Hi,

I have a serial number that's part of a larger code. The number is basically a location code, year code, and serial number code... so "USA 04 1234" would be one example. The three components are all separate fields.

Problem One. I wanted to use a portal to retrieve a summary field from another table, but then I realized I couldn't just reference the serial number (the 1234) itself because there are potentially two "1234", one for 2004 and one for 2005. So how do I use a portal? Can I reference via two criteria... the 04 and the 1234?

Problem Two. I am used to the primary key concept in MS Acce$$, and one of the reasons why I like FMPro is that you can reset a serial number to one. Well, what I don't understand is that how can the computer allow two "1"'s? Doesn't that defeat the primary key? How do I guard against this?

One idea is to have two serial numbers... well, one really. One is the "primary key" serial number that I would start at 1 and leave alone forever.... the second one is not really the serial number in terms of a primary key, but rather a numbering system that would reset to 1 at the beginning of every year. Do I even need all this or what?

Thanks,

Vandy

Problem One. I wanted to use a portal to retrieve a summary field from another table, but then I realized I couldn't just reference the serial number (the 1234) itself because there are potentially two "1234", one for 2004 and one for 2005. So how do I use a portal? Can I reference via two criteria... the 04 and the 1234?

I guess you mean Sum( and not summary, make yet another relation where MiddleWords(serial,2,1) is foreing key and 04 is primary key ....and it will give total of sales in 2004 or make it MiddleWords(serial,1,2) and make a primary key "Usa 04" and it'll give you sales for ...you guessed it???

As for the generation of the serialnumber could you use this technique:

http://www.filemakerpros.com/SerialCat.sit

--sd