Snow-i

So I have a "last updated" field for my customer records. It is a manual enter date field with a drop down calender. The only problem is that the program that I imported this field from uses an unusual date format, ex: (01-Feb-11), so most of the records are using that format. I'd like to get all of the records onto the standard (dd/mm/yyyy) that filemaker uses. Is there an easy way to do this? Thanks in advance!

Hey all, Once again I'm coming to the forums for some much needed help. I'm working on implementing a label skipping script for the 5 different print layouts our small business uses, but I'm having trouble adapting the two solutions I've found into my database. I think I've decided which one would be a better fit to our database design. To give you some background, I have almost a decade of experience in IT so I understand how things work generally but I'm as green as they come when it comes to developing in FileMaker. I was hoping someone could give me some direction for the "virtual list" concept and specifically the file that Ocean West graciously provided. If I understand how it works I'm pretty sure I can make it work. So I see that the Virtual List is a separate related table and how the relationship is working, I'm just not understanding the concept behind it (ie. why its necessary). It almost looks sortof like a join table?? Is its purpose only for the script to use as sort of a "work area" for manipulating records into the desired outputs? Anyways, if anyone can help me with an explanation on what exactly the virtual list is doing, well that'd be about step 1 in the 10 steps to me perfecting my first complex script, but its the first step!! By the way, once I figure out that question I'll definitely have more in regards to the script that I'll ask in this thread. Just in case there's any questions, I'm talking about this: http://fmforums.com/forum/files/file/8-sheet-label-printing-virtual-list/ Thanks in advance for your help and thanks Ocean West for providing that script!!! -Snow-i

Thanks! This looks perfect. One question though, How exactly can I import this into my existing database? What is the best way? Thanks again in advance, Snow-i

I just got around to looking at that :-(. Other major roadblocks made me have to put printing on the back burner. That link seems to be broken - it redirects me to the main forums page. Does anyone else have information on this? Thanks in Advance!! -Snow-i

Well, the FileMaker thinks the orientation is "left-right" in the tray when really its "up-down." This causes the data to print the wrong way. If I adjust the page setup settings, it screws up my envelope printing (page setup seems to be global across layouts). If I rotate the text, then whats showing on screen as far as location of the text is completely off, becuase of the mismatch between the orientation FM thinks the paper is, and what it actually is. Does that make any sense? I solved the problem with Page Setup, but unfortunately this won't work with our other printing necessities.

What would be the best way to do this? With the use of buttons on the layout? I, too, am having a similiar issue with postcards and envelopes - any "page setup" setting are global across layouts and don't have presets, and this screws up printing when trying to use different paper sizes.

I'm trying to be able to print postcards with addresses from my customers table, but the postcards are too small to print the normal direction in our HP printer. Thus, we have to flip the cards so that the card is going in horizontally. This presents a major issue when trying to format the 4x6 layout properly. I can rotate the text, but it becomes impossible to properly place and format the text box. I can flip the orientation in page setup, but this doesn't actually change the way its printed - just the way it looks on screen. I can change the dimensions in the print screen settings and get it to print in the correct orientation, but then its mismatched with whats on screen and impossible to correctly place and format. Can anyone help me figure out a way to print these postcards? I think I mainly need help with the differences in print settings, page setups, text rotations and their on-screen effects vs their print effects.

I searched, but could not find... I need to be able to print labels from a sheet of 6 labels and be able to specify which labels to print to i.e. print 2 labels from the sheet, then later print starting from the 3rd label. Does anyone know where I can find a script and/or layout that can do this? Thanks in advance! -James

Oh, and excuse the apparent god-awful coloring :-). I have color codes for fields that might be moving around a little bit as he decides what information he needs to keep and what to toss out - we're moving from an old 16 bit database program called trackmaster plus.

bcooney, Thanks very much, but i'm not sure that solution will work. The "list" (child table) has over 150 records. I'm wondering if sorting by the serial number wouldn't be a bad idea, since the list will be seldom modified but constantly used. I realize the design problem with this solution, but my user is adamant that the list be in a particular order prescribed by him and likes the pop up menu system. If you hadn't already noticed, this is the same issue that you helped me with in the relationships forum. I had a basic join table question. http://fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/217356/ This is the portal for that very join table for "interest codes." The attached is what it looks like. I have two portals to two (join) child tables that do the exact same thing - they're just different lists. Only the "interest codes" need to be custom ordered. The list that I have popped up there can remain alphabetized. Thanks in advance!

I have a value list pointing to a join table which I've created a many to many relationship for. In my master layout I have a portal with Pop-up menu for the selection of records and the associated value list. Everything is working correctly, except that my user wants the list that pops up to have a custom order. How can I make the pop-up list use a custom order as opposed to automatically being alphabetical? Thanks in advance!!!

Thank you!!! It seems to be working with my test interestcodes, and I haven't been able to put any effort into formatting, so we'll see how it all shakes out. The best feeling is getting it to work after several hours and several methods of trying :-). I'm still trying to completely understand whats happening under the hood - i think I get the idea of the join table (hold info for each of the one - many relationships). I appreciate the warm welcome, and may need further help in this thread. :-) Cheers!

First time poster here - I've been building a database for my father's small business - it isn't easy trying to figure everything out on your own. I've finally given up and need some help. For simplicity sake, I have two tables that need a many to many relationship. Customers and Interest Codes. I've created a join table between them which I think is setup correctly but I'm not quite sure how to properly setup the a portal in my customers layout to show the interest codes attached to that record. I'd like the portal fields to use a popup menu to have the Interest codes as selectable, and I've setup a value list but I'm not sure if I have the right fields selected within it. So far I have for relationship: Customers-CustomerID = Jointable-CustomerID Jointable-InterestID = Interest-InterestID Any help with specifics for this would be greatly appreciated. Its filemaker 11 pro for OS X. I can provide a screen shot if that helps. Thanks!