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This wasn't the problem, I was using the other concept mentioned in the previous thread, to referesh the results using the refresh window with the cache option... By tinkering around with things I found the problem, and I hope this helps anyone else who is a newbie trying to implement this dwindling value list concept (which is a very great thing!) My value list was defined to use the IDs from the UNUSED table (an occurence of Resources, showing values that do NOT match the USED calculation....which is correct) BUT at first was set to show realted values from the JOIN table, which worked, except when there were no values. When I changed this to show only related values from the PRODUCT table, voila! I was thinking that since only the Join table knows when both a product and resource are being used together, that was the table to rely on. But since the relationship there has already been established via the UNUSED table occurence. I'm sure that sounded very confusing but I'm starting tgo comprehend this now. Any further tips? Key points I should have learned from this experience? Thanks again though for all of your efforts everyone. This forum is extremely helpful!

Thanks for the reply... It is a text field, but as far as Evaluate goes - I tried putting the whole thing into Evaluate, but this made the dwindling value list not work at all... it looked liek this: Evaluate ("

Sorry to be a pain here, but that's exactly what I have defined for my USED field, which is in the Products table: "0

Thanks for the reply... it took awhile but I figured out how to relate this to my database (I'm still new to this whole relational concept)... Still one problem though... When I start with a product that currently has no Resources associated with it yet, (in other words the Used field would be empty, because no values have yet been used)... My value list displays <No Values Defined> Again I'm sure there is a very simple thing I am missing here, but as of yet I'm not sure what it is. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

I've tried to implement the last idea mentioned here by creating: * the "Used" value list based on the join table * the Used field in the Products table * another Resources table occurence with the 'not equal to' relationship between the resource serial# and Used field(from Prodcuts) *the value list unused, containing all of the Resource serial numbers from this new table occurence Now this value list is in a portal (portal based on the join table of course), but I've tried putting my value list in a portal row and outside of a portal row and I still get a value list with all of the resources, used or not. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? This sounds like a perfect idea, and I'd love to get it working. Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Both concepts will work in different places in my database. For this particular instance though I think the value list concept is best. I may seem a bit slow here, but I need some elaboration on implementing the idea. I think I understand the All and Used lists, but am unclear on the Unused value list, which is really the only one I'll need to show in this case. I'd love to implement this one if there is any way you could clarify. Thanks for both ideas. The first clears up a lot for me, and helps me to understand how to count in my other tables, and in this case the second is just the right fit. I appreciate all of the help...

The question involves 3 tables: Products, Resources and a Join table. Products and Resources each have an ID field of their own, both of which appear in the join table to link them. I have a portal on the Products table that shows which resources are required to product that product (The portal is linked to the Join table, so that when productID matches, the Resource will appear in the portal)... I've come up with a script to enter resources into the portal. Since it would be pointless to use a resource twice (there's a quantity field), I need to somehow COUNT how many times this resource exists via this product already. If that count is greater than 0, I know it would be a repeat. What do I count? And where? I've been able to count various things within the databse already, but this one I can't seem to get. In fact, the whole concept of context and calculating via relationships seems to have missed me somewhow. I understand the concept in my head, but applying it seems hard for me to grasp. I find myself not knowing what should calculate from where, and how many tables it should go through, and if it has to 'stop' anywhere along the way... If anyone knows of a thorough and easy to grasp explanation of the whole concept somewhere, I'd be interested. I wouldn't have so many of these questions then =) Thanks for any help on this.

I wasn't sure if this belongs in calculations or here, but being new to the relational database concept, I figured it's more of a relationship thing... The question involves 3 tables: Products, Resources and a Join table. Products and Resources each have an ID field of their own, both of which appear in the join table to link them. I have a portal on the Products table that shows which resources are required to product that product (The portal is linked to the Join table, so that when productID matches, the Resource will appear in the portal)... I've come up with a script to enter resources into the portal. Since it would be pointless to use a resource twice (there's a quantity field), I need to somehow COUNT how many times this resource exists via this product already. If that count is greater than 0, I know it would be a repeat. What do I count? And where? I've been able to count various things within the databse already, but this one I can't seem to get. In fact, the whole concept of context and calculating via relationships seems to have missed me somewhow. I understand the concept in my head, but applying it seems hard for me to grasp. I find myself not knowing what should calculate from where, and how many tables it should go through, and if it has to 'stop' anywhere along the way... If anyone knows of a thorough and easy to grasp explanation of the whole concept somewhere, I'd be interested. I wouldn't have so many of these questions then Thanks for any help on this.

I think that might work for me, the new window idea, but I'm not sure how to do exactly as you said. I do know how to open a new window, and to create a list type layout, but that's the extent for me. I'm not quite sure how to a) allow them to select an item on the table, : have that selected name pull up the ID and set it into the field in the portal. I'm very interested to learn how though. Also for the sorting, I would want that table to sort by the most commonly used items, so I'm assuming just put that in as a sort, and have it perform the sort when it opens the new window. Correct? Thanks for the input though - I definitely appreciate it and look forward to learning how to complete this.

I've changed my system around so that all primary keys are now autoentered, not modifiable. So this way I have a ProductID for each product. There is a related table , Resources, which lists resources required to produce each product, and a join table, ProductResoureces, with ProductID, ResourceID, and qty. Now, I have a ProductResources portal on the Products layout. This allows me to view and add/delete resources needed for each product, via a value list to select the resource. Here is the problem: I need to select the Resource ID (and then the resource's title will pop up of course in that field)... BUT - I don't want to display the ResourceID (just a number) at all. I only want to display the Resource TITLE and also to be able to select the resources by TITLE only. The ID I use is actually the creation timestamp, and so it's not something I can just display alongside the Titles... I need to somehow hide it alltogether... The point is that somehow the ResourceID has to be selected, as that is what the relationship is based on. I'm sure this is simpler than I think, but I'm still learning =) Furthermore, I need these items to somehow be listed by the most commonly used to least commonly used. I can figure out a field to calculate 'usage' by a simple Count function. But as far as implementing this into my value list, I'm stuck. By the way, it doesn't necessarily have to be a value list, it just seems to be a simple and efficient way of selecting an item from those on a table. Any advice? Thanks

Ingenious... works flawlessly, I love it

I'm sure there's a very simple solution to this, but it's not coming to me... I have a portal that contains in each row a small container field with a pic in it (a thumbnail if you will) and a filename field. Next to this portal I want a larger scale preview of the "current" pic, and some way to select which pic would be that current selection. As far as selection goes, some kind of mouseover would be VERY cool, but I don't think there is a way in filemaker. But perhaps clicking each one would select it somehow? And then how to display that pic next to it but larger (obviously a larger container field, but how to relate it through the portal, while still keeping my neat rows in the original portal?) I'm stuck so far, any suggestions?

My relationship is exactly as you described it should be, and so the best option it seems is the Serial-type number for any and all relationships. Or atleast something that won't ever change(and is required and unique). (examples: Creation Timestamp, auto-enter serial, etc) Thanks again for your help

I currently do have the ID field (product.. the title of the product which must be unique and not empty)... The problem though is what I have listed above. I will say this though: The relationship from Product table to my join table (ProductResources) is a one-to-many, and the relationship from that to the Resources table is also one-to-many. I thought they should be many-to-many, but cannot find an option to change the relationship type. I really prefer not to create any kind of serial, maybe for this example I will, but for some other examples within my database... it would just get sort of confusing. It seems as though the data field is what I want to use, but perhaps I'm very wrong here. Again, very new to the relational database concept. Thanks again in advance for any help.

I am new to the forum, and to FMPro 7... and to using relationships in databases... I've used older versions of Filemaker though, so am somewhat familiar with it. Situation: 3 Tables: Products table (info on each product) Resources table (contains resources required to produce the product) ProductResources table (joins the two tables above with fields: Product, Resource, Qty) If a product requires anything to produce it, I use a portal on my Product layout to enter in the Qty and Resource for each resource needed. Problem: I change data in "Product" field in Product table (title of the product)... Resources in the portal disappear, because ProductResources table still contains the OLD product name. So, when I change the product name, ProductResources table sees it as a new product, which has no associated resources. I was hoping to NOT have to make a SKU or any static type "key", because I'll need this concept for ClientIDs, which will be able to change, etc. PS - Field definitions state they are required to be unique, which is why I want to keep Product as the Key here Do I have any choices here other than creating a SKU-type Auto-enter serial field? Any help is greatly appreciated - Thanks in advance.