Developing a FMP Interface?

[bonas97]

Hi everyone. I have a question. I work in an small non-profit office where we recruit students for higher education opportunities. I have an internal database written in UniQuery that has about 200 (name, address, GPA, High school attended, etc...)fields for every student. The database is complicated to use for many of my employees and I need to develop an easy to use (point and click) interface to view maybe 50 of the 200 fields.

My question is, if I develped a FMP interface and download this data on a daily basis, what is the most efficent way to download the info? My main database can download into Excel and DBF.

I was thinking for ease of use to download from main db into Excel and then perform a FMP import from the Excel sheet overwriting any data that I have.

Is there an FTP out there that will "automate" this process so I don't have to go through all of these steps or is there an easier solution?

Also, does anybody know of any templetes out there that may be of use for the interface?

Thanks for any and all help!!

[danjacoby]

Rather than create a Filemaker DB from scratch, if your Excel file (after exporting from UniQuery) has the field names as the first row, just open the Excel file from within Filemaker (or drag the icon for the file over the FMP application icon). That will create a new FMP file with all the field names.

Of course, you'll have to adjust any fields that are supposed to be calculation fields, but it's a huge head start.

[Anatoli]

I didn't get the concept. It is everything mixed in one pot. Why don't you use just the FileMaker for everything? This job is piece of cake for FM. Why the importing? Where is the FTP involved?

[bonas97]

Anatoli,

Sorry, Ill try to explain it clearer. I have a main relational database that has all of my student records in it. Unfortunately, we are married to it and I have to use it. If I want to look up a student's record, I have to get in to the database and using a UniQuery inform statement, look up the info I need. It is very archaic and difficult to navigate. Frankly, I don't have the time to teach any new employees UniQuery so they can pull their needed information.

Each student record has like 200 fields listing their name, address, high school, GPA, etc. Of those 200 fields, my employees only need to see about 50 of them.

What I am looking to do is to be able to take the information contained in the 50 or so fields that I need and put it into a very simple point and click Windows format. That is why I am looking to do an import into FMP of just the information I need.

Now I was thinking of doing a download from the main db into Excel and then importing the Excel sheet into the Filemaker application. This way, my employees will be able to view the infomation in Filemaker which is much simpler for them. My question is do you know of an easier way to accomplish this?

[danjacoby]

My way is still best. Open Filemaker, then open the Excel spreadsheet from within Filemaker (you may have to select "All available" from the popup menu in the dialog box when choosing which file to open).

You'll get all the Excel data in Table view. You can switch to List view, or create your own layout(s).

This is the quickest, simplest way to get the data into Filemaker.

As far as any relational capabilities are concerned, you didn't mention what (if any) apply in the original DB, but in any event, if you want relational capabilities in the imported DB, you'd have to set all that up in Filemaker.

[bonas97]

I tried in Dan and you are right. I do have some relational capabilities that will need to be set up but your way is definitely the easiest. Thanks for your help!

[Anatoli]

I see.

I would suggest to examine that old system for all input and output functions.

Sometimes I've found complicated old systems which can be converted to FM within week or two.