When using a join file... sorry, LIST (old habits...) to create a many to many relationship between two lists, I have read that you can actually create new records in one file via entering data into a portal on the other. I've tried this and seem to have it set up correctly, but it won't create records. The relationship works fine if I create records manually.

Is it a myth that this can work, or am I doing something wrong... or is it only a feature of Developer?

Starting with Tables A & B joined by Table AB. Your relationship graph will have 3 TO's names A, AB, & B. A relationship from A to AB must have the allow creation of related records checked on the AB side. A relationship from B to AB must have the allow creation of related records checked on both the AB & B side. On a Table A Layout make a portal using the realationship AB and another using the relationship B. In the second portal you can add new records to Table B. This will make record in AB joining the record in A to the new record in B.

If you made the A to AB relationship allow creation of related records in A, you could have portal in B to A which would work the same as the one in A.

When I try this I can enter the cursor into the field in the portal (field in table : but when I type a dialog come up that says "This field cannot be modified until {match field for table A in table AB} is given a valid value."

Here's what I have:

Table A and B, each with an auto-enter s/n appended to a letter via calc. The calc field is the record ID. Each also has a text field.

Table AB, two fields, one related to Table A's ID and one to Table B. Both tables allow record creation both ways.

Table A Layout: This may be where I'm messing up, because I didn't quite understand your description using two portals, but I created two, one is a portal to AB and the other a Portal to B. In each one I placed the text field from Table B.

Trying to enter data into the second table gives the dialog mentioned above. Using the first table, nothing happens. I can put the cursor in the portal row like the other portal, but I cannot enter anything.

Is my setup correct?

Don't use calc fields as the keys. I use text fields for the serial numbers and include The letters in the initial serial number.

Thought of that. Awhile ago I set my real project aside and created a simple three table file to test this out, and I used simple serial number text fields for this one. Still no dice.

I don't understand the "two portal" part... maybe that's where I'm going astray?

I hate it when I get mired in these things... I'll be up all night if I don't figure this out!

Wait, it worked... now I just need to go back to my original solution and see what I did wrong.

Thanks all!