jware

Thanks for your response, Fenton. I agree with what you are saying about it get difficult when a lot of fields are involved. However, at this point writing database programs using Filemaker is a hobby for me, since I am retired. I was a mainframe programmer using COBOL long before the PC came along. During the last 10 years of my career I did write DB programs using Filemaker Pro verions 3 thru 5.5. Of course Filemaker changed the way they do business starting with version 7, which I bought and wrote a few personal DB programs. The program I am working on now using version 9 I wrote earlier using version 7. It work great in v7 with almost unlimited reporting. Of course I have fields that you mentioned in your reply. I can see a report that show me CREDIT CARDS, and a total; MEDICAL and a total, etc. However, I can also see a report that show VISA1 and the amount; VISA2 and the amount, Bank of America Visa and the amount, etc. This information can be seen for this month, or any other past month since this item has been in the database. Of course I hard coded all the field names, including summuary names while writing the program using v7. Now I want to totally rewrite the program and get around the need to go into the code when adding an item to the database. Hope this explain what I am up to. I will get it done. jware1939

I created a database using FMP7 that track my home finance: budget, income, spending, etc. The program has several tables. However, whenever I need to add a new expense item name, or new income item name, for tracking purposes, I had to go into the code and create new table fields so the items could be tracked, summurazied, and included in reports. I want to rewrite the program using FMP Pro 9 and take away the need to go into the code if I get a new credit card or a new income source. Now I know that I have to find another way to accomplish this task. Thanks for the responses. Jware1939

I would like to create new fields using information entered via an entry screen. For instance, if "Bank of America Visa" is entered the script will create a field with the name "Bank of America Visa Amt" and a field with the name "Bank of America Visa Amt Sum" which is a summary field. I have not been able to find any information on this question so it must be too simple or is not needed by anyone else. I am using FMP Pro 9 Advanced on an XP machine. Thanks for any info. Jware1939

I have been running fmp 5.5 and fmp 7 on an XP based computer with no problems. Recently I purchased a new computer with Vista and installed fmp 5.5 with no problems and the apps are running. However, I have not been able to install fmp 7 upgrade because the install keep saying it can't find a qualifying product intalled. I have pointed to the folder that has fmp 5.5 exe program, and has tried entering installation key for fmp 5.5 without any luck. Anyone have any idea how to resolve this problem? Thanks, Jware

I am having the same problem trying to install filemaker pro v7 on my new laptop with Vista. My v7 is an upgrade version that took me from v5.5 to v7, and has installed and ran fine since 2004 on my XP based system. I even had to to do a reinstall of v5.5 and v7 after intstalling a new C drive a couple years ago. I have successfully installed and am using v5.5 on the Vista system but cannot get V7 to recognize my v5.5 as a qualifying product even when I point out the folder or enter the installation code/key for v5.5. Can anyone help me with this problem? Thanks, Jware

Thanks Vaughan for your response. I guess I should have mentioned that those headers represents departments under which highschool classes fall. They are summary information that is shown in a student's transcript. Student #1001 take classes in English, Math, Science, etc. These classes falls in different depatements. When a transcript is viewed or printed the information must have a department header followed by classes that fall within that department, then on to the next sent of classes with its dept header. Different students will have different classes and thus different department. Summarizing the data by student id and department is not the problem. Currently we do this using COBOL on a mainframe. Someone got the bright idea to migrate this to the desktop using FileMaker. Everything is working except getting the print to go to another column when there is too much for one column. I am fairly new at this FileMaker stuff so am having a problem getting it all sorted out. If you can shed more light on a solution to my problem with this additional information I will appreciated it. If not, thanks anyway. I am think of getting the boss to switch to MS Visual Basic which I know something about. Of course that cost more money. James James quote: Originally posted by Vaughan: Are "Header A" etc separate fields? If they are then I'd have to say that it's a bad way of designing the system. Think about how magazine articles are written: each article has a heading and a story, an author, etc. A "database magazine" data structure should reflect this: each article is a separate record, each record has a heading, bodym author etc. The layout only needs to be simple, because it will just be printing out the current found set of records. So to answer your question, yes it can be done, but only if your data design is suitable. Keep it simple!

Using FileMaker V5 in Windows environment I am trying to produce a columnar report; example below. Header A Header D Data field Data field Data field Header E Header B Data field Data field Data field Data field Header C Data field Data field Data field End of example. In the example above the report should print Header A thru C until it reach bottom of page then print remaining headers and detail lines in next column. The idea is it should look like columns in a magazine article that has printed information in columns on the same page. In my database I can have information under 1 to 45 headers. Print should only occur for header that has detail lines. No detail information, no header print. Anyone know if this is possible in FileMaker? Jware