Formula to long to calculate

[brenda]

I'm a self taught FMP user. I'm using the Case calculation and my last entry told me "This formula is too long to be calculated. Break it up into two formulas". I don't know how to do that and if it will affect my data. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

[LiveOak]

I'm not sure what you mean by "my last entry told me". Is your last entry a the answer to a question asked on this forum or an error message displayed by FileMaker? It also might help if you show us your calculation, its kind of hard to guess what it is! The only help I can give you with the information you have provided is "keep trying".

-bd

[brenda]

Sorry, let's start over.

Field B looks at Field A and automatically enters a description based on the part# in Field A. Field B is a calculation.

Example: Part# 418 is entered in Field A. Field B is the description of Field A based on a calculation which is this; Case(Item=418,"Goblets")

The problem is that I have so much entered in the calculation field that it says "break up the formula into two" when I try to enter more in the calculation field.

If there is an easier way of doing this, by all means let me know. I am frustrated with this problem and don't know what else to do. Some of my order forms have blank descriptions in them because the calculation field will not accept anymore characters in it.

[LiveOak]

This isn't the way to do what you wish. The approach you are using requires that you modify the database STRUCTURE every time you change part number DATA!

What you want is a separate file for "Parts" with fields "Part Number" and "Part Description". Create a relationship between your main file and "Parts" based upon "Field A" matching "Part Number". You can then define Field B as a text field with a lookup based upon this relationship or as a calculation field defined as = RelationshipName::Part Description.

-bd