Value lists: How do I hide key values?

[Jeff Wright]

Please tell me I'm missing something simple! When creating "popup" value lists, I can [color:"red"]"Use values from first field" and [color:"blue"] "also display values from second field".

Can the "popup list" be formatted to store the [color:"red"] first value (foriegn key) but display only the [color:"blue"] second value during and after selection... as one can with HTML popup lists (as shown below)?

<select name="platform">

<option value=" [color:"red"] 1 "> [color:"blue"] Windows </option>

<option value=" [color:"red"] 2 "> [color:"blue"] Mac </option>

</select>

Right now, upon selection, the user sees both the [color:"red"] keys and [color:"blue"] values on entry and only the [color:"red"] key when not selecting. A workaround using two fields stacked vertically is really cumbersome.

Thanks!

Version: v7.x

Platform: Windows XP

[Kurt Knippel]

Two options:

One is to use the stacked fields. The non-enterable field is used to display the text of the selected item, while the enterable field shows a popup with the ID / Text in it.

The other option is to select the item based purely on the text and then lookup the ID via an Auto-entered calculation or Lookup. What you do is just to select you item via a popup that show the item text only, then set the item ID field to either be a lookup or an auto-entered calculation which gets the items ID via a relationship to the file that holds the items.

[CyborgSam]

Kurt->

> The other option is to select the item based purely on the text and then lookup the ID via an Auto-entered calculation or Lookup.

Doesn't this only work correctly if the text is unique? For the lookup to return the correct record, a one-to-one relationship is required.

My workaround is to take a font and edit it so the digits are 0 width (they don't show). This won't work if the popup text contains any numbers.

[Reed]

how do you edit a font?

[CyborgSam]

I use PfaEdit, which runs under *nix and is open source. It can run under Windows if you install the Cygwin environment (I have not tried this yet): http://www.cygwin.com/

I'm running Mac OS X Panther, PfaEdit runs fine using Apple's X11 app. I also have a ton of Fink packages installed, I can't remember if PfaEdit uses any of them.

I used to use Macromedia's Fontographer, but they haven't updated it in years and it messes up some internal TrueType records (I don't recommend it, even if you have it).

PfaEdit's web page is at: http://pfaedit.sourceforge.net/ PfaEdit is changing its name to FontForge, future releases will be at: http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/

PfaEdit/FontForge is excellent software, the author is very responsive, knowledgable, and helpful.

[CobaltSky]

Custom fonts can be great in certain circumstances, but there are a few 'pros and cons' to be aware of.

For example, it's worth bearing in mind that unless the edited font is pre-installed separately on each machine that the database will every be viewed on, now or in the future, the functionality will break.

Another consideration is that unless all users are aware of the nature of the 'special' characteristics of the edited font, they may fall foul of it when they choose it within other applications. In the case in point, all the numbers would vanish from sections of a word processing doc, if the user were to choose the special font in that application.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

There is no "display instead" in the first version of FileMaker Pro 7.

Steven

[CyborgSam]

> Another consideration is that unless all users are aware of the nature of the 'special' characteristics of the edited font, they may

> fall foul of it when they choose it within other applications. In the case in point, all the numbers would vanish from sections of

> a word processing doc, if the user were to choose the special font in that application.

I internally name the fonts so their purpose is clear. Verdana becomes Verdana-NoNums, a distinct font from Verdana (not an added attribute like bold/italic). Verdana-NoNums and Verdana will appear in all font menus, etc.

Installing the font on machines can be a major issue in large shops. Luckily, my DBs have been used by small groups where I can control the font install.

[Jeff Wright]

> There is no "display instead" in the first version of FileMaker Pro 7.

That is precisely what I was looking for; thanks for the confirmation! I was sure it would appear in 7. Onward to the workarounds then. Thanks everyone.

Version: v7.x

Platform: Windows XP

[Thom Brooks]

I read this post and laughed because I'm not the only one who's thinking in 'html terms' here. I have a somewhat related question in this link :

...where I would like to automatically be able to create rows in a 'relationship' table. I have users, I have departments, I'd like to print the list of departments in a 'multi select' or a series of checkboxes, on the User layout. Toggling a department would auto-create or delete the appropriate record in the User_Department table that associates them many-to-many.

Any ideas (probably at that thread) would be much appreciated.

Version: v7.x

Platform: Mac OS X Panther

[falkaholic]

The method I've always used for this is to make a special layout in the slave database that lists all the records. Have a button for each that runs a script to put the ID in the master file. Then closes the list and takes you back to the oringinal layout.

This has gotten a bit easier in FM7 too, with better window control and script parameters.