Need sort help

[tara1492]

I'm a complete novice to FM, and have inherited a lengthy rolodex/contact list in a file. I am adding new records, but the new ones are not sorting. They stay at the end of the list.

What simple thing am I doing wrong?

Help

[LiveOak]

Records are not sorted automatically as they are added. After adding a record you must resort by using the Records Menu --> Sort. Might want to take a peek at the FM Manual.

-bd

[CobaltSky]

If you want records to auto-sort, you will need to consider establishing what is called a self join relationship, and then displaying the records in a portal rather than on a standard list layout.

To do this you would need to:

1. Create a number field called something like Global.key with the auto-enter option set to enter the number 1.

2. Perform a 'Replace' to make sure that all the existing records have a 1 in this new field

3. Go back into define fields and turn on the option that prevents the user modifying the auto entered value.

4. Go into Define Relationships (from the FIle Menu) and create a new relationship. Select the same file you are creating the relationship in as the target of the relationship. Then select your Global.key field as the matching field on both sides of the relationship.

5. While still in the Define Relationships dialog, make sure you enable the option for "Allow creation of new records" and also specify sorting of records and set up the sort order.

6. Create a new layout and set it up as 'View as Form' (from the second tab on the "Layout Options" diaolog) then place a portal on it and link the portal to the new relationship you created at step 4.

7. Size the portal appropriately and place the fields you require for your list layout into it - however make sure that you are selecting the fields using the relationship list rather than the current file list (at the top of the field selection dialog is a drop down menu which will allow you to select the relationship group from which to take the fields).

That's it. The portal should now always display the records in sorted order. It will always include a single blank row at the bottom, and entering details into this last row will automatically bring about the creation of a new record.

The portal will re-sort automatically when you click out of it.