Using one Report many fields

[Joseph31]

Hello everyone....

I have so many reports I think I am going to die....Here is the funny part...They are all the same except for the fields...ie: a report may have a field for Policy 1, a second report may have a field for Policy 2 etc....

Is there a way to make a report use any field name (Policy 1, Policy 2, Policy 3 etc...) this way when there is a correction on a report all I have to change is one of them not many....

[Echo33029]

Why don't you simply create a report with generic fields for all the items that would repeat for the different reports. Then when you want to run a particular report, simply run a script that sets the generic fields to the specific information you want to report.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Hi,

The GetField( ) function would help toggle from labels and field values as necessary.

[bruceR]

You have a more basic data structure problem. Anytime somebody describes numbered fields like yours - Policy 1, Policy 2, etc. - it is almost 100% guarunteed that they are not using an appropriate relational design. This in turn leads to other problems like the one you describe. It would be better to tell use more about how you use these fields, and be prepared to learn basic relational design concepts.

[Ugo DI LUCA]

  Quote

BruceR said:

it is almost 100% guarunteed

Agreed (almost) 100%

[Joseph31]

ok...I am always ready to learn...

I will try to explain...

I have 5 tabs one my page... Policy 1 - Policy 5

Each Page (Tab) has many fields on them...Everything from Seller information, to Contract Information (with Amounts)...

So on Page 1 (Tab 1) - Policy 1

All of the fields would be like:

Amount 1 (Since its on tab 1)

Seller 1

Address 1, City 1, State 1

Etc...

Page 2 (Tab 2) Policy 2

Amount 2 (Since its on tab 2)

Seller 2

Address 2 etc....

I did this b/c when I started to use FM I really was just learning..Now I am a little better at it...The other reason I did this is b/c each Policy could have different information..All with a relationship to one Insured...So One insured could have 5 different policies all with different info on it.

I have done reports (Letters) with the foloowing fields (Policy 1) blah...blah...blah.. and (Policy 2) blah...blah...blah...

I have many different reports (Letter) with these kinds of fields...Is there a way to make one report (Letter) instead of 5 reports (Letters) --Note: all the these letter have the same wording but different fields ie: <<Policy 1>> or <<Policy 2>> or <<Policy 3>>...Is there a way to do this?

[bruceR]

  Quote

Page 2 (Tab 2) Policy 2

Amount 2 (Since its on tab 2)

Seller 2

Address 2 etc....

The other reason I did this is b/c each Policy could have different information..All with a relationship to one Insured...So One insured could have 5 different policies all with different info on it.

Bingo. They should be related records with fields Amount, Seller, Address, etc. But what is the "parent" record? What or who has all these policies?

[Joseph31]

the insured name...each page is made up into a top and a bottom...the bottom being a tab format....

looks kind of like the contact management data base...on FM

[bruceR]

This a classic, basic one to many relationship. It is time to work through the tutorial files and come back when completed.

[Joseph31]

I have been through all of the tutorial files... can you point me in the the correct direction...How would I use one report and interchange fields named (policy 1, Policy 2, Policy 3, Policy 4)?

Please help...

[bruceR]

You don't. You are on completely the wrong track. There is no such thing as Policy 1, Policy 2.

One insured can have 0, 1, or many policies, right? The policies are displayed in a portal.

Is there anything special about what you think of as policy 1, policy 2? Or is it just the first policy they bought, and the second, etc. Nobody has to buy 4 policies, right? Some people only buy 1?

Is it your company policy (different policy) never to sell anybody more than 4? What happens to an expired policy?

In the tutorial, there was a Company file and Members file in the Working Solutions folder.

Company = Insured and Members = Policies.

[bruceR]

See attached example derived from the tutorial.

Insured.zip