Shipping Multiple boxes

[Warren Roberts]

Im working on a solution that when a job is in the shipping department they can push a button and add a box number and description for the box. I would like it to number the boxes automatically and start over at #1 for the next order. I have been working with a relationship that works on the work order # but I can only seem to view the 1st record or box from the shipping screen. I can however see all the boxes if I use a repeating panel. I would like to do this without the panel and when I click "add new Box" have the info in the fields clear so that I can add another box. Does anyone have any Ideas?

[stanley]

I'm not sure if I understand clearly, but I've done several shipping/receiving departments in custom solutions, and the way I deal with this issue is as follows:

What you've got is:

1. An Order DB, which is what the user operates in. Each new order creates a new record in this db.

2. An OrderItem DB, which is related to the Order DB, and which contains the records for the individual boxes.

In the Order DB, you'd have a portal showing the data for each box (say 6 or 8 lines, with scrollbar.) To add a box (via your "Add New Box" button,) you'd create a new record in the OrderItem DB, using the order# from the Order DB, which would be the basis of the relationship.

To be clearer, your "Add New Box" button would launch a script, which would go through the following:

Go to a layout in Order DB which shows the fields you'd like the user to enter. These would be global fields, blanked out via the script.

Pause, to allow the user to fill in the fields.

Resume (based on the user having clicked a "Finish" button or something of the sort)

Create a new record in OrderItem DB

Copy & Paste from the global fields in Order DB to the correct fields in OrderItem DB

Insert the order# from Order DB into an order# field in OrderItem DB (the basis of your relationship)

Return to the layout in Order DB showing the portal with all the boxes in your order.

Sorry to not actually write out the script steps, but it's late. Also, you can have the user enter the data directly into OrderItem DB instead if you'd like.

HTH

-Stanley

[huscat]

We have a ebay/mail order company that ships around 100-125 packages a day. Has anyone seen an integration with any of the major carriers system to automatically generate labels, print them out on label printer, and return the tracking number and cost back to Filemaker. I would pay for this to happen!!!

[andygaunt]

Hi huscat -

With FileMaker Pro 6 came XML, and with XML came XSLT. HAve a look at the xslt library at FileMaker Pro http://www.filemaker.com/xml/xslt_library.html.

I suggest you also look at the XML talk.

This is going to be required to return your tracking nunmber and cost into FileMaker.

HTH