I'm a novice user trying to develop a distribution database for the free magazine that I’m working for, and I’d appreciate some advice on adding some functions to the database.

I've managed to make the database handle the venue, contact and quantity information that I want, but am struggling to make the db track changes over time. The magazine has monthly distribution and I would like to be able to compare distribution quantities from month to month both for total distribution and for distribution within each venue type.

I put this together starting with the contact database template included with FM 6 and I would appreciate any advice on how to add this additional dimension to the database.

Thanks,

Gao Ming

FileMaker Version: 6

Platform: Windows 2000

100626-Distribution Database.zip

Hello Gao Ming,

There are various ways to approach this, but the kind of data overview you are looking for can generally be achieved most simply by setting up a layout to provide sub-summary reporting of quantities by issue or month.

In broad terms (and without knowing the specifics of what fields you have already) you will need a summary field that gives a total of the quantity field, and a layout with a sub-summary part which displays the summary field when the database is sorted by month (or issue etc).

When you sort the database accordingly and then preview or print the layout, it will provide you with the total quantity for each month.

Ray,

Thanks for the advice.

So you would recommend that I keep all of my data in one table, but add additional fields for each month, and then a new field for the distribution quantity in each month?

This sounds simple to build, but it seems that it would make creation of a constant data entry form fairly difficult.

Or am I missing something?

I'm also considering building separate tables for each month and the types of venues, and then a portal for the totals in each month and each type of venue, but am still not quite sure how to build the relationships that would be necessary to make this work.

Appreciate the pointers,

Gao Ming

Gao Ming said:

So you would recommend that I keep all of my data in one table, but add additional fields for each month, and then a new field for the distribution quantity in each month?

No not at all.

I would recommend that you use a relational structure with the data broken out into separate tables. One for issues, one for deliveries, another for subscribers etc.

You will then be able to choose the most approipriate table to provide the basis of your data summary, but the report will be able to draw in other data (via relationships between the tables) as appropriate.