patrickglass

Hello, i am creating an inventory database to store item stock as well as keep track of suppliers. I currently have a portal that shows all available supplier parts No's and prices. I print barcodes that go with each of these items to be places below the item on the shelf. I would like to include the manufactures part number and price as well. The problem is FileMaker chooses for itself what supplier link to use, currently the supplier name and part number do not reflect the same record (BAD). Right now it chooses the lowest SupplierID and lowest SupplierPartPricesID, not neccessarily from the same record link, one can only see the problem when theres more than two supplier links and with certain conditions. I have a supplierpartprices table linking the inventoryItem and the supplier table. I have been playing around with a new table entry in inventory called PrferredSupplier but i have not had any success creating a value list to generate from just the member in the portal view. I have attached a simplified database for your toying pleasure. Any recommondations are welcome as this is just being developed as well as any other methods to get the supplier prices to print with the right supplier name. Inventory.zip

thanks comment, I think that may work and it would be good to eliminte the executable to create a better put together project. I have been trying to figure out the reason for the exe failing. i have come to the conclusion. I have the database frontend and back end in c:/Filemaker Databases and have two sub directories that the barcode scanner must use as c:/Filemaker Databases/ToPhaser and FromPhase both one level below the main database. i have an exe in both folders that have to be ran. one for exporting valid users and the other to receive and parse the data. I have found that if i have previously navigated to the folder from within filemaker using the open command the exe in that folder will run without problems. however since i have the exe's in seperate folders only one will work at a time. I have no idea why the autosaved path for filemaker would change the way it is run. everytime the exe will run but it will throw exceptions when not in the "current folder". I have tried making full paths as well as relative and seemed to make no differnece. If anyone could shed some light on what's happening it would be much appreciated. I hope i made myself clear. Patrick Glass

Well im not sure that i knew xml could be used for this. i need a solution to read a file with spaces and "|" delimiters. then it needs to delete the file it read after backing it up. here is my code for the ParsePartsControl.exe string sLine; string ControlID, PersonnelID, TransactionType, RequestorID, Value, Day, Month, Year, Hours, Minutes, Seconds, TimePostfix; string[] lineParsed = new string[20]; System.Console.WriteLine("Set Settings"); StreamWriter outputFile = new StreamWriter("ParsedPartsControl.csv"); System.Console.WriteLine("Done Outfile Linking"); StreamReader inputFile = new StreamReader("PartsControl.txt"); System.Console.WriteLine("Done InFile Linking"); System.Console.WriteLine("Created Writer References"); // Write header to file outputFile.WriteLine("BarcodeID,PersonnelID,TransactionType,RequestorID,Value,Timestamp"); System.Console.WriteLine("Wrote Header File"); while (!inputFile.EndOfStream) { sLine = inputFile.ReadLine(); sLine = sLine.Replace(" ", ""); lineParsed = sLine.Split('|'); ControlID = lineParsed[0]; PersonnelID = lineParsed[1]; TransactionType = lineParsed[2]; RequestorID = lineParsed[3]; Value = lineParsed[4]; Year = lineParsed[5].Substring(0, 4); Month = lineParsed[5].Substring(4, 2); Day = lineParsed[5].Substring(6, 2); Hours = lineParsed[5].Substring(8, 2); Minutes = lineParsed[5].Substring(10, 2); Seconds = lineParsed[5].Substring(12, 2); TimePostfix = "AM"; int intHours = Convert.ToInt32(Hours); if (intHours > 12) { intHours = intHours - 12; Hours = intHours.ToString(); TimePostfix = "PM"; } if (PersonnelID.Length != 3) PersonnelID = ""; if (RequestorID.Length != 3) RequestorID = ""; outputFile.WriteLine(ControlID + "," + PersonnelID + "," + TransactionType + "," + RequestorID + "," + Value + "," + Month + "/" + Day + "/" + Year + " " + Hours + ":" + Minutes + ":" + Seconds + " " + TimePostfix); } System.Console.WriteLine("End of loop"); inputFile.Close(); outputFile.Close(); System.Console.WriteLine("Completed Successfully - No Errors found"); } catch { System.Console.WriteLine("Error Processing functionnnNO SPACES ALLOWED IN FILENAMES"); System.Console.WriteLine("Error opening the inputfile PartsControl.txtn" + "Please Ensure that this file exists and is formatted correctly!"); System.Console.WriteLine("Please ensure file exists"); System.Console.Beep(); System.Console.Beep(); System.Console.Beep(); System.Console.WriteLine("nPlease press enter to exit."); System.Console.ReadLine(); I am not at all famillair with XML. if someone thinks this can be done i would appreaciate a pointer to a good information source. The data i have to get in is from a batch barcode scanner Control,UserID,TransactionType,RequestID,Value,Timestamp 260 |259|0|0 |1 |20070529111214 101 |259|0|0 |1 |20070529111215 101 |259|0|0 |1 |20070529111216 195 |259|0|0 |1 |20070529111218 195 |259|0|0 |1 |20070529111219 i just need to remove spaces and change| to , and then format the time somehow into a format that filemaker likes. Thanks for the time. Patrick Glass

Hello, I am using FileMaker Advanced and have been having some problems with the Send Event Script command for windows xp. I am attempting to execute a program to parse a file into csv for importing. It is written in C# 2005. The problem is it is intermittent on wether it will throw an error. The program works perfect when i execute it manually. The problem is that after closing filemaker and openting up the script i have to redefine the file reference of the exe in order for it work work. if i skip that step then it will throw an error with my application. The EXE does not use the command line for extra configurations option so it cannot fail because some extra characters are coming in as arguments. The problem only happens if i don't newly make the file reference. What does the send event actually do when is is run. ie how does it open or execute the file. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello again, I took your advide Old Advance Man, i talked with our manager and he has decided that eventually we will be going for a whole mine solution. and so we are purchasing a server and site licence pack. my question is what are the differences technical wise (other than the ammount of user who can log in) of FM Server Pro and advanced. Also while were at it between FM Pro and Advanced Since we are getting the server is it easyer to manage users with the server rather than in the filemaker file itself. i have tried fentons examble but i seem to be stuck at one state where is will only place the user in the frontend file and not the two backends. We would like to do backups regularily to our two other Samba servers. also at first we will be running FMS off a plain PC while test out needs for a sever comp. what specs are acceptable to run filemaker server with 10 connections at once. but to different databases completely. I hope i made some sence, i was just sort of rambling. also i am leaving this company to go back to school in a week and am giving the responsibility of user management to someone else. Thanks for all the help. Patrick

Well thanks for all of the comments and Pooh-Bah I will definitely find you example. Well right now we are starting as a small database with few people only managers and data entry personnel with access. They will be run on dedicated computers. This is we will also be tracking part usage and I would like each mechanic to have a username and pass so that I can track changes. But all mechanics don’t have their own computer so at the part warehouse we will have the computer with the barcode reader and they log in and scan the part. That’s about it. So we don’t have the resources to be giving all our labor staff their own computer. We will eventually (once we have the need) switch to FM Server, but as of yet we are still putting this is a trial phase. So to put it plainly right now we have only 4 main users but I would like to plan for a bit in the future to have the ability to add more easily. Also I was wondering if FileMaker Server can handle security that was placed in the actual file. Or does it have to be externally authenticated. I would just like to make portable solution that may once be able to grow, but for now remain small. Patrick Glass

Hello, i have build a database with the two file schema, one for front end and relations and the back end with only the data tables. this is just so i can do updates to the program without modifying the database itsself. I not have come into the problem that i would like to secure it. i would like to have custom accounts for each type of user and many users itself ( < 100 ) maby 1 or 2 on at once within out local network. there is no real security risk with people viewing the data so much as it is just machine reports and inventory. but i would like to prevent from accidental changes. what is the best way to administer so many users. I am using Filemaker Pro 8 on Windows Xp with no intentions as of yet using FileMaker Server. My main question is how do i set security for access for the backend defined file. when i go into Accees and Privaliges within the front end and go to custom access i cant see any of the data tables and therefore cannot protect them. do i have to do all the security for the data from withing the backend. Does the frontend sent the username to the backend to be process and querried as to what access they have been given. Thanks for the time and please feel free to ask more questions as this is my first database. Patrick Glass

well if i am understanding you correctly you want to add a new record to a portal. there are two ways of doing so, the latter one i learned today for my own application. First method to add a new portal record is in browse mode you click on the last empty record and it will automatically create a new one The Second method was a work around for me as with data entry in the web it cant detect my clicking. so i made a script that would set the curser to inside Go To Portal Record[select; Last] That seems to work for me in my application. if anyone has a better method please inform me. i am really new to Filemaker and this is my first application. As for you Vandy i hope this helps. Patrick Glass

Hi again, i now would like to just ask some developer professionals ( Anyone on this form ) how they use drop down lists with normalized tables. is the only main method to hide the dropdown index with a name field on top. Also i was wondering if someone could point me to some code that when someone clicks on the drop down but not neccessarily on the triangle it would pop down the list. this just makes it so the autocomplete works for me. Thanks for the time. Patrick Glass

Thanks for the reply, i do have a drop down list with a name field over top of it. but the autocomplete feature does not work how i would like it, i want to be able to see what ive typed and have it do a filtering. Access has a much better solution for the drop down it seems. it will still only have the numbers to write in. i also have show only second field however if i were not to have the text file over top of the listview it would still only show a number of the ID value. Thanks

Hello, i am very new to FileMaker and this will be my first database. I am creating a maintenance Database for our company to organise maintenance reports. I already have a complete solution in MS Access. i found filemaker and loved the idea of being to be able to do data entry over the intranet. Now onto my situation. it seems my background in access had led me in the wrong direction. i currently have two tables, :Equipment -EquipmentID -EquipmentTypeID -EquipmentName ::EquipmentType -TypeID -TypeName They are linked on Type Fields ie CM11 is a Continuous Miner In access i had a combobox that would drop down and autocomplete the TypeName but on complete would fill the source field to be the index or TypeID field. in FileMaker i can do everything the same except i would have to have the drop down display the ID value rather than the text which is much less reader friendly. i have found a work around where you have a text box over top of the list and it would display the related value. The problem arises when we want to autocomplete the drop down. with this curent method it will only autocomple for the ID number and not the type of equipment. we have tons of datafields for the rest of the database of the simular kind so a robust solution would be very welcome. Well my real question is how are we in filemaker supposed to normalise databases if we cannot use ID's in an easy manner, should i convert all my ID fields to be text and just store everything that way, destroying all usefullness of a database. i am confused as how to get around this large situatiuon. Thanks for the time. Patrick Glass