Field Guidance

[Nursedad]

Greetings!

New FMP 7 user and need some guidance.

I have a layout that contains several fields that pull data from a single table. I've set up another layout that contains a text field that I want to use to enter notes related to the data in the main layout discussed above. I've set up a button that opens the "notes" layout.

Here's my question. When I click on the button to load the "notes" layout, I want to be able to be able to enter notes into this field and have it be associated with the record on the main layout page. How do I do this? Do I need to put the "notes" field in the main table or in another associated table?

Many thanks for any assistnace you can provide.

- - Jeff

[Ted S]

Welcome Nursedad!

You should add the note field to the same table as the other fields. You would create another table if there could be multiple notes for each record in the main table but it sounds like you have a simple setup where you just want to visit another layout to enter / show the notes.

Write back if this is unclear or you have any other questions. This is the most active board on the net for FileMaker and there is always somebody here.

Good luck!

[Fenton]

As Ted says, you don't really need a separate Notes table. However, it is convenient if you enter lots of long notes. A separate table could show just the first line(s) of each note, in a portal on your main table's layout. Another advantage is that separate records can do things like auto-enter the date/time created.

(Of course a button could insert this at the top of a new note in a single-field setup also, but it wouldn't be as useful as a dedicated field in a Notes table.) For example, you could create a relationship which could show you, in a portal (practically anywhere there's room), notes for all clients, for this week (or any date range), with the names of the clients (and navigation to one).

There is a relationship from MainID (unique) in the Main table to MainID in the Notes table, no "allow creation," but yes "delete related records," in the Notes table (not in the Main table -]

For the separate Notes table the most convenient method, in my opinion, is a scripted "New Note" button on the Main table's layout, just above a portal into the Notes table. The portal is sorted descending by Notes' creation date (& time), so the newest note is always on top. Old notes eventually fall out of the portal, but are still there if needed.

The Main ID is passed to the Notes table via a Script Parameter, attached to the button itself (bottom of the dialog). Then:

Freeze Window

Commit Record

Go to layout [ Notes ]

New Record

Set Field [ MainID, Get ( ScriptParameter ) ]

Commit Record

Go to layout [ original ]

Go to Field [ Notes_MainID::Note ]

Go to Portal Row [ First ]

This works for short notes; the text box will drop down, so longer notes can be written, if the portal isn't at the bottom of the layout.

You can also put a button in the row to open that particular note. In 7 you can open its own window, sized, in one step.

Go To Related Record [ Notes ], in a New Window, set the title, size & position in the step.

Then, when you're done, just close the window. Put a button on it to do this also.

[transpower]

You could have a separate Notes table (but why?) and just put the Notes field directly on your Main layout, allowing you to edit it. This method is for a one-to-one relationship. If you're going to have a one-to-many relationship, then you could have a portal of notes, with a GTRR button to edit a note, or a blank line to create another.