Is this possible? Programming, without the data?

[Chester]

Hello,

A collegue has used FileMaker to create a system of handling client information. Contacts, status, notes, that kind of thing. We would like to use the design and programming in FM that they have already done, but do not want his data. Is it possible to separatly get the functions and programming, and not the actual customer data?

I'm sorry if that is to broad a question. We are not yet FM users, but if we can make this work, we soon will be!

Please ask if you need more details.

Thanks much!

Chester

Platform: Windows XP

[blackcat]

Get you colleage to copy the system to a new folder, open the copy version & show all records (CTRL+J) then select delete all records from within the menus. You may need to do this in any related files also but in all cases you will need to have access rights to delete records. This of couses assumes that the copying of this system is done legally.

HTH

Steve

[Mike D.]

There is a much easier way - do a save as with Clone selected. This creates a copy of the file without any records.

Mike

[-Queue-]

Deleting all records might be a better idea if there are any global container fields used in the solution. Saving as a clone seems pointless to me, if you have to reimport this data anyway.

[Ender]

If the files are large (thousands of records,) cloning is much faster. Delete All Records can take a while.

[Vaughan]

Yes, deleting a relational system with thousands of records can take an hour to complete. Much of the time is FMP searching unstored fields looking for related records, for each relationship that is defined to delete related records.

[-Queue-]

Granted, if the files are huge, it can take a while. In that case, you must remember to import one record into each file after cloning it, if it includes global containers, and then delete the record.

[Mike D.]

I just re-read the original post by Chester. I still get the impression that he does not want the data, just an empty copy of the solution. My guess is he doesn't have a lot of data of his own - yet.

We'll just have to wait and see if Chester comes back with a response.

Mike

[Chester]

Hello All,

Thanks for the responses. I suppose I wasn't as clear as I thought at

first. You're correct in that I do not want the data that is currently

being used, simply the functionality, and the ability to use my own

data that I would enter into FM. So from the responses, it sounds like

Save As with Clone checked would be the best bet, correct? But the

only other question is I saw one post that said if there were any

containers, I would have to do something else. Since I have not yet

used FM, I'm not sure what to look for.

Would any one like to confirm my thinking on the clone, and explain

what I would miss by doing ONLY that step and nothing more?

Thanks!

Chester

[-Queue-]

It depends on whether there are graphics and user interface devices that are based on global containers. I was merely saying that you have to be careful, if you want to retain these features. If there are none for a particular file, then it wouldn't apply. If there are, they're probably not data, but graphic storage fields. If you'll be entering your own, then it's no concern. I figure it's easier to warn in advance, instead of waiting for the 'Help! My buttons have disappeared!' thread.