Using Find to search for name in value lists

[Brown932]

I am very new to the Filemaker world. I have created a DB to keep track of training for our employees (35). I created 35 fields all having drop down menues with all 35 names contained, so that person entering can list who attended and not have to type each or start a new record for each. Now I want to create a report that would produce all the records entered for (1) individaul regardless of where name appears on records. Make any sense???

[ernst]

Hi Brown,

Supposing you have a reason for using 35 fields, you could make a calculated text field that puts all those fields together -each on a separate line -and do your search on that field.

Alternatively you could modify your database and use just use one field for the attendants with the same valuelist that you use now, but set to checkboxes in stead of dropdownmenu.

Regards,

Ernst

[Brown932]

Thanks for the help. But like I said, I am a new user to FM. When you say to use a "calculated text field that puts all those fields together -each on a separate line -and do your search on that field." what exactly do you mean by each on a seperate line?

[ernst]

Hello Brown,

I mean like this...

In 'define fields' define a new calculation field, called something like 'TotalName'.

In the calculation definition enter something like:

namefield1 & " " & namefield2 & " [par ]" & namefield3 & " " & namefield4 & " " & ...... namefield35

Make sure it's calculation result is text.

Does this help?

Regards,

Ernst.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Brown,

Ernst calc is currently adressing your request.

Though, has he priorly pointed, there surely is in my opinion a better way to do what you're looking for.

35 fields is as poor design, as would be any solution involving repeating fields. Actually, this is also a kind of repetition, which was good for the oldest version of FM.

[cjaeger]

...Actually, this is also a kind of repetition, which was good for the oldest version of FM.

No. It was bad design even then. FileMaker is not Excel. Keep similar items in rows(records), different items in Columns (fields). Period. And you could use lookups + scripts in the old times, which came close to relational design, only not dynamic.