Script to automatically create new fie

[Joseph Hamilton]

ok, so the person I'm desinging this database for wants three fields to be "dynamic", in that you'd have to enter multiple instances of each field (for example, if the field was a certain task, they want individual fields for each job performed)

i noodled on my own trying to create a script to actually create the field without forcing the database admin to manually create the new field each time they run out of space, but I wasn't able to find anything in ScriptMaker that defines fields.

Anyone that can help?

[SteveB]

Sounds like the tasks should be records in a related file, not additional fields on the same record. You'll need to post more information about what you want to do.

Steve

[Joseph Hamilton]

ok, well we updated the version to File Maker Pro 7, but here's the jist...

the person i'm designing this database for wants the computer inventory to display an entry for each job the IT department has done on the computer. So, basically, there are fields for Date, Work Done, and comments, for each time the computer is worked on. This database is going to be around for awhile, so when a new job comes along for a comnputer that has already had one done, three new fields need to be created (New Date, New Work Done, and New Comments)

I've tried searching through help about the relationships and script maker to see if I can make a shortcut to create this, or just have a related table which lists computer number and then each job done, and use that to fill in this first database, but so far best I can do is do an auto-fill for a field.

I'll admit I'm new to File Maker, and I've tried using the Help manual, but I wanted to see if I could get any help with this.

[Philland]

Steve is right. What you want is a master file/table of the computers in inventory and a related file that will contain the maintenance records.

The records will display in the master file through a portal view. Setup the relationship based on the each computer name/inventory number. Set the portal to auto-create a new record in the related file upon entry in the portalin the master file.

Phil

[Joseph Hamilton]

Thanks for the help...I got the portal set up...now my problem is having one portal to dynamically show multiple records from the computer job file. Rather, I know how to get it to show now, but the problems are

1) having them line up all on the same line (trivial I know, but i'm going off of one line, one computer design requests)

2) having the number of records dynamically set to cut off after the final record (again, also pretty trivial, but i'm going for maximum stuff)

again though, thanks for the help because this puts me light years ahead

[Joseph Hamilton]

i also wanted to see if anyone knew maybe how to have portals show multiple records in Table view. Right now, it'll only show the first entry in the portal, and after trying to make new portals, scroll bars, buttons, i can't seem to get to multiple jobs in table view

[-Queue-]

Table view is only good for viewing a 'spreadsheet'-like list, not for buttons or portals, etc.

[Joseph Hamilton]

yeah...i ended up fixing the problem by just using a repeating field. It's still some outside work, but it does what the person wants.

thanks for all your help guys, i'm sure i'll be back with more questions :-P

[Vaughan]

"i ended up fixing the problem by just using a repeating field"

Yeah... until somebody asks you to makea report listing all the jobsdone, then you'll find out why Steve recommended that you do it with a related file.

[ESpringer]

Especially in FM7! Repeating fields can display horizontally, and perhaps that's what you were after... but in FM7, you can similarly get portal rows arrayed horizontally by drawing multiple portals, each with the next starting row#. The data structure is just much more articulate!

(Re your earlier post: One line per computer? No way! What if there are ten maintenance requests on it? But you could get one line per *maintenance request*... Avoid blank space by turning on Sliding Up feature... or try printing reports FROM the maintenance request table, SORTED by computer ID, using a sub-summary header to display the computer's identifying fields...)

[Joseph Hamilton]

yeah, i agree...the funny thing is the people bought this software, but then have no idea what it does or how to use it.

so basically, they tell me they want something that cannot be done, and I have to invent ways to make it happen. They really just want to be able to print out an "Excel-looking" spreadsheet that lists those jobs.

i already warned them as soon as they go over teen, they'll have to manually change the repetitions shown, and as soon as they hit 25, they'll have to change the number of repetitions allowed.

As for reports on a specific job type, it is sort of still working, because you can search the repeating fields for a word or phrase and it finds it in any field. For example, I can search all job fields for reformatted, and it brings back EVERY computer that's been reformatted, no matter if it was the first or last job.

but i do agree

[RalphL]

PLEASE!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!! Don't use repeating fields. Forget you ever heard of them.

In your main table you must have a key field that is unique and not empty. Your related table also has this field but it is no longer unique. Every record in the related table has the value of the key field in the record of the main table to which it is related.

A portal is based on this relationship. A portal row is not limited to one line of text. You can have the portal as big as necessary to show all the data you want.

Reports are printed from the related table.

Now is the time to change before you get commited to a bad design.