relationships and repeating text fields

[archives8]

can someone explain whether or not this is possible.

I need to represent the following heirarchy in my files.

ok an Item belongs to a series and a series belongs to a collection. no big deal, except that I have only two files in my database, an item file and a collection file. In the collection file there is a repeating text field that you enter the series titles.

currently in my Item file I can assign what collection an item belongs two via a relationship and a value list (drop down list) based on the contents of the collection file. I would like to also be able to assign a series (again a drop down list)in the item record but limit it to the series (basically list the contents of that repeating text field)that belong to the collection that is selected.

Is this possible without creating a series file and completely separating my series field from the collection file?? I really don't want the people that are using this database to have to open up another series file and join file just to define what the series are that are in a collection.

I guess im curious whether or not information entered in a repeating text field is specific only to the record in which it was created?

did that make any sense at all??

-Donald

[-Queue-]

It is specific unless you create a valuelist based on the repeating field.

[bruceR]

The portal belongs in the Item file and one of the items is Collection. The collection file should be a join file with two or perhaps three fields: parentID, ItemID, Type. An infinite hierarchy can be set up this way. See the FileMaker 5.5 Advanced Techniques book by Moyer/Bowers for an excellent example. No repeating fields are required and in general they should be avoided.