Gwen Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Hello. I have a table with 56 fields and 8 records (with data entered for some, but not all, fields for each record). I would like to constrain some of the fields to always include a fixed value. I tried using "auto enter data" and specifying a value (say '100'), both with and without "global storage" on. Why don't my existing records automatically update to show this value in the appropriate field for every record? I tried asking for validation (always) and specifying validation by calculation (e.g., [field] = 100. But my records still don't update to show this value. When I add a new record, it does automatically show the specified values in the appropriate fields. Sometimes it also updates the existing records -- but not always (only when global storage is on). I am having a similiar problem when I try to update some existing data fields by asking for a look-up. The fields do not automatically update, although there are appropriate links between two Tables, and the data exist in the look-up table. Help! This seems like something that should be very easy. Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphL Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Auto enter functions occur when a record is created. Instead using auto enter make these a calculation. Then all your records will be updated. Lookups can be updated with the relookup command or script step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Søren Dyhr Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Why don't my existing records automatically update to show this value in the appropriate field for every record? I tried asking for validation (always) and specifying validation by calculation (e.g., [field] = 100. But my records still don't update to show this value. When I add a new record, it does automatically show the specified values in the appropriate fields. Sometimes it also updates the existing records -- but not always (only when global storage is on). Validations examins the user input to a field when tabbing out of it, and opens a new window showing a validation message, that the user is given the choise to overrule. But are you not confusing evaluation of a calculation with validation?? I have a table with 56 fields and 8 records (with data entered for some, but not all, fields for each record). I would like to constrain some of the fields to always include a fixed value. I tried using "auto enter data" and specifying a value (say '100'), both with and without "global storage" on. You should perhaps simplify your userinterface this way: http://previews.filemakermagazine.com/videos/513/DataTagging_full.mov Because 56 field splayed over 8 records ...doesn't seem particular structured??? And especially here where fields not nessersarily are used - but I could be wrong? --sd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_vodka Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 lookups and calculated values are looked up when a new record is created or when you Re-lookup based on a key value. If you want a fixed value, you can use a calculation field or a global calculation field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuinTech Posted January 21, 2005 Share Posted January 21, 2005 Hi, Gwen. Don't use global storage for these fields; that is something completely different. You'll want to use the auto-enter option so that new records are given those values by default. Existing records will not be given those values; for that, use the "Replace Field Contents" command under the Records menu. Validation will not insert any data into your fields, either for existing or new records; all that will do is prevent you from entering values that do not meet the specified criteria. As for Re-lookup, you want to be in the key field, not the destination field, when you do the re-lookup. That is, if field1 is a looked-up value from a relationship based on matchField1, don't enter field1 and then do the re-lookup; instead, enter matchField1 and do the re-lookup. HTH, Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 21, 2005 Author Share Posted January 21, 2005 Hi Jerry. Thanks for the excellent feedback... and others too. The "replace field contents..." and "relookup field contents..." menu items are dimmed. How do I make these active? Many thanks, gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 21, 2005 Author Share Posted January 21, 2005 I see now. Thanks! Gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 22, 2005 Author Share Posted January 22, 2005 Hi Jerry (or someone else). Sorry to perseverate on this. The 'Auto-enter' and 'Replace Field Contents' worked great for the fixed values. However, Re-Lookup is still not working for my case. Is it a problem that the "key field" (matchField) is a calculation, not text or a number? Just to be clear... What I want to happen is for the key field (matchField) to calculate a value from data entered Table X and for the resulting value to then be copied to the "destination field" in Table Y. At the moment, I have the destination field (in Table Y) defined as a number and set to Lookup the value from the matchField (Table X). But when I try re-lookup with existing (linked) records, nothing gets entered in the destination field. Likewise, if I create a new record in Table X and enter some data, the key field calculates its value appropriately, but when I create a matching (linked) record in Table Y, the calculated values do not get copied from X to Y. Thanks in advance for your help. Gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuinTech Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Hi, Gwen. I've used FMP7 very little, so i may be out of my league here. But i would start with adding the related field (the source for the looked-up data) to the layout, jsut to make sure that there actually is a value on the other side of that relationship. If there isn't, obviously the re-lookup wouldn't work. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 Hi. The destination and source fields both exist and are linked through Relationships. Is that what you mean? Thanks, gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuinTech Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I mean, put the related field on the layout so you can view the related data. That is, make sure that when you ask FM to re-lookup, it is finding something to put into your destination field. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 When I have the source (related) field in the layout, and try to do a re-lookup from the field, I get an error: "There are no fields that look up values based on [field x]." I know you said earlier that I need to be in the source field when I execute re-lookup, but it doesn't seem to work in this version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Queue- Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 The source field is the key field for the relationship which the lookup references, not the field(s) that is looked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 Thanks for your reply. This is consistent with Quin-tech's comment, but I am confused. It is in the destination field that I have defined the look-up relationship. I don't see how I could define it from the source field, because the source field is already set to calculate its value (so I don't think it can be indexed, as well -- right?). So given that I have defined the lookup relationship in the destination, not the source, field, why do I get an error when I call re-lookup from the source field (following expert advise)? See screenshots (attached). Many thanks, Gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuinTech Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Hi, Gwen. Just to make sure we're all on the same page, look at the attached. (It is in zip format--i don't know if your Mac can do those. Maybe someone with both OS's can help us out if not.) In the sample, the fields [length] and [shape] are looked up, that is, they are populated with results. When you do a re-lookup, you want to enter the field [name] first, then do the re-lookup. So let's say you have a field named, oh, i don't know, [foo]. And that field is involved in a relationship which you later use to do looked-up values. Doesn't matter what those looked-up values are, but if you want to re-lookup those fields, you will have to start the re-lookup from [foo]. J sample.zip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 Hm. I see what' happening with your example, although mine is a little more complex. I wonder if my error is in how I set up the relationships. Let me try a few things and then I'll get back to you. I'm reattaching the pics, because they don't seem to have gone through last time. gfdata.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 So, I had set the source and destination fields equal to each other in Relationships. I got rid of that, and now everything works. Thanks for your help -- and the example you sent. Gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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