Multiple Users and Multiple Headaches

[McGoo]

Dear All

I have created a value list that is based on a relationship. When two people are trying to enter the same value in to their record it says that the other person is modifying the record. Is there any way around this.

All help much appreciated

Version: Developer v6

Platform: Windows 2000

[CobaltSky]

Hi McGoo,

I'm puzzled by your post, as that is not what happens here, nor in any of the solutions I've worked on.

The message you've described is one that results from record locking. Records are locked when someone has entered them for editing, but not when they are merely being viewed or 'read'. Value lists read data via a relationship, but they don't edit any of the related records, nor lock them. Just to be absolutely sure I've just run a quick test here, and two machines were able to select the same value without any error.

I suspect that whatever is causing your error message may have to do with something more than the fact that the value list is using related values. Is it possible that the users are working in a portal or that the record locking is ocurring for some other reason?

[McGoo]

The file structure is a bit more complicated that I explained and I was hoping it would be a simple solution........never mind.

I am using three fields to achieve my final look up. The first field is a global and the value list is based on the contents of a field in another file. The second field is a global whose definitions is based on a relationship of the first field. The third field is a text field whose field definition is based on a relationship using a calculation of the first field and the second field.

Sounds complicated but it is the most user friendly method of using the system

Version: v6.x

Platform: Windows 2000

[McGoo]

COuld this problem be down to how my fields are defined or could it be my relationships or both. I am still stuggling and require help.

PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Version: v6.x

Platform: Windows 2000

[CobaltSky]

Hi McGoo,

In FileMaker v6, each user can lock records by entering a field in the record, and each user can only have the cursor in one field at a time, so on the face of it, one would assume each user can only lock one record in one file at a time.

There is one exception to this, and that is that when the use has entered a portal, not only is the current record (in the file in which the portal resides) locked, but so is one of the records in the file to which the portal points. If the user is simply scrolling the portal rather than in a specific field/row of the portal, then the first related record is locked.

So, if there are no portals involved, the record can only be locked if another user has entered it. Merely viewing or accessing a value list that draws from the record is not enough, they have to have placed the cursor into a field in the same record.

If portals are involved, then it is a little more complex because each user may be locking two records at any one time - one in the current files and one in the related file.

You've not provided enough information for it to be clear exactly how it is that it happens that your clients are attempting to access the same record, but if they are getting the 'record is in use' error then either directly or via a portal, the record they are trying to lock (eg by entering a field) is already locked.

Yoiu can be confident that this has to do with the structural logistics (which records are locked when) rather than with the value list per se. It is likely to be coincidental that the error message appears when the user attempts to access the value list - ie it is the attempt to enter a field (which users do in order to access the value list) which is giving rise to the error. that in turn indicates that the opther user is in the same record.

The most likely cause is that a field that you assume to be global is not in fact global, that a related non-global field that both users must access resides in the same record of another file, or that the users are on the same record of the same file when they try to enter the field.

If you work your way through those possibilities, you will likely hit upon the source of your problem.