Concatenation

[dknc]

Is there any way to concatenate/combine the results in the same field in several records into a field in all of them? For instance, if I have three records with "A", "B" and "C" in each of their first text fields, can I set up a script or other mechanism which will put "A B C" in the second field in all three of those records? Thanks.

D

[ESpringer]

D,

You've posted in the wrong forum (This one's for discussion *of* this forum's operation as such). Someone may fix the location of this post.

But yes, you can do what you're describing with the following mechanism: Set up a VALUE LIST called Field1Values (or whatever) to include all the values in the first field. (Are you familiar with how to do that?)

A value list is stored in FileMaker as a series of lines with carriage returns between (as you'd see with a drop-down menu field). A calculation field can use the ValueListItems function to display a value list "raw" or altered in any way you like. What you want is a calculation that takes the value list and replaces the carriage returns with spaces:

Substitute(ValueListItems(Get(FileName); "Field1Values"); "

[dknc]

Thanks, I'll work on that.

D

[dknc]

Can you go into your Substitute example more exactly? When I try to set it up, I get an error message highlighting the database file name after the ValueListItems and saying that Filemaker cannot find the field specified. I don't know if you mean to actually use the word "Get", but I cannot get it to work with or without it.

D

[ESpringer]

D,

Your sidebar doesn't show what version of FileMaker you're using -- you should update your profile. In FileMaker 7, Get(...) functions are a major new category, and Get(FileName) points FM to the current file (no need to spell out your actual file name). In earlier versions, I believe the right expression was Status(CurrentFileName). Your value list name, however, does have to be typed into the calc description directly, between quotes. So, if your value list were named Field1Values and you're using FM7, I believe the calc description should read just as I specified above (unless I made a typo!).

[Lee Smith]

Please update your profile to reflect your current Plaftform, operating system, and version of FileMaker you are using. The link is in the box below your name, in blue "profile"

TIA

Lee