Global search

[Pontus]

I've got a big database spanning over several files, those files has different fields. All this is linked together via a menu system. But, how do I do a search function that finds the criterias in more than one file? If it was so that every field was unique, this would have been no match, but now, I've got some fields that is unique, and some that isn't.

I want this search function to both contain a "multisearch" that seeks for the inputted criteria in every single field in every file, and a "normal" search function that let's you input one criteria per field. The matches should be displayed in a list and then the right one to be choosed of the user.

If I need to use a plug-in, it could maybe useful for you to know that I am using FileMaker 5 in Windows 2000.

[danjacoby]

Assuming all the data from all the files are available via portals in one Main file, you can search in the portals -- just enter the search data in the correct related field in the portal.

If you're looking for records in which any of several possible things are true (e.g. people with brown hair and also people who own dogs), use multiple find requests -- in this case, the first find request would have "brown" in the "hair color" field, and the second request would have "dog" in the "Pets" field (don't I create silly examples?).

Hope all this helps.

[Pontus]

Well that's the way I use to do it, but how do I get one field seeking data in several files with the same field name, but different content? I try to explain it better:

1. This is my Main file. Here I've got a field (for example) called Name and a product created by this Name.

2. I've got Information in the second file about Name.

So how do I get the function to search both Name field containing records?

And how to do the multi-search? And for the duplicated post, I can only apologize.

[danjacoby]

Multiple find requests.

The first request looks for whatever you want to find in the Main file's Name field. The second request looks for whatever you want to find in the Second file's Name field (using a portal in the Main file to perform this find).

This will return any records in the Main file with the info in the Name field, plus any records in the Main file with related records in the Second file that contain what you want in that file's Name field.

This appears to be what you are asking.

As regards multiple posts, no big deal -- now you know better.

[Pontus]

Still I don't understand you really. One field (for input) that searches all other fields in all other files? Is that what you mean? And how do I get this running properly?

[BoydAnnison]

I think what you want to do is this:

Create a new calculation field in the database where you want to do the search from with a formula that concatenates all the other fields together that you want to do a search on that looks something like:

MySearchField = Name & " " & RelationshipToRelatedFile::Fieldname & " " & RelationshipToAnotherRelatedFile::Fieldname etc, etc

Then you will be able to search on this single field with any value that is contained within that calculated field.

However, there are a couple of issues with this method compared to the one described above:

The first is that this search field cannot be indexed so the searching will be comparatively slow if you have lots of records.

The second is that I believe that I have read that a find in this manner only looks at the first 36 characters (at least from memory I think it is 36 - it is about that number in any case) so if you have lots of fields this may not work for you and you will need to use the method described above.

Hope this helps

Boyd