I'm using the format file "search" from the CDML "employee" example database, and I've become stymied on the drop down menu. This is the code I have:

<SELECT NAME="Taxa">

<OPTION VALUE=""

SELECTED>All

[FMP-option: Taxa]

</SELECT>

I'm trying to do a drop down menu using the field "Taxa" and the value list "taxa of expertise." But all I keep getting is one item on the menu bar that reads "All [FMP-option: Taxa]--in other words, the code is on the menu bar. I've tried to use the FMP-option code from the CDML database, and my HTML editor told me that that code was redundant in part, so no help there!

Anybody have an idea as to what I'm doing wrong? I have successfully modified the browse and detail format files for my own database, but unfortunately I'm really stuck on this one.

Here ya go: This will let you input a value and show you the current value for that record in the DB

<Select name="taxa">

[FMP-option:taxa, List=taxa of expertise]

</Select>

If you have an editor which tries to change your HTML, add some no edit tags.

Bevin

Thanks Bevin, but it didn't work. That was actually the code that was in the CDML database, I think.

I still haven't figured this out...but I know the other search paramters on the page are working (first name, last name, etc.) so it's not the way the page is talking to the database, it must have something to do with this individual CDML tag.

Have you tried making the value list one word? I copied the code straight from a page of mine that works, only substituting the values that you provided, but I've never used a multi-word value list.

Bevin

Have you tried making the value list one word?

Bevin

I made the field and the value list both the name "taxa" in FM, then added your code to the format file (changing the list value to "taxa" as well to reflect the new name of the value list.) Still nothing, and Dreamweaver insists that the option code in brackets is redundant.

Any other ideas?

I do not know much about Dreamweaver, but similar problem is also with GoLive.

In GoLive one can disable the GoLive HTML parser with tags <noedit> your code here </noedit>

Is there something like that in DW?

Added the noedit code...I'm assuming that the same HTML code that works in GoLive will also work in Dreamweaver.

It seems as if the FMP-option code is maybe misplaced in the code or not drawing from the value list in the database. Which is strange because I just added my field name and value list name to the template from the CDML database.

Don't know...I've spent most of the day trying to reconfigure this, and I'm running out of ideas!

Are the Field and Valuelist on the correct Layout?

All the best.

Garry

Yes, the correct layout is specified, and the field is on it, and the field contains the appropriate value list. The "text-entry" fields in the Search format file work file. It is only this menu bar that doesn't work. The [FMP-option] tag just appears as code on the menu bar, rather than being replaced with the value list items.

When I poked around in the Employees database (the sample file) I noticed that their menu bar on the search field, Department, has something interesting happening in the database. The field "Department" has a value list specified when you select the field and go to "Field format", but when you go into the "specify fields" box and select "options", the field "Department" doesn't show a value list attached. Needless to say the employee search format file works fine with the menu bar, so is this what I'm doing wrong? But I can't figure out how to get the field to show up with no value list in the "specify field" box and still have the value list attached on the layout itself.

Thanks, everyone.

Hey all--I think we might be missing something obvious here!

Are you calling this page through FMPro or going directly there from a "hard" link? If you try to hit a page directly that has the CDML on it (e.g., 123.45.67/mypage.htm vs 123.45.67/FMPro?-db=mydb&-lay=web&-format=mypage.htm&-view) then you won't be seeing the processed CDML.

Bevin

Bevin, it seems to me that you may be right, but I'm having trouble with that tag. I've made a new link via the "FMPro?" link (per your instructions) but I keep getting an error message that the format file can't be found. It's just called "search.htm", which is what I substituted for "mypage.htm". Also changed "mydb" to the name of the database and "web" to the name of my layout.

The search.htm is in a subfolder from the default.html page. I tried adding the folder name before "search.htm" but the browser still can't find the format file. What am I doing wrong?

Woo-hoo!! Got it to work. It was the calling page/hard link issue. Thanks to everyone to helped--this is a fantastic board!

glad we could help!

bevin