When reworking a database -- say, moving a table from one file to another, or moving a task layout to a new table-group -- it's often necessary to redirect a portal on an existing layout, or to duplicate a portal into a new setting.

As it is now, each field within each portal must be separately re-directed, right (except when I can simply substitute tables at the relationships diagram level)?

It would be great if either:

(1) there could be a "reset table reference" command which could be performed on multiple selected fields within any portal: each field would seek its name in the portal's (new) source table and switch its full reference if the natural choice is found. (One would still manually reassign for fields drawn from yet further TOs.)

(2) at the very least, the specify field dialogue could be smart enough to include not only "Current table" at the top of the table list, but also the actual portal's target reference near the top.

Given how complex a set of tables we may have in FM7, scrolling down to the new correct table over and over, when FM "already knows" the likeliest choice of table (because of the portal's own target), seems tedious.

Has anybody found an easier way?

Yeah, you're right. So far I've just been thrilled that it remembered the field, so I didn't have to go look for that too each time. Even a highlight of the current portal's TO would a nice touch (with a command key to scroll to it :-).

Yes, I suppose I should be thankful for the field-name retention as well. I remember being thankful at first, until I started thinking there's no reason FM couldn't make it even easier.