How to get “Copy All Records” to always work from the keyboard

[JaneB]

I’m using FMP on a Mac computer. I sometimes want to “Copy All Records” by holding down the Option key and clicking on the Edit button and choosing that option, but sometimes that does not work:

1)    When I’m in a field, it does not work. Sometimes clicking outside of the field allows me to access that “Copy All Records” menu item, but sometimes it does not.

2)    In some FMP files, I can’t get that option to appear no matter what I do, even if the file is newly opened, and I have not clicked in any fields.

Is there a reliable way to access that function from my keyboard from any record?

 

Thanks!

[comment]

1 hour ago, JaneB said:

 When I’m in a field, it does not work.

When the cursor is in a field, the Copy command refers to the current selection, and the Copy All Records command is disabled because it is irrelevant in the current context. I was not able to reproduce the rest of the behavior you describe. Is it possible you have custom menus installed in some files?

 

1 hour ago, JaneB said:

Is there a reliable way to access that function from my keyboard from any record?

You could create a script that does Copy All Records and call it using a keyboard shortcut.

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by comment

[JaneB]

Thanks for your response! I do have custom menus. I set them up many years ago, so I'm out of touch with exactly how they work. Is there a tweak I might make to the custom menus that would restore this functionality so I could Copy All Records from the keyboard? (And thanks for the reminder that I can create a custom script!)

[comment]

I'm also rusty with custom menus. IIRC, if a command is disabled without using a custom menu, then it will remain disabled in a custom menu too. OTOH, if you use a script, then you can assign it to a menu item and the limitation will not apply. 

Of course, you can always call a script directly using a keyboard shortcut, if the script is one of the first 10 scripts in the Scripts menu. Provided you are showing the Script menu.

 

[bcooney]

Why do you want to copy all records?

[JaneB]

On 6/10/2022 at 11:09 AM, comment said:

I'm also rusty with custom menus. IIRC, if a command is disabled without using a custom menu, then it will remain disabled in a custom menu too. OTOH, if you use a script, then you can assign it to a menu item and the limitation will not apply. 

Of course, you can always call a script directly using a keyboard shortcut, if the script is one of the first 10 scripts in the Scripts menu. Provided you are showing the Script menu.

 

Thanks so much for your response! i do know how to create that script.

On 6/10/2022 at 5:44 PM, bcooney said:

Why do you want to copy all records?

Typically it is because it is the fastest way to copy certain data to paste somewhere else (email, Word) or manipulate in Excel for some purpose.

[bcooney]

For excel, I would use export.