Pop List/Menu Not Alphabetized

[Tanner]

I am trying to populate a pop up menu from a field but the order in which it appears in the pop up list is alphabetical. I just want it to appear how I typed it in the field in the first place. So I have 2 questions: 1. How do I get this list to appear in the order in which I typed it? 2. What I would really like to do is enter a list of items into a global field and have that list be a pop up menu. The problem is that a global field cannot be a value list. Does anyone know of a way to accomplish this or something like this? My main goal is to have the user enter in a list of information one time and no matter what record they are in that same list will appear in a pop up menu. Any ideas?

-Tanner

[Ender]

Dynamic value lists that use fields as their source will always sort by the field specified (or second field specified).

Maybe a Custom Value list will work better for you. You just type the values in the value list dialog and they will appear in the order you typed them. This works well if the same list is to be used for all records, the list is not too big, and it doesn't change much. You can have the Edit option on (under field options,) so users can add to it if needed.

[Tina Marie]

I'm going to assume that your using FM7

Why don't you use a portal instead, that way you can sort it in many different ways, and if your using fm7 you would just create a new table, and make sure that you can delete and add records from the portal view.

See if this would work with your solution.

Tina Marie

[BrentHedden]

Yes, Tina is right. If you want to keep it in a popup menu/list, do this -

1) Create a new table (or a new file if not using Version 7)

2) Create one text field in this table (to hold all the values)

3) Create another calculated field that holds the numberic value of 1 at all times. You'll also have to create the same field in your original table.

4) Create a relationship to this new table based on the fields in 3). This will keep the relationship constant no matter what. Sort this relationship Acending by the field in 2)

5) Base the value list one the field in 2)

6) Create a new record in the table for each of the values you want in the pop-up list.

I can create a simple example file if you want me to. I'll have to know what version of FM you are using, though.

-Brent

[Tanner]

Thank you all for your ideas!! They all seem to be very usable in this situation. BrentHedden, if you wouldn't mind making an example file that would help me understand a little better. In the meantime I think I will just use the edit option on the value list. Thank you in advance!!

-Tanner

[BrentHedden]

Attached is the file in question. The layout "SortedValueList" has the pull-down and also a portal showing all the records to the relationship. The other layout "ValueListEntries" shows (in list view) all of the entries (each record). There is also a convience button up at the top to add a new entry (record). These values were entered in at random, but the relationship sorts ascending (alphabetically) according to the 'Entry' field.

I know there is a way to add a new record while inside the portal, but I can't remember how (I'm fairly new to FM7) - if anyone can refresh my memory, I would appreciate it! I thought it was through defining the relationship, but I suppose I'm missing another step .

SortedValueList.zip

[Tanner]

Thanks a bunch!!

[Tina Marie]

Hi BrentHedden & Chris

Brent in answer to your question above....

If using FM7 and the relationship has already been created between the two tables, then you would double click on the "=" sign in the relationship tab.

This is were you can set it to add and or delete records from within the portal, among other options.

Tina Marie

[Ender]

I thought the requirement was to make the value list unsorted? To have the values in order that they were created. I don't see a good way to do this without adding a second field to the value list.

I suppose if you used a serial number as the primary field and the text as the second field (sorted by the first field) then this would create the same effect. You'd just need to show the related value on the layout.

[Tina Marie]

I would think that if he just actually made the tables, and then entered from the portal if would then not need to be sorted at all because the natural sort would just be in the order of the entry would it not?

Tina Marie

[BrentHedden]

I saw two different requirements - to sort it alpha, and sort it in order it was entered. If need to sort by entry, then either a sort on a serial number field or just leaving it alone and not specifying any sort requirements would do the trick.

[Ender]

If you use the portal to select, then just using an unsorted portal would be fine, but for a value list you would need to add another field to sort by.

[BrentHedden]

Yes, that's exactly true! I suppose it boils down to this - you can create it using either method, just depending on how you want it to look/feel/act.