I have my business database that I put together over the last few years and it works well for what I need. Now I need to extract multiple fields and place them on a layout as a order form. Sounds easy but I can't work it out.

I repair cameras and have to order parts, (before this was done manually) now I have 5 separate fields which I place the part numbers into. Most of the time only one field is required but there are times I need up to 5 or more different parts. I can't work out how to get these fields onto a layout without there being spaces between the fields. Can anyone help as this is frustrating me as I feel it should be easy and it probably is but I can't work it out.

Thanks,

Grant.

For this you need to use a relations database system, where parts are records in another table (or file in FMP 6).

Doing it this way you won't be limited to 5 parts per job, you can have as amny or as few as you like.

I understand about a relation type database, maybe I need explain more about what I am trying to do. The main database is 1 record per camera, in that record I have the part number fields, up to 5 separate part number fields (maybe I should have used a portal from a part number table for this) then I have a "part order date" field in this table that I use in the "Part order" table for the part orders and use the "part order date" field to group all the cameras that need parts ordered in a portal on the "part order" table, problem is some cameras need 3 parts or 5 parts or 1 part ordered and laying them out on a layout so there is no spaces between is proving very difficult for me.

Unicamrep:

Welcome to the Forums.

Vaughan's advice is sound, if short. The idea is that you have (if I understand right) a camera you're repairing. This is your main record, in your (let's say) Cameras.fp5 file. In a related Part Order.fp5 file, you'll have a separate record for each part ordered, related to the Cameras.fp5 file by key field (say, the serial number field of the Cameras.fp5 record.) Viewing it in browse mode, you can have a portal from Cameras.fp5 to Part Order.fp5, showing the parts you need for the repair. If you need to print something out, you go into Part Order.fp5, find by the key field, and in a list-view, you can show your line-items (and summarize them for a $ total) for the repair job. In this way, you can have 1, 5, 12, 300 parts (limited only by FileMaker's allowabel file sizes) for each Camera.fp5 record.

I hope that's clear. If not, query again in this thread, and someone will make more sense than me.

-Stanley

Thankyou for both replies. Stanley, you are very close to what I am after. So far I have a portal in my main file from the part order file, I have the job number as the key field this is working and is creating a new record in parts order for every new entry in the portal, but if I need to delete a part from the job it can't be done and when I highlight a part in the portal it highlights in red, I guess to say that it can't be modified. I am a lot closer to getting what I am after.