field cannot be modified

[***ANDY***]

Dear FM People,

I have a field which is defined by a value list with different abbreviations for locations in the US. Also I have created a calculation for this field which goes like =If(Tour Name = "Route_66" , "ORD" , If(Tour Name = "California_Dreaming" , "LAX" , 0)...

Now I have one Tour Name which requires a manual input of the abbreviation because it varies. This input shall be selected from the value list. Problem: I can't choose from the value list and get a message "field cannot be modified".

What can I do?

Thanks,

Andy

[Brian C]

I will take a stab at this, let me know if this is what you are looking for.

The only time you usually get that kind of error message is if you are trying to edit the contents of a calculation field. calculation fields cannot have their contents changed directly. They can only have their content indirectly changed by changing data that then changes the result of the calculation.

So I suppose the best way you might be able to handle this is to have your calculation allow input of data into a new field called "AltAbbrev" (alternate abbreviation).

So to add this to your existing calculation just wrap a new if statement around your existing calculation as such:

if( not isempty(AltAbbrev), AltAbbrev,

If(Tour Name = "Route_66" , "ORD" , If(Tour Name = "California_Dreaming" , "LAX" , 0)...

)

You can then lock your calculation field, and place the alt description field with a transparant background over the top so that when you click on the field to edit , you are inputing data directly in the alt description field.

[***ANDY***]

GREAT HINT - Thank you!! That'll do the trick...