A scroll-able field listing all records in databas

[chris kearney]

Hi, I was wondering if there is a way to have a scroll-able field that lists all the records in the database. even better would there be a way to pull up that record by clicking its "name"?

thanks for any help

chris

[-Queue-]

Sure, use a constant-to-constant self-relationship (a calculated number field defined as 1) portal with a scrollbar, and put a button in the portal row attached to a 'Go to Related Record' step with the self-relationship as the Specified relationship option.

If that's too oblique, feel free to ask for a more detailed explanation.

[chris kearney]

wow! thanks so much for the quick response, if you could be a little more detailed that would be awesome. I am totally new to filemaker So far, Im creating a portal, I choose the file im working on but im lost after that, thanks in advance!

chris

[chris kearney]

ok wait! i spoke too soon, I got a list that displays four buttons and they bring up the related record, but i need some text in each of the rows of the portland, i would like to use the content of a field that is in each record, thanks!

[-Queue-]

Ok, since a file is worth hundreds of words, check the field and relationship definitions in the attachment. Go into layout mode and double-click on the top row of the portal to see the Go to Related Record step to which it is linked.

The field text, which is below the portal, has unique data for most of the records. The field in the portal is constant::text, which displays the data in this field for each related record.

Does this help you a bit more?

Ck.zip

[ESpringer]

Constant Self-join relations are great. I've been putting a "hot index" like this at the right edge of almost all key layouts.

For compactness and instant user recognition, I use underlined blue text for the "identifying" field, so that it's obvious that clicking will transport...

Note that by default, the records will appear in the order of creation. You can sort the self-join relation to make them appear in alphabetical order, say, or most recent first... You can also make a self-join index portal that will yield a subset of data based on any other internal relationship among records -- sharing a key field of any kind with the current record, or with a global value.

Now what I'd *love* is for it to be possible to make all of the actually *found* records array themselves in a portal like this, for instant grasp of what kind of set is being browsed...

[ESpringer]

A variation on Queue's strategy: I recommend making the constant field not a calculation but a standard numeric field with Auto-Enter value 1 (though this does consume a bit (literally) more data-storage-space for each record), and prohibit modification once existing records have been tagged...

Then you can use portals on this relation to create related records on the fly (Creation of related records isn't possible when the right-hand key is a calculation). Of course, looking at a self-join portal, you wouldn't need to create related records this way, but this same constant field will be useful from other files too, and you can create new records in this file via portals from there if you set up the constant as auto-enter.

You could also "de-tag" records that for some reason you don't want to be part of the "hot index" (closed accounts, for example)...

[-Queue-]

ESpringer said:

Now what I'd *love* is for it to be possible to make all of the actually *found* records array themselves in a portal like this, for instant grasp of what kind of set is being browsed...

LaRetta and I worked on a file that does this. You'll have to ask her for the url for it. I can't recall it at the moment.