end up easily entering values like NULLmy value because of this issue.

I cannot confirm on the latest master on osgeo4w.

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• status_id was changed from Reopened to Feedback

[qgib]

Author Name: Giovanni Manghi (@gioman)

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Closing for lack of feedback, please reopen if necessary.

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• status_id was changed from Feedback to Closed
• resolution was changed from to not reproducable

[qgib]

Author Name: gcarrillo - (gcarrillo -)

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Still happening in master (ea0c705).

I attached a GIF to illustrate the issue.

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• 12428 was configured as null_values.gif
• status_id was changed from Closed to Reopened

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• null_values.gif (gcarrillo -)

[qgib]

Author Name: Giovanni Manghi (@gioman)

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End of life notice: QGIS 2.18 LTR

Source:
http://blog.qgis.org/2019/03/09/end-of-life-notice-qgis-2-18-ltr/

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• resolution was changed from not reproducable to end of life
• status_id was changed from Reopened to Closed

[qgib]

Author Name: gcarrillo - (gcarrillo -)

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Just tested this in QGIS master 3.7 and it's still happening.
I attach a GIF showing the issue, which seems to be solved for string fields but not for numeric and date fields.

Reopening, since BSF Swissphoto will fund this fix.

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• resolution was changed from end of life to
• 14860 was configured as null_values_2.gif
• category_id was changed from Attribute table to Forms
• status_id was changed from Closed to Reopened
• version was changed from master to 3.7(master)

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• null_values_2.gif (gcarrillo -)

[qgib]

Author Name: Giovanni Manghi (@gioman)

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• status_id was changed from Reopened to Open

[signedav]

The tested behavior on current master is like this with GeoPackage source:

• text data in text edit widget: null representing value is grey/italic and on mouse click selected, but not removed - medium nice but okay
• integer in range widget: null representing value is black/nontitalic on mouse click disappears - nice
• integer in text edit widget: null representing value is grey/nonitalic and on text enter disappears - nice
• real in range widget: null representing value is black/nontitalic on mouse click nothing happens (cursor in the middle of the word NULL) - not nice!
• real in text edit widget: null representing value is grey/nonitalic and on text enter disappears - nice

Do you confirm @gacarrillor ?

[gacarrillor]

Hi @signedav, using the latest build I have available, I can confirm what you mentioned.

Did you consider date/time fields? Because they also have this behaviour (see GIF, field: fin_vida_util_version): Grey and italic NULL value and on click the NULL remains there.

[signedav]

Okay @gacarrillor I haven't noticed that.
Then it needs another fix.

• null representing value is grey/italic and on mouse click on null representing text it changes to current date placeholder text in gray, what can be edited -> that's fine.

• null representing value is grey/italic and on mouse click on null representing text nothing happens (cursor at the of the word NULL) -> has to be fixed

• date is entered on clear-button-click the null representing text appears, and focus is lost (and then on click the behavior above) -> should not loose focus and display the current date placeholder text in grey

[signedav]

PR #32158 is merged. So datetime widgets have a consistent behavior as well now.