relationships global to text conv. 5 to 7

[Oldsneekers]

In FM 5 I used relationships between a gMultiuse global field to Category text field in the same file to show a desired category:

Set field gMultiuse, "ABC"

go to rela. XX, show only related records.

This worked great in FM5. When converted to FM7 there was the word "external" in the script def. The script worked well until I clicked into the go to related record script step. This erased the "external" from the definition and the dimmed external button will not allow me to redefine this. Why could the conversion define external and I cannot? What does external mean? Where did the "intuitive" in FileMaker go?

Thanks all for any contributions.

Greg W.

[Fenton]

I see no "external" anywhere, except for the checkbox to "use external table's layout", which I believe is partly a shortcut, so you don't have to run an script in the other table to go to a particular layout. Only layouts relevant to the current TO (relationship) will be available.

So, if you uncheck that option, the word "external" goes away, as you view the step as a line, with other steps.

BTW, it's a good idea to Commit Record (used to be Exit Record) after setting a global, before using it in a TO (relationship).

It's a little confusing dealing with converted files. FileMaker tries hard, and does very well. But sometimes there's a few Select Window's, etc., that may or may not be required. Best to leave 'em unless you're sure they're superfluous.

Otherwise I find that 7 works much like 6; there's just a lot more options. Like the ability to specify a different TO than the current table when evaluating a calculation (in Define Fields). I'm sure it's useful; but it sure is annoying when you notice that you've created several calculation fields, and they're all using relationships you never intended (their "evaluation space"), rather than just the plain old current table like we're used to; because the last thing you'd done before selected that TO. Probably worse if you don't notice. It's always good to check your field definitions; not a good place for surprises.

I agree that version 7 raises the level of what you need to know. But, since it also removes the need for some of the work-arounds we needed before, and opens whole new capabilities, I'm not complaining (anymore; at least not today :-)

[Oldsneekers]

Is there a written source of knowlege about FM7 that can elucide alot of the nuance? (Waiting for my fist issue of FM magazine.) I did not come across the need to use commt record anywhere until you mentioned it. The abreviation for relationship "TO" is a new one. After working with FM5 for so many years, 7 seems to have a lot of quirks that are probably due to improper scripting on my part.

I use the "go to rela" script a lot (pre-specified finds and dupchecks) and most deal with a global and none work. I'll give the Commit Record a try.

Thanks for your help.

[Fenton]

Yes, even in earlier versions a Go To Related Record directly after setting a global could fail (it went to records matching whatever was last in the global). I got into the habit of using Exit Record often, so most of my relationship operations worked fine after converting. Though there were a number of Select Window "

Go to this page:

http://www.filemaker.com/upgrade/techbriefs.html

There's a few pdf's on migration. One of them has more detail and examples.

Also you might want to download a demo of MetaDataMagic. They've included a FileMaker database with specific migration problems, very good detailed info.

http://www.nmci.com/Product_Overview.htm?pid=P694HA3506PHQEJ4BGXL