FM newbie needs help with Table missing message

[Wes Heartfield]

I am a complete FM newbie. I tried to link a database to another database using the "Relationship" screen and didn't have any success. I subsequently discarded all of the relationship tables icons in the same field to get back to my original database, however now each field says "table missing". In Layout setup it won't let me select my original database table from the drop down menu. The table exists in the "define database" screen ( with all the records), but I can't get the info to display on my layout

[The Shadow]

You can only reference fields on a layout that are present in the relationship graph. They do not have to be hooked to anything, but they must be there.

When you add a new base table, FM7 auto-adds the table to the graph - this is why.

[Wes Heartfield]

Thank you. Now I have referenced those fields but I still get the message "table missing" on all of my fields. Can you think of some checkbox I haen't checked, or some other simple mistake I am making? Like I said, I am a newbie at this. Thanks

[The Shadow]

Right, those fields still point at the tables you have deleted, if you add new fields to the layout (or reselect fields by double-clicking on each field) you should not see Table-Missing anymore.

I don't know of an easy way to rehook them all except by hand - you might consider moving to a backup if you have one...

[Wes Heartfield]

Thank You! That fixed it on the main data entry layout. On the other layouts, the field were displayed with :this in front of them and would not work when I specified them

[The Shadow]

Your welcome Wes.

Check the layout setup dialog, to make sure each of your layouts also points to your new tables, and not the deleted ones. You shouldn't see "::" unless the layout's table doesn't match the fields table, as that's what related fields are shown as.

[Wes Heartfield]

Thank you

[RENO58]

Had the same thing happen.

Somehow lost the table reference but still had all the records. Resetting the layout set up dialog worked but , as Shadow said, I would have to re-specify every field on every layout... a royal pain on my db with 10+ layouts.

Quick and dirty solution was to take a recent backup and import the records from the screwed up file. The backup still preserved the table relations, the import brought the records up to date. Saved me from an all day event......

Now if I can figure out how the table was lost in the first place.