Now I know I can't nest portals, so I don't know how to do what I want to do. Or if it's even possible. But here goes...

I have 2 databases -- STUDENTS which tracks general contact information and ACTIVEYEARS which tracks membership by school year. A portal in STUDENTS shows all the active years for each student (key is totally unique -- studentID).

Occasionally a student will drop from the club and I enter that information into the ACTIVEYEAR record for that student for that club year.

Then I created a field -- showDroppedInfo -- in ACTIVEYEARS that shows the date and reason if the field -- dropped? -- (also in ACTIVEYEARS) is YES.

Is there any way to overlay -- showDroppedInfo -- over the fields already in the portal (activeYear -- school -- grade) so that the user now sees only -- showDroppedInfo -- and the underlying fields become invisible?

I hope I made myself clear and that someone out there can show me how to do the impossible.

Abbe Lougee

Make a calc field in the related file that displays the data as appropriate, and use that field in the portal.

Related fields can be overlaid each other in the portal row, just like normal fields can. Is this what you mean?

Hi, Vaughn...

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. That's also the part that I've already figured out.

What I haven't figured out is how to make the 'regular' data in the portal disappear if the calculated field overlaying it is populated. Right now, they both show and neither, of course, is readable.

The 'regular' fields in the portal are set to transparent so the user doesn't even know that they are fields and not just text.

I was wishing for something like John Mark Osborne's 'VISIBILITY' trick (which I love!!) to make the proper data show -- either the regular information (active year, school, grade) or the dropped date and reason.

Abbe

You could create a calculation that is a container that if the calculation text field is populated, picks up a container to hide the regular text (but this means another field overlapping).

Can you not just create a calculation that is

If (IsEmpty( Your first calculation field), Regular text field, your first calculation field)

And place that in the portal. Obviously you won't be able to edit this field (but you cannot change the first calc field).

Now, you could use this new calc, place it on top of the original field and make the background match that of the portal, but turn off allow entry into field from the format menu.

Does ANY of this make any sense now, or am I just rambling.....

NO, you make LOTS of sense!! Thanks.

I've been trying to use regular fields overlaid by a calculation when all I actually need is the new calculation as you pointed out.

If (IsEmpty( dropped?), activeYear&" "&school&" "&grade) showDroppedDate)

I've had blinders on; It's SO easy when someone shows you!!

Thanks to all!

Abbe