How to Use a Relationship Field In a Report

[Joseph31]

I need to know if there is some way to use a realtionship field in a report, without using a cell. I only want to use <<>> so the rest of the report letter conforms to it.

Example:

Company Name (Pull Down Box) when selected it looks up :address, ::city etc..

I want to use ::address in a report like <<address>> but it will not look it up is there a way??

FileMaker Version: 6

Platform: Windows 2000

[Fitch]

If you're typing this directly, you need to include the name of the relationship,

e.g. <<relationshipName::fieldName>>.

Or just select Insert -- Merge Field, and select the relationship from the popup at the top of the fields list, then select the field you want from the list.

[Joseph31]

Wow Great thanks... i think I will use the merge field less typing...Great maybe wow...no great works better

[Joseph31]

Hey Fitch...Let me ask something...All of the item you said to do work...but I have a field that joins two name together (First and Last) it all goes in a field named contact name...this field is also a realtionship to the other database and this field is not showing up on the report but it shows up on the others pages...Can you guess why?

[Fitch]

I don't understand. Please try to describe more accurately what you are trying to do and what the current result is.

[Joseph31]

Fields:

Company Name (PullDown) -- Looks up from another file

Contact Name -- Relationship to Company Name

Address -- Relationship to Company Name

City -- Relationship to Company Name

State -- Relationship to Company Name

Zip -- Realtionship to Company Name

When you pull down the company name you want it fills in the other fields with value by way of a relationship (Not Look Up).

On one of my letters I need a title block with all of the above fields...They all work when printing a letter expect for -- Contact Name -- this field is really a joint field that joins first and last name together - this joins happens only on the other file where the intial input is made. That field works everywhere else on the program (it shows up) but when i try to make it show up on the letter it does not...(maybe something simple like text color..or maybe somekind of glitch in FM6.

[Fitch]

You're using the company name::company name for the relationship? You really should not use modifiable data fields as relationship keys.

Anyway... this makes no sense. If the field works on one layout, it should work on others. You must be doing something different on the letter layout. If you want to post the files I'll take a look if I have time.

[Joseph31]

ok I will relook at each field...I will let you know what I find...But I have have a question what did you mean when you said i should not have relationships modifiable?:)

[Fitch]

I didn't say anything of the sort. I said do not use fields whose data can be modified as key fields for your relationships.

There are a few exceptions to this that fall under the category of stupid FileMaker tricks, but in general, you should automatically assign serial numbers to your companies and use that as the key field that relates to other files. What happens if a company name changes? Relationship breaks. Same problem if you use phone number or any other field that can potentially be altered or is vulnerable to typographic errors.

[Joseph31]

wow...I see thanks...That makes sense...