Ugh..I can't get it to work!

[Leslie]

I am creating a billing database with conditional value lists. The first database (customer database) holds customer information, projects, and specific project information. I originally wanted to list each customer and then the associated projects, but I couldn't exactly figure it out so I just imported the excel spreadsheet I was working with. Now it lists everything as individual records.

The 2nd database (time/billing) is a timesheet for consultants to use. The relationship exists between the customer database so they can select the customer, and then select the project for that customer.

Here is my problem:

I can get the timesheet to display the customers, and then the projects (both in drop lists). However, for some reason I can't get the projects listed to be based on the customer they select.

I also need to be able to tell the "hours" field in the time sheet (number of hours they worked on a customers project) to update in the related field in the customer database for the customer/project they selected.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[cjaeger]

use combined keys

CustomerID& " "& ProjectID

for second value list...

[ernst]

Hello Leslie,

When you define the valuelist you should use the 'use values from a field' option and then the 'only related values' option with the relation from

the 'customer' field in the projectdatabase to the 'customer' field in

your customer database.

Hope this helps,

Ernst.

[Leslie]

I started out with the "Time & Billing" template and I think this might be the problem. I actually had it working at one point, but for some reason it would populate the next line with the same information. Any field that I tried to change would change all of the other lines as well.

When I tried to change the relationships, something happened and not it just won't work at all, not matter how I define the relationships/value lists.

I think I'm going to start from scratch instead of using the template. The only thing I'm not clear on it how make it so the consultant enters their data (enter date, select customer, project list appears, select project, enter hours worked) and then the next line appears so they can enter the next project. I want it to work like a table, where they reach the last data entry point and the next line appears.

[ernst]

Hi Leslie,

>>Any field that I tried to change would change all of the other lines as well.

This occurs when you enter data in a global field that's viewed in a list.

At that point the relationship may also become invalid when the global field is on the 'right' side in the relation setup dialog.

So maybe you changed one of your 'customer' fields to global?

Anyway, I think it may indeed be a good idea to do some experimenting with one or two really simple databases that you built from scratch until you grasp the idea.

If you need some assistance there you're of course welcome to let me (us?) know.

Regards,

Ernst.