Jack Rodgers

Sorts on calculated fields are slower than sorts on fields that are not calculated. The more relationships to evaluate, the slower the sort. Storing or not storing the calculation can also affect the time. Sometimes its only barely noticeable while other times... If a designer tries hard enough they can drive any database to its knees or discover all kinds of ways to crash it. I am a founding member and invite others to apply. A list view is so much more flexible than a portal I reserve portals for small stuff. Sorting at the TO level, as mentioned above, is faster.

This is a job for Two Portal Man! Or Multi-Portal Man! [Note that you can substitute Woman for Man.] Create the portal layouts that sort as you like, note that portals sort best when done at the TO level. Now create a tab layout with sufficient tabs to hold your various portals. You can name the tab as your desired sort. If you are so stubborn that you don't want the tabs to show, make them invisible and name each tab and use go to object(tab name) in your script and the prefered layout will pop to the top while the others remain hidden. Or you can fake a sort button and use it to go the the tab object.

I have done this upgrade and it can take a bit of time.

Every unique individual should have a unique id number and all records relating to this individual should link to this id number. After you have stabilized your db with this concept you can search for individuals using the various fields for name, address, phone number, zip code or just the id number. Using one unique id number for each person is the only way to maintain sanity...

Perhaps a simple explanation will help... Do not try to learn by upgrading an old solution as this will lead to brain damage... The New Filemaker can now import many files into one file. These files are now called tables after they are imported. Also, you can create a new 'table' within the file and add fields to it just as you did in the 'old way'. It's best to create a new file and then 'play' a bit importing files to create a new table, creating new tables, new fields in the tables and then creating relationships with the intent being only to learn. After this 'playing about' for a few hours or days you will begin to understand the new system. After you have sucessfully created a new mini solution with perhaps 10 related tables and some layouts you will have a better idea of where to go next. Do not try to visit a all you can eat buffet and swallow everything at once... :

Does the Delete button perform a script something like: Find all fieldname = fieldname delete all records ?

I'm using 8.5 and a client is using 9. I showed him how to use the viewer for tracking ups but now he wants to bring the info into Filemaker about shipping, etc. Any ideas?

You need to make your a second relationship based on a calculated field. Use a text field named Sold in the portal table for the omit and place it on the portal line formatted as a checkbox with a value list assigned with the one value, 'Sold". When you check it, it highlights as x or uncheck it and it is empty. The calculated field then is Sold & " " & LinkIdField. This will produce: Sold 1234 1234 Link the calculated field of the portal table to the LinkIDField of the master table. When Sold is checked there will be no matching value in the master table and the portal line will dissappear. You would need two layouts, one for creating portal lines and then one for using the Sold concept. With the newer Filemakers, you would create a tab layout with New and Available tabs.

Don't use the Find By Layout technique. Create a layout using Globals for the fields and simply go to that layout with no pause. Have a find button and various buttons for where the user can go to. The script for the find button determines which globals have data and acts appropriately. if not empty globals x, y, z, etc enter find mode If not is empty this global field set field x to global x end if if not is empty global field y set field y to global y end if etc. perform find end if Thus your tabbed menu can have a find page like above and your user can vacate the find by clicking on another tab.