Copying Defined Fields

[Jarvis]

I'm really new to this stuff.

The way I learn is to read a thread and then create a temporary database to experiment on.

Every now and then I create some defined fields that I would like to be able to lift off of one define fields dialog box and transfer to another one.

Can anybody tell me how to copy specific fields (and calculations etc) from one database to another.

Thanks in advance.

[cjaeger]

no way.

[Lee Smith]

Hi Jarvis,

Christian gave you the "SHORT" answer.

Here are a couple of ways of getting it done.

1). Copy / Paste everything.

You can get a leg up on this by doing an export in the "Merge" format of the fields you will be using in the new database. First Omit all but one record from your Found Set. Than do your export "Merge". Name the file what you want the new database to be. This creates a Text document that you can open direct as a new database. You will note that all fields will all be Text, so you will have to paste in the calculations. It does eliminate the missing fields problem because you should have all of the fields (in name) there already.

2). Another way is to save a clone (no records) of the database (change the name) and then open that up and delete the unwanted fields.

HTH

Lee

[cjaeger]

Lee, why bother with merge fields when you can export as FileMaker? Or if you want to be able to change field names, use tab-del. => Excel => import again with header & 1 line of data. Filemaker will analyze data in first row and try to guess the right field type. Or FMPXML, has field metadata in it.

Jarvis,

no way to just copy and paste fields, or use a "create table" command, but ...

applescript:

set x to formula of field "xx" of database 1 as text

-> this retrieves the calculation for pasting

FM Developer lets you retrieve about any field properties for pasting into calc fields.

PRSoft fieldstuff plugin (Windows) lets you define any number of fields with calculations, so eventually you are able to do this. This requires Scripting & calcs in the file itself, which later have to be removed. Probably takes as much time to define the calcs & scripts as it takes to recreate the fields, but otherwise works well.

[Lee Smith]

Hi Christian,

[color:"blue"] why bother with merge fields when you can export as FileMaker?

I'm so used to using other applications like BBEdit and Excel when things like this, I prefer the text format, but of course this would work better for this application and would keep the calculations intact.

[color:"blue"]