jack e bear

After reading the "bible,' AKA "The Missing Manual," I was sort of shocked to realize that hidden on page 600-something, in a tiny paragraph, was the statement to the effect that if somehow the password was forgotten, the database was, essentially "toast," and somewhat later-on, explaining that Filemaker initially installs giving full privileges and "automatic" logon. Although in the beginning, that is, when I first moved from Xerox "Approach" database to Filemaker (I just mistyped it as "failmaker!!!) I used several texts to guide me, neither of which paid any attention at all to "user accounts," or "Passwords," thus explaining, perhaps, my shock at being confronted with a request for a password after making unwarranted assumptions about the meaning of the "file options," interactive box. The interesting observation that the discussion of these two important facts lies buried near the end of the "bible," book implies to me that perhaps some kind soul should write an ad hoc manual for casual users of this powerful database, one which gives the appropriate initial warnings about why and how to proceed. I take your advice with appreciation and many thanks. I now have to figure-out the method whereby two of us (my secretary and myself) can use the program at our three sites (she at home and at my studio) and I at home, without creating chaos. I am aware that there is a method of using the program across the internet, but I don't think that is a solution I wish to use. We'll figure something out, I suspect. Thanks again for your help. All advice gladly accepted. Jack e Bear PS. Portland seems like a nice place to live. I read about the street vendors in a food magazine and was duly impressed.

Dear IF, That does not work. When I change the file options as you have suggested above, (selecting the "log in using" box, and then I supply a "valid name," (whatever that means), it asks me to supply a name, which I did, and then the P/W, which I did (blank), and then exited. Upon re-opening, a password was requested. I used the name I chose, and the blank P/W, but it reused that and i had to revert to "admin." This password thing is much to complicated for a bear with a small brain. the question I have, re/ Filemaker, in general, is why does it not seem to do what it claims to do in some situations? P/W being the current issue. Have a nice week-end. Jack e Bear

Here is the "file options," "open" box as I now have it. Despite that, it asked me for a P/W when I opened it. See previous posts. Thanks again, J e Bear

Again, after sweating, I figured it out. I opened a file I was able to get to and found the "admin" with my P/W. I used that for the file I was playing with, and I opened it. However, even careful reading of the "help" section fails to tell me, rather, I fail to understand, how to make access completely password free. I don't care who plays in this database and if I make it too difficult, my secretary wont be able to access it either. Same appreciations. Jack e Bear

Dear Imaginary Friend, Now I am really in it. After playing around with the database yesterday, including changing the access to "no password" in the preferences, the file I was working on will not open because I do not have a password (and I never had one). How can I force the opening, or, is the program so strict as to keep even a dumb owner out? Again, all help is deeply appreciated. Jack e Bear

I think I solved the problem. I exchanged a box part, which had a fill color and was the same size as the body, with "body" fill color. This appears to have solved the matter. I am still left with the question of why the box would not repeat. But that is left for another day. Jack e Bear

The problem continues. I did some changes in the sizes of the parts. The outcome is sort of unpredictable in that the resultant PDF file, as the attachments show, have either no color background or alternating color background.

I redid the two-up report/layout and was able to see the picture/images in each of the records, however, every-other record has a blank background. the files attached are screen captures of the layout in design view and the other is the result seen in the *.pdf. It shows that only the top record retains the background color. I wonder why this is? Again, all help sincerely appreciated. Jack e Bear Well, I can't seem to attach two files, so only the pdf result is attached, and the upper record is "as designed."

Thank you for your reply. I had the page break set to: "after 2 (body)" and with no footer. After retreating to the single page, I sort of gave-up, but I would much prefer the report to be two records per page. I will try some experimenting and create a screen shot of the matter. Best, jack e Bear

I return to designing a layout after almost 3 years, and despite boning up a bit using several books, I cannot figure out what I have done incorrectly. I am using FM 8.5 Advanced. Here is the goal: I have a large art database with images and I wished to generate a layout that would fit on a single page and contain two records per page. I was successful in sizing etc., but when I tested it, only the top one contained the image. My work-around was to expand the layout to almost a full page, but this generated a very long print-out (and *,pdf). Twice as long as necessary. Because the "top" one worked, and there seems to be no overlay of parts on the bottom, what have I done incorrectly? All help is sincerely appreciated. jack e bear

Thanks, Tom. I believe I did something like this: (I started with a converted *.dbf) I probably opened the resulting *.fp7 file and saved it in a different directory and folder. Then ever since I have been using the "saved" version. I am presuming (since i do not yet know) that everything was still pointing to the first file, thus explaining the error messages. I shall do what you suggest. Zip zip zip. Also, I'll read the references you suggested, although I am a bear of small brain. Made it through medical school, but you know those docs!! Best, Jck e bear

I "lost" a layout yesterday, while working on it, by simply changing a the layout view. Fortunately, I had a "back-up," but not on this computer. This opened the question of how FM 8/8.5 handles files. I thought I was being wise when I saved databases in different directories after working on them. This was probably the wrong thing to do. On opening my database, I started using "recent" to avoid the error message: XXX.fp7 could not be opened (Not Found). When I looked in the "file reference" section, I found 6 files I hadn't opened in over a year!! And, when I tried "define database," I got the error message above again. So, I tried to read everything i could about how FM handles files, but there is either nothing germane or it is so obscure I couldn't understand it. Does anyone know of a basic description of just "how" FM 8/8.5 uses files and how to avoid my loses in the future. Where did that layout go?? Remember, I am still a beginner even though I've been at it a while. Thanks, Jack e bear

Dear FM World, I have been attempting to learn FMP8 for some time, now. I thought I had several aspects under control after experimenting on a table/file/database without embedded photos. I then opened the larger file and added some bells and whistles. I then attempted to create a relationship. I was working with two files I had "saved as;" both were working fine. In the relationship graph, neither file name was present, so I deleted what was there and found the other (newly) named files and used them as the tables (btw, they retained "old" titles???). When I returned to the larger file, all of the fields had the message "table missing." The three tables are as follows: ARTLIST2.fp7 1,381,972kb JCLFA-WORKS.fp7 1,381,980kb JCLFA-WORKS RECOVERED.fp7 1,381,972kb--I attempted a recovery after I found the "missing table" message. So, the data is there, but is not found. What happened? Artlist2.fp7 works, but does not have the additions I made to JCLFA-WORKS.fp7. Further, I wonder what to do about the look-up given the odd naming behavior. Again, the "help" section of FMP and the web-site are useless: this phrase "Table Missing" does not exist as an entry. All help is very much appreciated. Thanks, Jack

Dear Breezer, Should you have a break in your week, could you kindly look at my last post--which was a reply to myself!! When I tried to recover the table in question, it still comes up with "table missing" in all of the fields. And to make it even more annoying, "table missing" is not to be found anywhere in the "help" section of FM nor on the web-site. And, so it goes. Cold in Santa Rosa, today. Be happy, Jack

Just when I thought I had figured it out, I have run into a new, but related, problem. I have been renovating the database discussed above (two tables: artists works/artists). Because I wished to learn using a smaller version of the database, I did all my experimenting on a table lacking photos. Believing I had learned enough, I started working on the larger version. First I did a "save as" to clarify the name of the file. Things seemed to be fine and I had installed all sorts of nice buttons and easy scripts and was about to create a relationship. First thing I found was, although I was working in the "saved" file name, the "define/database/relationship graph showed the old name of the table. Same thing with the "artist" table. But I fooled around a bit and found the two new names and related them as before. After relooking-up I got a message that there was no "look-up" to do. Also, when I went back to the layout, all I got was "table missing" in every field. I checked the size of the new name (the name I had been working in successfully) and it was the same size as the other table. Presumably, the data is somewhere, and I am now doing a "recovery" which is going to take until next year at the rate it is moving. So the bottom line is: 1. Can one actually do a "save as" and expect to get a table with which it is possible to work? 2. In working with a relationship, why does the graph revert back to a table NOT named as the table that was opened? It makes it VERY confusing (like a lot of things in FM : All help is appreciated. Thanks, Jack