Value List to Populate 2nd Field

[MMBadger]

I have 3 databases including a join file. A is a Vendors rolodex, B is a tariff of available Activities, and C is the join that allows all activities a vendor offers to be shown in A while all vendors who offer a particular activity are shown in B (via portal). Match fields are just a unique record ID (for each Vendor and each Activity) that are not useful for users to see.

I'm stuck on the following: for each activity, I want the user to be able to enter multiple vendors by choosing from a value list that pulls all vendor names up from the Vendors file. I don't want them to be confused by the Unique ID, thus I don't want them to see it. How do I have them choose a Vendor Name from a list, and then have that entry (not necessarily a unique name!) then populate the "Unique Vendor ID" field that the join file depends upon? I would prefer to not have them click a button that activates a script to add the ID to the match field.

I hope that makes sense. I know I could do a value list that displays both Unique Vendor ID with Vendor Name and then do the button thing, but I really don't want users to have to see the Unique ID at all as it's just a random number and will likely confuse them. Help?

Version: v6.x

Platform: Windows 2000

[CyborgSam]

I asked how other folks did this in this thread:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/97515/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

There are two non-scripted answers.

The first is to have the value list be the usual ID in first field and name in second, but overlay the popup with a field showing just the name. This field has allow entry turned off and is filled so it masks the popup. The downside is that the numbers show on the popup.

My method: I take the font being used on the popup and edit it in a font editor, making all the digits zero width characters with no strokes. This gets rid of the numbers. You can then use the above method. This method doesn't work 100% if the popup items have numbers in them. If the extra spacing annoys you, you can do my old method (from a time when value lists only showed 1 field). Create a field, e.g. c.Popup with contents like this: Right("00000" & NumToText(ID)) & Name When the record is exited, a script step sets the ID field to: TextToNum(Left(c.Popup, 6))