KateJ

Select Design is seeking a talented developer to assist in the management and upkeep of the company’s current FileMaker Pro applications, as well as the analysis, design and implementation of future solutions for both our own internal use and that of our clients. Requirements: • Two years or more of experience designing, implementing and deploying database solutions using desktop applications, e.g., FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Access, etc. • Comfortable developing and deploying multi-user solutions and managing software development projects. • Excellent troubleshooting and customer service skills. • Comfortable with the Macintosh platform. • Familiarity with database modeling concepts. • Committed to making and meeting deadlines. • Willing and able to work both independently and as a member of a team. Helpful Qualifications: • Experience with SQL, JavaScript, PHP, XML or other similar technologies. • Familiarity with FileMaker Server deployments. • FileMaker certification. Salary based on experience and capabilities. We offer medical and dental insurance, 401K and profit sharing among other benefits. Please email a cover letter and resume to: careers@selectdesign.com.

Well, the long and short of our story is that I did as tech support suggested (moved the find request script steps into the data file) and all has performed fine since. So, as I'm sure others have found, TSM is a great idea, and works well in many instances, but there are times when things don't work right and work arounds are required.... Thanks for everyone's input and help. Kate

Small organization...5 users currently; 7 max -- maybe in the next year or two...

Hi, I have a client that is getting ready to upgrade their existing FM (7) solution and they are asking for some advice. They design/print stickers. So, there are graphics files involved here. At the moment, I have them talked into having a stand alone machine to run Server 8.0v4 (with Mac OSX Server as operating system). We are trying now to decide about the best performance options for storing (or holding references) to the graphics. I essentially outlined two options for them: 1 - Hold the graphics (max 72 dpi) in the FM database container fields. But they'd have to save them as well on another drive where the art guy would access them and edit them as necessary using Adobe Illustrator. So I see some duplication/overhead issues there. Also the issue of having to be sure to always remember to update the graphics in both places if/when they changes. 2 - Store only a reference to the graphics. This one has always seemed to present problems for me because the users cannot guarantee that they will not ever change the path...and when the path is changed...well, you know what happens. So my questions are as follows: what can the Troi File plug-in do for me? It seems that it does allow you to store only a reference, but also somehow hold a thumbnail? Can someone elaborate on that for me? What happens if/when the graphic is updated? What happens when the path is changed? Also, we are getting some advice from the hardware guy that we might be better off having one Mac Mini to hold the operating system and the FM Server software, but then hold the actual database file (presumably with the graphics contained in container fields) in an external drive (+300gigs) connected by firewire. Is that a good idea? Would it be slower or faster to refresh/present the graphics to the users?? Thanks for any and all input. Kate Schneider

A little clarification....Both files (interface and data) are served by the FM server. No files live on the client machines. All users are on either 8.0v3 or 8.5v1 (the windows machine I referenced earlier is on 8.0v3). We have some new intel Macs so they have the 8.5 versions; other users are using parts of the system that require a plug-in which is not yet upgraded to 8.5 so they'll stay on 8.0v3 for the time being. Server version is 8.0v4. And yep, I have rewritten the find requests to use contrain in order to work with a smaller set already. And I've compressed. And I've unindexed.... Oh, and by the way, the find scripts always work fine when I take the files locally -- regardless of FM version, OS or processor chip. So the server has to be involved in this issue somehow! Kate

Hi, I have two files in my solution: one for interface and one for data. All scripts and layouts are in the interface file. Obviously, some of these scripts perform finds on data in the data file. And, more specifically, some of those find scripts perform finds on UNSTORED calcs in the data file. We are an all-Mac OSX company, and we have FM server running on a dedicated machine also running Mac OSX (not OSX Server) with 2g memory. We have about 30 users. The behavior that I am able to replicate is as follows: 1 - Launch the interface file. Perform a script (via a button) that performs a find on an unstored calc (with other find parameters as well). The find results in a incorrect set of records. 2 - Perform the find "manually" on the same unstored calc field. Find is successful (although it does take awhile which is, in my view, normal). 3 - Perform the find via the script again and it works fine. Correct found set is displayed. Script functions properly until the user exits and reenters the system. Advice from FM Tech Support is that the sep model is the issue here, and that I must perform my find requests in scripts that are in the data file, not in the interface file. But here's a clincher...the above behavior is NOT replicated when I login to the database (remotely) with a Windows XP machine. The scripted find works fine the FIRST time. Hmmmmm..... Would love to hear from others on this...especially whether or not FM Tech Support advice sounds correct since I will need to rewrite, etc. several key scripts.... Thanks for any and all input. Kate

Thanks for your reply. The full script is quite lengthy with several different parameters, etc. but here's the very beginning of it with a section that fails every once in a while. Set Error Capture [ On ] If [ Get(ScriptParameter) = "Add Job" ] Set Variable [ $OrderID; Value:ORD__~tog::__pk_OrderID ] Commit Records/Requests [ No dialog ] New Window [ Name: 1; Height: 0; Width: 0; Top: -20; Left: 0 ] Go to Layout [ “JOB.job.utl” (JOB__~tog) ] New Record/Request Set Variable [ $Error; Value:Get(LastError) ] If [ $Error ≠ 0 ] Show Custom Dialog [ Title: "Yikes!"; Message: "PROCESS FAIL: Please notify Kate ASAP that you've received message: "& $Error&". Thanks!"; Buttons: “OK” ] Close Window [ Name: 1; Current file ] Exit Script [ ] End If Set Field [ JOB__~tog:_fk_OrderID; $OrderID ] Commit Records/Requests Close Window [ Name: 1; Current file ] Go to Layout [ original layout ] Go to Field [ ord_UI~all::ActiveTabOne ] Go to Portal Row [ Last ] Go to Field [ ord_JOB~orderIDnocreation::JobDescription ] You'll note the If statement that I have in there that I'm using to capture the error code. So far, 106 is what my users report seeing when they receive the message. BTW, I'm using the separation model -- data in one file and interface (scripts, layouts in another). We're running on a brand new dedicated server with 2g of RAM and 7200 hard drive. Thanks for any insight. Kate

Hi all, Need some help on an error that I'm seeing OCCASSIONALLY. Several scripts in the system I've developed are used to create new records (rather than allowing creation through portals, etc.). Usually (although not in every case), I pop a very tiny window for the new record to be created in (go to the right layout/table) and then perform the new record step. I've put a trap in for the occurence of an error because a few times a day the new record step is failing. The trap has let me know that the error I'm actually getting is #106 -- Table is missing. Happens in different tables/scripts throughout the day. Any thoughts on why this would happen intermittently would be helpful. Much appreciated, Kate

Hi all, Lurker here...thanks to everyone who posts and replies here at FM Forum; very helpful site. Hope I'm posting on the right forum. Anyway...have a corruption issue I'd like some direction/feedback on. I have figured out that the corruption appears to be in one field; a text field that gets set when a record is created (which happens via a script). This particular field is critical to a scripted find and to several relationships. The script/find keeps failing intermittently; I go in and re-index the field and all is well for a while -- maybe a day, maybe an hour. But ultimately, the index gets corrupted again. Interestingly, the relationships that rely on the field seem to be fine, i.e., the right records are showing up in portals, etc.) FYI, I am using the separation model; the field is thusly in my data file; the scripts are in the UI file. We are still in development mode and only have test data in the data file. So, here's my question(s). How do I know exactly where the corruption is? From what I'm describing, is it most likely that the corruption is in the actual data contained in the field? Will this problem likely be solved when/if I clear out all the current test data? Or, do I need to take more drastic steps, i.e., delete the field, re-create it, remap all scripts and relationships, etc.? Or further, delete and re-create the enter table? Or even further, re-create my enter data file (ugh -- 30+ tables in there). Any advice and/or direction would be appreciated. Kate

Good morning! Well, of course...just needed that little bit of clarity. It's working wonderfully now. Thanks so much.

Well, and just to be a real pain... : I also would like to fetch the nth records in a certain order (not the creation order, which I believe is the default). The task table also has a "sequence" field which is used to sort the records. This is necessary because a project will often have new tasks added after the fact which need to be slotted in (time-wise) between two tasks created earlier. And thus the columns need to reflect this same sort/sequence order.

Thanks so much John Mark, for such a quick reply! Here's a bit more detail: The solution I'm creating is more or less a project management system for a publishing company. So each project (or book/ISBN) has several tasks related to it. Each task has a due date. This data is held in the table called Tasks. This table has the following important fields: 1) task description, 2) short task description, 3) due date, and 4) track flag. I need to go to the parent book record and pull the data in the short task description field of all the related task records that have "Y" in the track flag field into COLUMNS along the top of a layout. So, by way of example: For book title = New Book Task Desc|Short Task|Due Date|Track Flag Deliver Manuscript|Deliver|5/23/2006|Y Layout Pages|Pages|5/30/2006|Y Create Invoice|Invoice|5/30/2006|N We would thus end up with a report with one ROW (representing New Book; base table for the layout is the ISBN/book table) and TWO column headers in the header part. The two column headers would be Deliver and Pages (Invoice would be suppressed because its Track Flag = N). The body part would show 5/23/2006 under the Deliver column and 5/30/2006 under the Pages column. (Once I get the column head calc set up, I can then work with that to set up the calc the shows the actual dates in the body). I REALLY want to be able to do this with a repeating calc rather than having individual fields as we're talking about up to 36 columns on the report. Again, see my original post for the calc I'm using that is working beautifully EXCEPT that it, of course, is picking up EVERY task record, and not just the ones that have Track Flag= Y. So, I know I'm close...I can almost feel it... : Hope this helps!! Best, Kate

Sorry, just trying to update my profile now. I'm using 8 Advanced, so custom functions are a possibility. Thanks!

Hi all, First, I'm mostly a lurker, but I come here and very often find others' posts that I can glean helpful hints from. Thanks everyone who partipates here. Here's my problem for today: I am currently using a calc (with several repetitions defined) as follows: GetNthRecord (Extend(table::field); Get ( CalculationRepetitionNumber ) ) and it's working beautifully to turn records (rows) into column headings. But, the clincher is that I need it to be conditional. In other words, I only want to pickup the "nth" record if (and only if) a certain status field is equal to "Y". If the status is not equal to "Y", skip that record (don't make a column out of that data) and move on to give me the next record as my next column head to the right. I am thinking that something recursive might be necessary here, but I'm afraid that's something I'm not very good at. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Kate

This is truly beautifully -- technically and visually!! Thanks for the hard work that went into this.

So sorry... I promise I did surf and try to find a post...but obviously not thoroughly enough! And yes, this works and it's beautiful. Many, many thanks. Kate

Hi all, So, here's the story... The users want to be able to have a new line item on a purchase order pull in the last price at which they bought that item. And, they want the "read in" price to be in black on the layout. If, on this occasion, we are purchasing the item for a different price, the user needs to be able to overwrite the price that was provided from the last record; when this happens, the price should change to grey on the layout. Also, if we have never purchased this item before, the unit price field should be blank and the user can enter the price. So, what I've tried to set up is an auto-enter calc which works beautifully AS LONG AS the field in question (Unit Price) is defined as a text field. But this won't do, since the field must display on the layout with a $ sign, etc. The calc I am currently using is: Case(IsEmpty(UnitPrice);TextColor(Last ( poli_POLI~goodID::UnitPrice );RGB (0;0;0)); TextColor ( UnitPrice ; RGB ( 138 ; 146 ; 149 ) )) I have fooled around with the GetAsText function and still no luck. Wondering if I need to adjust the calc to include the dollar sign and decimal points, etc. or if there's an easier way and I'm missing something. Thanks for any input! Kate

OK, this really shouldn't be this hard.... I have been surfing and reading and surfing and reading; FM TechTalk etc. but still don't seem to have a grasp on how to fitler a portal in V7. Any help on the following would be appreciated. File 1 = Order Header (includes Order ID field) File 2 = Order Line Items (includes Order ID and qty ordered fields) File 3 = Order Line Items Shipments (includes Order ID and quantity shipped fields; note -- there may be more than one shipment against one line item) (I know...this doesn't seem too hard, does it??) I want a layout to have a portal that shows only the Line Items that still have an outstanding balance to ship. So, I have a field in Order Line Items that compares the ordered quantity against the SUM of quantity shipped in the matching shipment line item records. The result produces an "O" for open if there is still a balance, and a "C" if the order is completely shipped. In Order Header, I have a text global that simply contains a "C". I have built a relationship between Order Header and Order Line Item (multi-predicate) which matches Order ID on both sides AND also the global in Order Header with the calc with result of "C" or "O" in Order Line item. Doesn't work. Grrrr. Portal is completely empty. Please help. Thanks, Kate

Phew! Thanks, Queue.

I'm new! Thanks for any help anyone can provide on my problem (hopefully not everyone is at DevCon!!) I have a calculation that involves both a number and a period of time. It's more or less this: Miles (number field) / miles per hour (number field) + time (time field) I need the result to be in time format. For example: 2500 miles / 500 miles per hour + 00:15 (15 minutes) = 5:15:00 I've been fooling around with TextToTime, etc. and not getting any where. Again, any help would be appreciated.