My FM Hangs

[Mats]

Im running FM Pro v6.04 on Mac OS X 10.3.2 and FM hangs when:

I have one Invoice file in which have a Value List for different Currencys "

[Fenton]

You didn't really need to start a new thread. I guess it is a slightly more serious problem than just the value list you were asking about before. But now there's 2 places for answers, so no one will know for sure where to answer. Traffic (here) is slow, it's a pre-holiday weekend.

I don't have 10.3.2 (it's in the mail), so I can't try to crash it yet :-/ So this is just a guess. Is it possible you might be trying to retrieve the ID from the other file, using a relationship which is based on that same ID? This is something that might cause FileMaker to hang; it's kind of circular reference. I can't think what else would do that. Though, as you say, it doesn't happen on XP. What result do you get on XP? It may very well be an 10.3.2 bug, but there's more questions.

What exactly are the fields involved? The name of the relationship doesn't tell use what they are. What is Account USD?

[RodinBangkok]

No guarantees here but try using the disk utilities program located in the applications utilites folder, run the repair disk permissions program. This may help, not sure.

Rod

[Mats]

Hi Fenton,

Sorry for posting related question in two threads, but don't forget I'm a newbie Wont happen again though.

Well some more information is that I tried the same thing in 10.2.8 and it still hangs BUT in Classic 9.2.2 on FM 5.5 it don't?

It might be that the relationship and Field definition is wrong and circular, but my FM Friend LaRetta also had a look and she can make it on XP. I which I could post a small test file I have made so you could see the whole thing and try on your system, as LaRetta only uses XP.

I will attach a small test db with the conflicting issue if you want to try it on your system. Just open the Invoice file and then change Relationships from "Currency=::Account SEK" to "Account=::Account SEK" and then see if it hangs.

Ps. I did all the repairs etc. Ds.

Test.zip

[Fenton]

Well, I tried it in OS 9, but it didn't crash. I think the problem here is that you're not using the correct method. You are basing a relationship on itself (more or less). It's a circular reference, and whether it crashes or not it's not going to do what you want.

One structural problem I see right away is the existence of 2 separate fields for accounts; there should only be 1 field, Account. This is a common beginner's misunderstanding.

I still don't see exactly what you're trying to get. It's not complicated I'm sure, I just don't see what you want to get. Why don't you just explain that again. Don't worry about the crash. It shouldn't crash, but it's 'cause you're doing something that won't work anyway.

[Mats]

You are right! I am trying to do something very simple, but for some reason I am stuck...

As I invoice in different currencies, I want to have one file with the different Bank accounts for each currency and then a relationship to the Invoice file, so that when I specify one currency ie. USD from the radio button value field on the invoice I have a filed which gets the right Bank details on the Invoice.

That way I don't have to specify all the different Bank accounts on every Invoice

The "Account" field on the Invoice was named "Bank Details" Before, but I changed Name just for trying different methods stoping the crash.

[Fenton]

So, you pick the Account in Invoices and lookup other Account data into that record, via a radio button choice.

That's what I built into this example file. Any other field in Accounts can be created in both files, defined as a lookup on the Bank_Account relationship, and it will automatically fill in from Accounts to Invoices.

Also look at the value list. It uses values from the other file. Just another way to do it (there are several).

BankTest.zip

[Mats]

Ok but I think that you have to see the original Invoice db really to understand what I'm looking for and WHY I can't specify that if I choose ie. USD the Field "Bank Details" can't get the "Account USD" from the "Bank Details" file?

As I explained before I was trying to make a "if" calculation in the "Bank Details" field ie. if(Currency ="USD", Bank Details::Account USD,"")

Please also note that there is an duplicate field of "Currency" next to the "Gross Amount" filling in the currency of the total amount from the Currency Radio Buttons.

Why should this not work? And is your example a good solution to the original Invoice db you think? (then I will try to use it)

I attach the original Invoice DB for you to see

Thanks for all your help Fenton! I'm learning

(Please let me know if you see some other strange things in the db)

[Mats]

Fenton,

Forget my previous post. I tried your solution and it was absolutely brilliant

A million thanks for solving the problems which took 3 days to solve!

But please see if there is something else that is not so clever dun in the db if you have time?

The point with this db is to make it very user friendly for other users in my Company. Minimize chances for errors, and easy for me to see result, statistics etc. etc. All the ready solutions I have seen is not so user friendly even though they can be very advanced and full of good functions!

Once again thanks!

/Mats

[Fenton]

Since you asked, I did find a few "not so clever" things in your file. There were a few fields which I though should be number instead of text. Also one related calculation needed to be a Sum(related::field).

Most beginners miss that one. It's in the Aggregate section of functions; it's not obvious, but it works with related fields (it was invented before FileMaker was relational).

I inserted a Comments layout. I also deleted your Report.dbf file. It was big and not relevant.

BankInvoiceDB.zip

[Mats]

Thanks Fenon!

I'm learning a lot here I get right on it!

What do you think about the User friendly ness and structure of the db?