Limited Access

[Wizard of OZ]

Does anyone know the boolean syntax for allow/disallowing access to specific fields? If you are editing a password, you can select either "All Fields" or "Limited..." for things such as browsing, editing, deleting. However, if you select limited you are supposed to enter some sort of boolean equation - the syntax for which is not mentioned! So if ANYONE has experience with LIMITING PASSWORDS TO ACCESS ONLY CERTAIN FIELDS WITHIN A FM DB, please let me know... thanks,

Matt

Outdoor Sportz

www.outdoorsportz.com

[kenneth2k1]

Hi:

Go to Access Privledges overview (File/Access Privledges/Overview). There you will see a list of your passwords. Select the password and then de-select the desired field in the Fields list.

Ken

[BobWeaver]

The boolean expression is any valid Filemaker formula that returns a non-zero (true) value for records that the user is to access, and a zero (false) value for records that the user should not be allowed to access. So, if you have a field called "Access Level" and you don't want users to access records where Access Level contains the text "Top Secret" then use this expression:

Access Level <> "Top Secret"

[Wizard of OZ]

Thanks for the reply Ken,

this doesn't work for me though, ... i am not using any groups, and everything seems to be locked unless i use a group... are groups REQUIRED?

thanks again,

Matt

[kenneth2k1]

Groups are required to define access. You could just make one group, and assign all passwords to this group. Then you would be able to use it.

Although if this system will be used by many different people with different levels of access, I would highly recommend using groups, like in other systems. Even if you only had two groups: Administrators and Users.

Ken

[kenneth2k1]

Wait a minute - I just double-checked. You don't need groups to define access. I just tried it in a db with two passwords and no groups.

What version and all that stuff?

[BobWeaver]

You don't need groups to define access, but if you want to determine who is logged in by means of a script or calculation, you can't get the current password, but you can get the current group. So, this is just a roundabout way to find out who the user is. You can then set the record access in a calculation with this information.

[Wizard of OZ]

BobWeaver:

Thanks a lot for the syntax - very useful...

another question: is it possible to limit by field, versus by record, what a user can/cannot edit via this syntax?

thanks again,

Matt

[kenneth2k1]

Probably not by the password access criteria. But you could use field level validation.

[Wizard of OZ]

what do you mean by field level validation?

i'm using FM 6

thanks,

matt

[kenneth2k1]

Go to File/Define Fields.

Highlight a field and click Options. In the next dialog, click the Validation tab on the top. This area provides a number of validation options.

Ken

[BobWeaver]

I don't think field validation is a very good means to restrict field access, I would probably put any restricted fields on a different layout and then control access to the layout with a group access or a script.