Portal not refreshing data

[JAC23]

According to FM, they fixed the issue with portals not refreshing data when pulling data from distant tables. My problem is it is still doing it, despite following all of FMs instructions with the 7.3 update. I have data that is dependent on a key that is set in one file (with the portal) and then pulls data from another. The cost displayed in the portal only refreses if I enter a quantity (thus forcing the calc) or if I go to define database and go back, then every cost is refreshsed. Is anyone else encountering this and any ideas for a fix? Thanks.

[Martin Brändle]

I struggled with something similar also a long time and thought this would be a bug, but it is a feature of FM7. In FM6 I used self-join relationships and lookups to build counters that count up when adding records and count down when you remove them. They even worked in a portal. In FM7, this does not work anymore correctly in portals (they don't count up anymore when the next-second portal row is added), and I have to go back to the classic "auto-enter serial number" option for those counter fields.

FM7 differs to FM6 by way of that one has to commit the master record so that all portal records are updated (e.g. by clicking somewhere outside the portal). Do a search in the FM 7 help for "commit data" or similar (excuse for not directly citing the help, I don't have FM7 my computer here at home), you will find this feature explained. Do the same search in the FM6 help - the paragraph about committing the master record is missing, i.e. committing the master record was not necessary.

I just can explain this new behaviour by

- that it is necessary in the new relational model so that database integrity (consistency?) is conserved

- that the caching mechanism has been changed with the new relational model

But may be in your case is different. I observed that FM7 is more precise than FM6 when interpreting lookups. E.g. it handles now the "don't copy if referenced field is empty" option correctly when this option is turned on. You might first check these lookup fields.

Martin

[-Queue-]

Using the Refresh Window [Flush cached join results] script step also works.

I've also had success with a weird workaround. In the table that is most closely related to the distant field, create a calculation field of Table X::field, where Table X is the distant table and field is the field you want. Then delete the field and close Define Database. See if your field updates more reliably now.

[JAC23]

I have it set to use the Refresh Window script step. Nothing like flashing graphics and a three second delay to convey professionalism. I will try the calculation field trick and let you know if it works. Thanks.

[richMac]

The easiest way to have the portal to refresh is to use a Set Field script step at the end of your script that sets the primary key to itself.

Ex:

SetField(pk_CustID) ; (pk_CustID)

This forces the record to update due to the calculation. Nothing changes on the record but all data is recalculated and the screen refreshed. There's no changing modes, screen flashing, etc. and it's fast.

[jaqued]

I read all the previous posts but I am having trouble getting a database written in FileMaker Pro 6 to perform as it did after conversion to version 7. There are two files one is called Box and the other is called Ticket. I used the Ticket database as my baseline display and I have a portal to the Box file based on the relationship (job number in Box and job number in Ticket).

There is a script that copies the job number in Ticket, the user then navigates to the Box file and to a selected record that includes a button. The button calls a script which copies the job number in cache the to the job number field in the selected Box record. In version 6 when the user returns to the Ticket display the portal shows the selected Box record data. When the user is finished using a specific Box record assigned to a specific Ticket record the user navigates to the Box file and deletes the job number there. Upon returning to the Ticket display the portal displaying the box assigned is empty and devoid of data.

After converting the files to version 7 everything works fine until the user returns to the Ticket display. The Box record data previously assigned still shows in the portal however, the job number (which is the linking relationship) is EMPTY in the portal. Breaking the relationship should empty the portal but that doesn't happen.

I tried the refresh thing but it did not work I must be missing something. I tried setting the field to it self...do I do that in Box or in Ticket or both? I have no idea what is going on here any help would be greatly appreciated.

[wid]

There are 10 kind of people in the world...those who understand binary and those who don't.

01010111 01001000 01000001 01010100 0011111 0011111 0011111

[jaqued]

01001001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 01110011 01110111 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01010111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00101110 00101110 00101110 01001001 00100000 01100100 01101111 00100000 01110011 01110000 01100101 01100001 01101011 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001 00101110 00101110 00101110 01100010 01110101 01110100 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111001 00100000 01101110 01100101 01100101 01100100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101000 01100101 01101100 01110000 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110100 01101000 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01110000 01101111 01110010 01110100 01100001 01101100 00100000 01110000 01110010 01101111 01100010 01101100 01100101 01101101

However I realy need help with my problem 8^

[richMac]

Jaqued,

Sounds to me like a lot of going back and forth. If you like, send me your files as an attachment and I'll make some recommendations when I get a chance.

I think this can be much easier.

[TougToug]

I have the same kind of problem in my database (i think) and the SetField script step sounds very nice, but how do u make it work??

I mean a script needs to be linked to a button, and i want my portal to refresh when i select a value from a drop down list field...

Anyone could clarify this point, that would be very nice,

Thanks

[-Queue-]

Jaqued, please post a stripped-down version of your file and tell us which script and portal/layout are causing the problem.

[jscooper]

I'm having a similar issue. If anyone has found a workaround/fix other than scripting I'd appreciate hearing it. I say other than scripting because I'm trying to have a portal allow adding rows by just typing in the bottom row. I therefore can't have a script run (without a plugin, anyway) and properly set some auto-enter values into the portal's fields. The autoenter values aren't even based on data from that far away, they're based on a count of a subset of what's in the portal. I've tried looking for sibling rows and a count calculation field in the parent table. No go.

[goldcougar]

I've also used this:

Enter Browse Mode

Enter Find Mode

and it always refreshes