FM7: Self-Join, Portals, and Button Actions

[Brian Spolarich]

I'm new to FileMaker but am very familiar with RDBMSes in general.

I'm creating a database that includes both multi-table joins and self-joins. I've defined these relationships in the relationships graph.

I want to show users on the detail screens for a given record other related records, either from other tables or the same table. For example, in the DEVIATIONS table, the REPORT_NO field acts as the primary key, and the RAD_LOT_NO and HPTC_LOT_NO are foreign keys from two other tables. I want to show the related REPORT_NOs from DEVIATIONS that share a common RAD_LOT_NO and HPTC_LOT_NO.

So I add two portals to my layout and configure them. The related records show up by their REPORT_NOs.

What I want to do is be able to click on the REPORT_NO in the portal and view that record. I specify the button behaviour in the portal to open the related record.

This works fine if the related record is in another table, but if it is in the same table and view nothing happens (I keep seeing the record I have open).

What am I missing here?

FileMaker Version: 7

Platform: Windows XP

[Ender]

It looks like in FM7 you have to define a context for the Go to Related Records[] script step. In the script step's options, make sure the correct Table Occurance is selected, and then select the layout that has the correct context to have that relationship.

I think that's how it works.

[Brian Spolarich]

Thanks. I thought that's what I did. I tried it again and it worked.

I used the self-join graph entries as the target. I think before I was using the table itself, and not the self-join reference.

I'm not sure I understand FM7's relational model...it is kind of wacky.

[dbruggmann]

A very good approach to the