I am new to FM and am porting (and redesigning) an access database and there is one functionality I am trying to duplicate.

The main records file is called objections, it is a public consultation database.

Related records come from files called Agents and Objectors. There are many to one relationships from each objector to each objection record.

I want to be able to have a layout form for objections where the user can either look up an existing agent and/or objector and then this automatically fills in agent_name etc, or if that agent or objector has not been previously entered then to be able to create a new agent and/or objector.

I could do this in Access using subforms and I could design the main form 'Objection' to look exactly like the original printed form with a section on the right for agents and on the left for objector name address etc.

I figured out I could do it with portals with the option checked of being able to create new records in the portal. But this is just va drop down list.

Is there any way of duplicating 'subforms' as in access where the related records appear on the same page in there own boxed form.

Andrew Lainton

Hello Andrew,

In FileMaker, the kind of functionality you're describing is actually rather easier to implement than in Access.

In fact you don't have to worry about sub-forms, you can just place fields from the related database directly on the layout. This is done by selecting the appropriate relationship from the pull-down menu which appears at the top of the 'Specify field' listing dialog when placing the fields.

Then, when you select a value from a pop-up (which is the key field for the relationship), the corresponding values from the related file will appear in the fields. If there is no related record, typing data into the fields directly will create one (provided you have enabled the option to 'allow creation of rel;ated records' for the relationship in question).

If you want it to *look* like a sub-form, with all the fields grouped together within a rectangle, you can do that easily enough by just drawing a rectangle around them. But in FileMaker this is an option, not a requirement - the fields can appear anywhere you choose.