mark record: duplicate OK

cmartin · March 12, 2003

I've wrapped my brain around this one and I'm stymied on two accounts. Maybe some suggestions can point me in the right direction. I have a file where I check for possible duplicates by using a concatenated field. This feature is currently designed that when the user clicks they get a list of all possible dupes sorted by the concatenated field.

1) I would like to change this to form view with potential duplicates matched up. I did this by displaying records in a portal from a self-relate based on the conactenated field. This wopks pretty good BUT I then, of course, get multiple records for the same dupe pairs. My current plan to overcome this is simply scripting the next record button to skip the record if the concatenated field is the same as the previous record. Good idea?

2) The bigger problem. Some of these apparent duplicates are okay. The user should be able to look at the pair and determine if it is in fact a dupe. If it is not, I would like them to be able to click a button that would stop this pair from coming up again in the possible duplicate list. I cannot simply have a field DupeOK though because I only want that record to be omitted from future duplicate checks if it matches the same record it has been checked against.

Any ideas would be MUCH appreciated.

Thanks-

Courtney

Ugo DI LUCA · March 12, 2003

Actually, I've just posted some days ago a way to check dupes. Have a look in the Sample section. When the user is alerted that a duplicate already existes, he will get a "let me see" message.

Then all dupes would be listed, and he would choose the one he needs or proceed if this wasn't really a duplicate.

This last function isn't active as a moment, but I will update this sample file within some hours with some more feature, including that one.

Hope this can help.

cmartin · March 12, 2003

Hey Ugo-

Checked out your sample file. This is not exactly what I'm looking for. I have a button that runs a script that identifies and returns a list of potential duplicates. This is how I need the functionality to remain, as opposed to checking as you enter, which I do in other parts of my solution. What I need is to be able to remove pairs from my list if they have been researched and identified as acceptable. Any other ideas? Am I being clear?

Thanks for the reply, though.

Courtney

Vaughan · March 12, 2003

How does the user know which dupe is Ok and whick is not?

Ugo DI LUCA · March 12, 2003

Hi Courtney,

I understand the process. Now here is how I would handle the problem.

Using the Record_ID (that you surely already have) and a newly created Multi-key field.

You understand the process. My intention is to move the relationship from your old concanated::concanated to a new relationship Record_ID::Multikey.

If your file is huge, this first setup could be done by a looping script that would go from record to record and enter into this Multi-key field all Record_ID that actually have identical Concanated.

Therefore, where you had :

Record_ID#1