Copy tables?

[JoernK]

Hi,

I switched to FM7 and now I am trying to build up a database of experiments (each experiment has results in a spreadsheet format). I found the table feature in FM7 very nice and I would like to create for each experiment a table (all having the same fields) in one file. Is there a way to copy a table including the fields(!), so that I do not have to define the fields for each table (experment) again and again?

Thanks for any help!

FileMaker Version: Dev 7

Platform: Mac OS X Panther

[ernst]

Hi Joern,

You could accomplish this by defining just two tables.

Table one should contain one record for each experiment, with a unique autoentered serialnumber to link it to the second table.

This second table should contain one record for each 'row of results'; so for each single experiment this table could have several rows.

Results for each experiment could then be entered in table one, through a portal showing records of table two.

Something similar could be done using a single flat database with just ONE table, using repeating fields to get the desired 'spreadsheet look'. This approach would be more simple at first, but less flexible in the long run.

Hope this helps,

Ernst

[JoernK]

Thanks for your help,

but each experiment-spreadsheet has 36000 rows and 42 columns (=fields) and I have 80 experiments. I am not sure if your suggestion is working on that. Anyway, I cannot believe that FM7 is not capable of duplicating tables to use them as a template.

Joern

FileMaker Version: Dev 7

Platform: Mac OS X Panther

[jasonwood]

The record limit for FM7 is astronomical. If the experiments use the same fields, then they should be in the same table. I know it seems backwards, but if you effectively use the experiments table as a starting point, you will never even notice that there is more than one experiment in one table.

[BruceJ]

I too am disapointed that I can't duplicate tables. generally I have a need for a copuple of standr field in any table, one being a unique identifier key, the other being the created and modified user/date/time, etc.

However, I believe that The genral concept you are stiving for would be better served by creating one experimetns file, with the fourty fields, defined as needed and plus another couple of fields that identifies or classifies the rows of data into group of experiments (which you had originally intended separate tables. Yes, I realize that experiment "A" may have 3600 records, and so on. However, I do not beleive you will run into a problem with size. Be aware, that in definign the fields, if you have lots of unstored calculations, don't try to display all of the results at the same time in a list format, or you coudl be there a while!

[JoernK]

O.K. I tried your suggestion of putting them all in one table and it works just fine! For display I used a portal, what is kind of nice, since it gives me the ability to sort the result data. On the other hand an important step for further data analysis is filtering. How can I filter in a portal. If I e.g. type in the find layout column A should be >5 it will show me all experiments whenever at least one has a value >5 in column A , but I want to get only the experiments where this is true. I guess the reason for this search results is that all experiments are in one table. Any suggestions?? I apprechiate your help.

Joern

[JoernK]

O.K.

My last question was stupid, forget about it!

I am sorry. I guess I did to much database work in the last days.

Thanks anyway, the one table solution seems to work great (I haven't imported all experiments right now).

Joern

FileMaker Version: Dev 7

Platform: Mac OS X Panther