Hoytopher

I just have a quick syntax question. I have two tables, Contacts and Work. In Contacts, I keep name and email information. In Work, I keep records of projects, where sometimes 4 or more people are involved. Contacts::Name is related to Work::Name. I have a portal in Work displaying email addresses. Work::Name is a repeating field, and the Work::(Contacts::Email) portal is also repeating. For whatever reason, the Email keeps displaying mail in reverse. As such, I want to make Work::NameSwap, in which I reverse the order of the entries, as I need a quick fix for now while I work out the real problem. For that, I just need NameSwap[1] to have the same value as Name[2]. Currently, NameSwap is defined as a calculation field, in which NameSwap[1] = Name[2] & NameSwap[2] = Name[1]. This is not working, and I'm having problems searching for this answer across FMForums and the main page. Hopefully this is an elementary question, but after fussing with a number of iterations, I can't get anything to work with the repetitions. I can define the field itself to be Name[1] or Name[2], but I can't swap the order of the values. Using Name just results in a duplicate field. I need the result to be a single field (hence 2 repetitions), otherwise I can't get any result to display (having Work::NameA and NameB <-> Contacts::Name gives no value for the portals). Advice? Quick edit: Yes, the calculation result is set to be stored as Text.

Hi all, I'm an FM novice who has a functioning database, and I'm trying to add layers of functionality to it. One feature I'm trying to design is a script to search through a Gmail outbox with certain keywords. In URLs, "%" translates to "%25". Filemaker appears to do this automatically - In Gmail syntax, you need to write "in%3Asent" to have the Gmail search bar contain "in:sent" which searches my outbox. Here's my current code for Go to URL: This "%" bit translates to "%25". I've tried "\%", I've tried creating a string, x, then having it open x, but no matter what I cannot get "%" to show up as-is, it always translates to "%25". Is there any way around this? I've tried subtracting text, but I just can't seem to get it to work. Any bright ideas? I can't find an answer to this specific question of disabling URL string substitution.

The (small) company I work for has need of a database, and I have been given the responsibility to design it. In learning through trial and error with FileMaker, among the more vexing problems of mine is the exactitude required when displaying related records in a portal. My colleagues are extremely sloppy with data integrity, even with drop-down menus and autocomplete enabled. The company is a literary agency, which takes manuscripts (defined as Title) from our authors (Author Name) and sends them out to various editors at different publishing houses (Editors, House). I currently match Author Name and Title between two different databases, and based on those two factors, it pulls up all of the related information I want. However, if the author's name is Arthur and someone uses Art, then the Art result will not display due to its difference. Tim vs. Timothy, etc. has made what would be an excellent program into a nightmare of constant double-checking and reminders. Is there a way to make it so that the relationship need not use EXACT values, but values that are close? Such as a margin for error in a search term. Alternatively, do I need to make a list of every possible nickname, somehow link them all to an ID code, and match based on that? Please ask for clarification if you are not sure of what I am asking.

I am merging and reorganizing roughly a decade's worth of FileMaker layouts, designed by a user without knowledge of how FileMaker works, and used by several employees over time. As a result, the formats of data entry have shifted constantly, making it difficult to effectively merge and connect data. The problem I'm running into is that First/Last name were calculated together without a " " between the names. As a workaround, data was entered into fields with either a space at the end of First, or beginning of Last. I currently suggest that the names be edited as they're used to display related data properly, but this is inefficient and burdens the user. Often, there are spaces used for middle/last names, in the middle of the field. As First/Last name were not always separated, I created the Calculation field [Full Name], "First + Last". In the Relationships graph, I set [Calculated Full Name] = [Imported Full Name] I am slowly introducing myself FileMaker and data modeling/programming, and have hit a wall in how to write a script to delete the redundant spaces so that [Calculated] will equal the [Imported] value, therefore displaying portal records properly. So far as I can tell, here is the concept: In [First]: In [Last]: if (first character) = " ", delete (first character) If (last character) = " ", delete (last character) Is this a viable model? How would I write this script? If I wanted to learn the underlying process, what topic should I research? Thank you very much, and I appreciate how supportive and knowledgable this community has been each time I have had a question!

Thanks so much for the script! It works perfectly, yet creates a new problem. I have to log in to that webpage each time. Is it possible to generate the URL, and have a button that goes to the generated URL? I cannot use your script when used as the URL in the button, as it shows up as ::First/Last in the search bar.

The script which I am using (kindly provided by another user) is: "http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/pm/search?ss_q=" & Contacts::First Name & "+" & Contacts::Last Name & "&ss_c=dealmaker" Using this script, I am able to generate the URL that I wish. The URL is different depending on who I am searching for, and as such each URL is unique to a specific record. I currently have a field set to perform this script - the problem is creating a button capable of going to this calculated URL. Trying to enter it as the URL to go to leads to me searching for Contacts::First Name rather than the desired first name. I am unsure of how to go forward and am not finding useful information relevant to this problem in my searches.

For the purposes of this database, no. For example, Scholastic owns Scholastic Children's, Scholastic UK, etc. These children companies are called imprints. I was thinking of creating a drop-down menu reading "IMPRINT OF: ____________", that would then be easier to sort in pulling all the results into a table.

Hey all, I posted this in earlier in another forum but nobody responded. In short, I am trying to create a tree of companies and employees. My problem is, I'm unsure of how to organize my fields and how to display my sorting. There's a main branch of companies, owning their own employees and also other companies. Using the Personnel List starter solution, I'm trying to make it so that the "List" layout can be used to sort through this all. Clicking on a parent company would display both its employees and their imprints/child companies. Clicking on one of those companies brings you to their employees/further children companies, etc. I tried using a blanket "child company" field, but that doesn't seem like it would work because even though the children companies are obvious when viewed in the parent company's file, I don't think FileMaker can perform my specific task because they're all grouped together (unless I tie the entire thing to the record? New to FileMaker). I also thought of creating company-specific fields (e.g. Scholastic Imprint, FSG Imprint, etc) and throwing them into their own layout simply so that the data is recorded, but then it's not linked to other pages. I'm unsure of how to complete what seems like a simple task. Would love any sort of response, links to information, advice, anything! I'm enjoying FileMaker, and being able to organize information like this would be tremendously helpful in the future.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, new to FileMaker and unsure of how to articulate what I'm trying to achieve. I am trying to reorganize a database using FileMaker. My client's work is literary, and wants to be able to sort agents/editors by their publishing house/imprint. I am using the Personnel Files starter solution, as it comes with some of the features I'm looking for, particularly the "Personnel List". A quick summary of relationships: Publishing Houses [House] are parent companies. Sometimes they do their own publishing, but it's often left to children companies, or Imprints. There are House-specific publishers, editors, etc [People]. Imprints [Imprint] are composed the exact same way, with Imprint-specific People. They are owned by parent companies. For simplicity, lets assume that every House has 5 Imprints. Editors/Publishers/etc [People] have their own specific pages. House/Imprint use duplicate layouts (companies), same with different categories of People. I want to achieve the following: The ability to use the Personnel list to sort either alphabetically by name (as is done currently). I also want to be able to sort by Publishing House -> Imprint -> [People]. What do I need to know to do this? I envision a list of all Houses. Then, clicking on one, the imprints show up in an adjacent list. Clicking on the Imprint, People working for that Imprint pop up, and then clicking on one of them leads to their Details page (currently set up). In order to view details on the House itself, the House's own page would be set up as an Imprint. What are the gaps in my knowledge here? Where should I start? I am trying to create a system of increasing specification for finding data quickly.

I'm not at the computer currently, but the relevant relationship graph: Table: Submissions (larger database) -> Editors (clickable button/portal meant to link to the relevant database) = Editors (said database) -> name (field in database, have tried every section). I'd rather have it go just to editors, but it does not allow the option. I will be at the computer and be able to give proper updates/relevant information around 90 minutes.

What do you mean by "graph?" How can I display that information?

I'm using FMP 11 on a Mac running Yosemite. I have a button that says "Editors" in my "Submissions" page, and a portal linking to my "Editors" database. However, it was showing that the "Editors" field was unrelated. After establishing a relationship between one field in my "Editors" database, the database was considered relevant, whereas before it would say that the "...target was part of an unrelated field." Now, it is telling me that "...this layout cannot display the result." No calculations are involved, it's all text with info about contracts and the editor's information/previous work. What information am I missing to help others identify the problem? What can be done? I do not use scripting as I am unfamiliar with the process. Additionally, in another portal, once I established the Editor/Submissions relationship, pressing "Work" will no longer open the pages it used to (the relevant author's prior work), and instead reverts the database back to its template rather than any specific page. It does not open the page when I press it, despite the relationship being the same.