Value List Question

[kkalvin26]

I have two fields First Name, Last Name. I defined a value list called Names and it will use values "Last Name" and "First Name" then I created a popup field that plainly displays the valuelist of those fields nicely, However, after selecting the name you are looking for and moving on the the next field the pop up value list field only displays the "Last Name"? at first I thought the layout of the field was to small to display the "Last Name" and "First Name" so I expanded it but it still only shows the "Last Name" any on how I can make that display both?

KKalvin26

[danjacoby]

Huh?

What field are you in when you get the popup list?

Never mind. You're pulling from a multi-key value list, but the first value is all that gets entered. That's the way it is.

Create a calc field that equals LastName & FirstName (you many want to put a comma and a space in between), then base the value list on the calc field. That oughta do it.

[kkalvin26]

sounds like that is what I want to do, but as you can see in my post I am hardly an expert and require a little more help I have the calculation screen up I have Last Name & First Name but I am not sure how to add the comma and space. thanks for the suggestion and hope to hear from you again on this.. thanks.

kkalvin26

[Kurt Knippel]

LastNameField & ", " & FirstNameField

[kkalvin26]

Ok this is not working the way I thought it would.

I currently have a database of volunteers who work for my agency. The volunteers' names "last, first" have been typed into a "custom values list" in the "define valuelist menu" works great when i want to document hours for a certain volunteer I open the popuplist field defined to display the valuelist of volunteers and simple start typing the first few letters of their last name and select them and continue. I need to create a similar database but I need to incorporate more inforamtion of the volunteers and the valueslist must be maintained. I imagined a Main screen that is used to access "Create New Volunteer" "Time Clock" "Monthly Reports" in the Create New Volunteer screen I want to have that persons name moved into a valuelist in the "TimeClock" screen automatically and if I suspend that volunteer or delete them or simply expire them their name will automatically be taken out of the valueslist for the timeclock screen..

I know it can be done but I have had ZERO training with FMP and I hope you guys dont to fluttered about assisting me with my struggles as I do this... thanks this is a great forum.

Kkalvin26

[LiveOak]

We have no problem helping you, as long as you are willing to do some work and read the FM manual and maybe purchase an after market book. If you are willing to study, everything will work out fine. If you just want a consultant to do it for you for free...well.

Value list can be based upon other things besides a typed in list. They can be a list from another file, a list created dynamically from a field in another file, or a list based upon a relationship. This last option allows you to "break" the relationship when people on the list become inactive so they won't show. You might want to read up on value lists in your FM manual. Consider getting Coulombre and Price as a good book on FM.

Also consider assigning a "Volunter" number to each person. Names are tricky things. If you use names to connect records in different files and someone wants their name changed, you will disconnect records with the change. Better to assign each Volunteer a number connect things by this number. Value lists allow you to show both the number and the name, so it is still easy to locate people without remembering numbers.

-bd

[kkalvin26]

I have a scheduled Fm training.. needless to say I wont be able to complete this project without some knowledge of FM. and I will limit my calls to the Pros *wink* to hardcore Fm stuff thanks for the tidbits.

KKalvin26

[Kurt Knippel]

Hey don't let a little training keep you from coming back here. Soon enough you will be answering questions to the new members!

[LiveOak]

Training, Great! A little background makes it sooo much easier to answer your questions. It gets pretty hard when the distinctions between things like files, field and records are still vague in the mind of a brand new FM user. This format make it a little hard to have a lot of visual examples.

-bd

[harryk]

For 4 month's I was a complete newbie to Filemaker too (and to some parts I still am) though equipped with some program experience and feeling for logic I may hope. The advice I can give you, search the internet, this helped me very much, and a forum like this is worth its length in gold. Furtheron, look at example-files, open them, change them, try to grasp the principles, and set up your own quick example-does-not-matter-what-you-do-wrong files. Writing this may be 'kickin'in an open door' but it works.

Harryk