I'm using FMP 5 to do a school report, and i need to to know how to limit total number of words or characters. when a user is trying to input more then that, it would give an error message.

any help would be great.

thanks in advance

quote:

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Originally posted by blue_bug:

I'm using FMP 5 to do a school report, and i need to to know how to limit total number of words or characters. when a user is trying to input more then that, it would give an error message.

any help would be great.

thanks in advance

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Use field validation. When you're in the Define Fields dialog, select your field and click Options. Click the Validation tab. Click on the check box for "Validated by calculation" and a calc dialog will come up. Let's say that your field is named EntryField and the length you want to be a maximum is 25 words. Then enter the following calc:

WordCount( EntryField ) <= 25

If you want to limit it to 500 characters, use:

Length( EntryField ) <= 500

If the user enters text in the field that violates the validation (renders the equation false), then a dialog will come up. The one provided by FileMaker is pretty generic, but you can check the box for "Display custom message if validation fails:" in the Validation tab. You also have the choice to either just warn the user, but allow him to override the validation, or to make is "Strict" so that the field must conform to the validation

Chuck

thank you for taking your time to reply to my question.

i've got to that so far, but that is when more problem comes up.

with the dialog, there will be "revert" "yes" "no" to pick from, and my targeted users are the teachers that have no idea of how to use this software, and will no know which to pick from.

revert will remove all that they have put in,

no will just allow them to override

yes will send them back to do changes.

is there any way to remove the "revert"?

thank you again

Check "Strict - do not allow users to modify" box. Also consider putting in a custom message to 'help them out'.