creating a 'default address' for a contact.

[mehronx]

My contacts database currently has two addresses for each contact. I plan to create several additional addresses as well for contacts that have multiple workplaces or residences.

This is what I would like to do with either calculation fields or scripting or whatever works:

Each address would have a checkbox/button above it that says "Make default address". If the checkbox was selected, that address would be used as the 'default' for packages/shipping or running scripts on. I envisions an additional group of address fields that are set and then pulled for shipping, etc.

Any ideas?

[Ugo DI LUCA]

So you planned an Adress database...

and make your calc for default adress there...

then use this related field in you Contact and a lookup field in the Package/Shipping file.

You could see all adress through a portal in Contacts file and...

edit any new default adress and...

choose a different adress while in Shipping, using a list (or a portal) related to this Adress file.

That is how I would buil it.

[mehronx]

Do I really need a separate database for this?

I'm a little in the dark about this still, so I'll probably need some specific directions on the field creation.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Well, I spent so much time on this file myself that I came up with may be too many relationships. As I said, I [color:"red"]would do it that way. I didn't say you [color:"red"] should follow this solution.

But if you were to create repetitive fields for Adress, Zip, Cities, I clearly say you [color:"red"]should think of another way to achieve this using relationships.

I'm pretty new with Relational Database but I can give one unique advice. Before constructing any relational design, just list all "variables fields" (number of adresses here) and "fixed fields" (one name here). Do you agree that even your default adress could be changed to one of the already other adresses registered ?

You never know how your business evolves...

Let me share with you some problems I recently experienced in my Wholesale business that lead me to reconsider my whole "Contacts" files that had this structure

Customers

Suppliers

Tax Collector

Services

Contacts.

1. What to do with Prospects ?(not a Customer )

2.Some of my suppliers also became customers

3.Some of them asked to deduce from their invoices their own purchase invoices

4. Some contacts attached to my Customers and Suppliers file (I deal with Company and individuals) became individual customers.

5. The same contact could be attached to multiple companies (Sale Agent)

6. The same contact could be attached to 2 categories of Operators (Customer and Supplier).

7. A single Contact from my Customer file became a Service Provider

All these "odds" and unexpected situations finally gave me a simpler solution :

1. moving all records into a single Operator file (with categories), reducing the number of former "operator files" from 4 (Customer, Supplier, Services and Tax Collectors) to 1...

2. keeping a separate contact database...

3. using a Contact line Item to keep all records (personal adress(es)/professional adress(es)/ phone(s)/fax(es)

4.creating an Account File (a contact can have a personal account, three customers - subsidiaries- could use only one account) to be used for any "payments"

And I'm quite sure I will discover new "odd" situations...

[mehronx]

I think that I will end up making a set of address fields for the shipping "default" address.

Then I will add a button under each address that will run a script to set the default address.

It's the simplest thing I can think of to handle the shipping address.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Just in case you change your minds, I've just used our discussion and DJ Renumbering Portal Solution to update my own solution. Have a look.

Thank you anyway.