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A field formatted as a checkbox set will normally contain a return-separated list of the values checked by the user, in the order they were checked. In order to test if a known value is checked, you should use: not IsEmpty ( FilterValues ( "Your Value" ; YourTable::YourField ) )

Although I am familiar with the method you show, I usually prefer using the TextColor() function with a large rectangle character (or several).

I don't understand the logic you describe. I believe the best way to produce the result you show would be to find all Billings records where DueDate has passed and DatePaid is empty (this requires no calculation fields, neither stored nor unstored). Then sort them by customer and print them using a layout having a sub-summary by customer as its only part, with a page break after each sub-summary. Using a summary field to get the subtotal will result in each customer seeing the total of their past-due-date amounts. This is assuming you're printing the letters. If you need to produce individual PDFs or e-mails , it gets a bit more complex.

Filemaker removes ALL leading zeros from a number - including the first one: GetAsNumber ( "0.5" ) returns .5. If the result can be either a number or an expression like "<1.1", then you need to set the calculation's result type to Text. And that means you need to format the resulting number yourself, for example by something like: Int ( result ) & If ( Mod ( result ; 1 ) ; Mod ( result ; 1 ) ) Alternatively, you could calculate the number as number only, format the calculation field to display as Decimal, and use another field to show the sign. But that would work well for display only, not for exporting, for example.

Is it really? Compare the results in these cases: 1. Customer paid before due date. Due date has passed. 2. Customer has not paid. Due date has not yet passed.

I don't think it goes beyond what's listed here: https://fmhelp.filemaker.com/help/18/fmp/en/index.html#page/FMP_Help%2Fscript-workspace-shortcuts-os-x.html%23 Perhaps you can add your own using a 3rd party utility?

I suspect that the problem is with the 'Records being browsed' option being checked for the Save Records to PDF step. What exactly is a record in the Billing table and how many of them make up an invoice? -- P.S. Please update your profile to reflect your version and OS, so that we know what you can use

Based on this description, I would expect the penalty to be calculated as something like: If ( Get (CurrentDate) > Due Date and not DatePaid or DatePaid > Due Date ; AmountDue *.05 ) However, this still has the flaw of hard-coding the penalty rate into the calculation formula. Ideally, the rate would be auto-entered into another field and referenced from there, so that you can change it without affecting previous records. Note that the calculation must be unstored because it relies on current date. A test of 0 will always be false, not true. OTOH, the last test, AmountDue*.05, will always be true (unless the amount is 0).

If you understand the logic well enough to do the calculations manually (or in Excel, like they do), then you can also implement it in Filemaker. I don't - and I don't expect to learn it from a video in a language I don't speak. In general, cutting stock is a very difficult computational problem.

Oh boy. You're so quick to dismiss things, you are missing out on so many cool opportunities. The URL method should be very convenient for you, because with a runtime you can place your files in a known location relative to the application. So if the Materials folder is in the same folder as the runtime engine, you should be able to use: "file:/" & Get (FileMakerPath) & "Materials/" & YourTable::FileName as the URL to open (untested on Windows). But you launch them one at a time, do you not? So you can insert the file you want to open in a global container, and then double-click the container. Or you could use an unstored calculation field - that would reduce the scripting to a single step. Again, the advantage here is that the path can be relative to the file - see the attached demo. I don't see it that way. IMHO Filemaker carried a technology long past its usefulness - just like they did with OLE at the time. demo.zip

Can't you use a cross-platform method, then? Like Open URL or inserting the file (as reference) into a global container and selecting it to open?

I am not sure what that means. Let's say you have a global field (or a calculation field) named Folder that contains: Macintosh HD/Applications/RealBookSoftware5.02m/Materials/ and a field named Filename that contains: 123.mp3 Then performing a calculated AppleScript: Let ([ AS_filePath = Substitute ( YourTable::Folder & YourTable::Filename ; "/" ; ":" ) ; template = "tell application \"Finder\"¶ open file \"«AS_filePath»\"¶ end tell" ] ; Substitute ( template ; "«AS_filePath»" ; AS_filePath ) ) should result in opening the file.

OK, so now we need to give it the path to the actual file. What is stored in your database and where exactly are these files?

I understand that. But I am trying to establish what works on your system and what doesn't. So I am starting with something basic. If that works, we can move forward. If it doesn't, then something is very wrong.

What happens if you perform the following as native AppleScript: tell application "Finder" set myFile to choose file open myFile end tell You should get a dialog to select a file. Navigate to your MP3 file, select it and click 'Choose'.