relational database help needed!

[semele]

hey there....

im a beginner and have a question...

im trying to link two databases ...let me explain what i have so far..

there is a contact file and an invoice file...what im trying to do is go from my contact files directly to a NEW invoice file...while copying the information over..

now, i tried making a relational database and it seemed to work but if i need to edit the information...it changes it in contacts as well...i need to have that information copied over...not linkied the way i have it now...

so i thought that making it a look up would work but now im just...really lost

so any help would be great...

if what i just said sounds like jibberish cause im explain things wrong let me know please...i'll try to expain it all better

thanks

jgt

[LiveOak]

Invoices are one of those cases where you don't want the information to update when you update contacts. Invoices are a historical document with information from a single point in time.

Once you have created a realationship from Invoices to Contacts you can use it in two ways. The first is to display related fields from Contacts in Invoices. The second is to define a field in Invoice as a lookup based upon the relationship you have created. In this case the field really exists in Invoice and initially takes information from the fields in Contacts. Take a look at your options in Define Fields and read your FileMaker manual on lookups.

-bd