search/sort portal

[AeroGuy]

c'mon, folks. i posted this question a while ago but nobody replied with anything... let me ask again:

can i have a portal return specific items/values by running a find? for instance, if i have a portal with two columns... one column with some text-data, and another "identifier" column that i would use as a key (yes, or no)... i went into find mode and, in the second column (the key-field), i'd type in 'yes' to have the portal return all the line items that have 'yes' in the key-field... or i could type in 'no' for the opposite to happen? i need to be able to do this or something similar.

[Fitch]

When you do that kind of a search, you'll get any records who have a related "yes" record. However, the portal will still display all its related records, whether they are "yes" or not.

What you probably want to do is create a filtered portal. In the related/child file, create a calculated field that is the parent id & identifier. In the main/parent file, create a global "gIdentifier" text field, put it above your portal, and format it with a value list of yes, no. Create a calculated field, id & gIdentifier, and base the portal on this calc on the left and the related calc on the right.

[AeroGuy]

I don't understand how I should do this, Tom. You said to create a calculated field with the parent id (job#) and identifier... the problem is that all the tests are stored in separate fields (testperformed1,...testperformed40). i'm supposed to create one calculation field, yet i have numerous identifiers. :- man, i'm so lost. i'm attaching the two files in question:

file1 called "JobInfo" --> layout "Lab Detail 2"

file2 called "RunningJobInfo" --> layout "Running Job Details"

File1 holds all the tests performed (Record #1 for Job1256 has already been filled in) in fields called "tests performed 1" through "tests performed 40". Tests that have been completed will be given the value "Yes" in the associated "bill"-field... or a "No" if it hasn't been completed.

I want that the portal in File2 (layout "Running Job Details") shows only those values that are given a "No" in File1.

I would really appreciate it if someone could help me solve this problem.

Regards,

Me $$ (the first file attached to this post... the second attached to the one following.

please feel free to post back here or email me directly at [email protected] if you wish. thanks

[AeroGuy]

here's file2

[Fitch]

From your description, I don't think you're going to be able to do what you want. It seems to me that, rather than a single related record with 40 yes/no fields, you should have 40 related records, each with a single yes/no field.

Or maybe I'm misunderstanding -- do you want to identify only those jobs where all 40 tests are "yes"? You could use a Count() or Sum() calc for that.

Your attachments didn't come through. Zip or stuff both files into one archive and attach that. Not sure I'll have time to look, though.

[AeroGuy]

if this doesn't attach properly, i'll mail it.

[Fitch]

OK, I looked at the file. First of all, when you make a portal, you only put related data on the FIRST row of the portal.

As I said above, rather than a single related record with 40 yes/no fields, you should have 40 related records, each with a single yes/no field. I'd probably use a checkbox with a value list of "1" rather than "yes" and "no" -- it makes it slightly easier to manipulate the data.

[AeroGuy]

hmm... OK... i'm getting closer...

so i have one file (lab info)... each record in this file is based on a job number... when i look at each job (record), i will see a portal that holds all the tests that are being performed on that job... i took your advice and replaced 40 yes/no fields with 40 related records each with a single yes/no by creating another file called "tests performed" (which is sorted by job number) so, whenever the user wants to edit what tests are performed, they will click on some button and will be taken to "tests performed" where they will say what test was performed that day (in this file, there will be duplicates of job numbers since each job has numerous tests being performed).

so anyway, now, my lab file shows what tests are performed and which ones are billable or not... just peachy.

now, i want my third file ("running jobs") to show only those tests that are not billable. 'running jobs' is sorted/based on job numbers. each record in 'running jobs' has one big portal with two fields... 'tests performed' and 'billable'... so, logically, each record in 'running jobs' shows ALL the tests that are being run (both billable and not billable)... so, what do i do now to make it so that only the tests that are NOT BILLABLE shows up in the portal in each record of "running jobs"?

if you can help me solve this last lil step, i'll mail you a cookie. thanks.

[Fitch]

Make a calculated text field in Running Jobs: job number & "not billable"

(I'm assuming that "not billable" is the actual data in the "billable" field)

Make a calculated text field in Tests Performed: job number & billable

(Look closely at the info above --

the Jobs calc uses a a field name & a string of text in quotes,

but the Tests calc uses just field names.)

Make a relationship from running jobs::tests performed, using the fields you just made, and use that relationship for your portal.

If you want to be more flexible, make a global text field (e.g., gBillable) in running jobs, attach a value list to it of "billable", "not billable", and make your calculated field: job number & gBillable.

White chocolate macadamia, please.

[AeroGuy]

aaaaaaarrrrrrgh!

it's still not working; i did exactly what you said (i think)... let me tell you what i tried and what exactly was shown in the portal.

1. I made a calculated field in "RunningJobs" made up of "JobNumber & "NO" " (where "NO" is the data in the field that tells you that the test is not billable and JobNumber was the identifying field taken from the current file).

2. Then I made a calculated field in "TestsPerformed" made up of "JobNumber & Billable" (where JobNumber is the identifier taken from the current file and Billable is the field that holds either a "YES" or "NO").

3. Then I created a relationship in the "RunningJobs" file (the file with the portal) connecting "RunningJobs" to "TestsPerformed" using by attaching them with the field in Step1 that I created (for the "RunningJob" file) and the field in Step2 (for the "TestsPerformed" file).... that is, RunningJob::Step1field was matched with TestsPerformed::Step2field.

4. i made a portal in RunningJobs file that was based on the relationship in Step3.

5. Which field (and from where), exactly, do i place in my portal? a field from the current file? from the relationship i created in Step3? a previous relationship relating both files by jobNumber? right now, i've tried just about every combination of field/relationship i've got to put in the portal and i either get the JobNumber & a YES or NO, a JobNumber & all YES or all NO, etc, etc... the only time it returns the actual tests like it's supposed to is when i put my :testsperformed field there... and, of course, then it returns all of them and not the select few.

man, i know i'm THIS close... i'm sure it's just some small, simple mistake i'm making. Please bear with me... once i get this thing working, i'll send you an entire bag of white chocolate macademia.

Regards,

Me

[AeroGuy]

I also tried the method with using globals... when i do that, all the portal shows is the JobNumber with either a YES or NO next to it depending on what i choose gBillable to be (since i gave it a value list with a "YES" and "NO" value).