i posted earlier on this list asking if i should be using a portal w/a realated file in my situation, or if i should just be using repeating fields in my master file to list all the donations we receive. i will want to summaries of this info and somone posted back to me saying portals were the way to go, but now i'm not so sure.

here's the situation:

i have a master file of individuals w/contact info and lost of other details about them. i wanted a nifty little box w/a scrollbar to list their donations as they come in over the years but the box only needs to show a few rows and then you can scroll down the view the rest as they come in. so it seemed a portal would be a good way to go. the bonus to that being that it meant the development department could work off of the related file which just holds a person's name, ID number (the link between the two files) and donation info (date, amount, type of campaign)---and thus, not have to use the Master File at all. but a problem arises in that, if they get a donation from someone who is not already in the master file, they will create a new record. All new records right now are created in the master file and an ID number for them is automatically generated. is there ANY way to create a new record in the related file and then somehow update the Master File? because if not then i may as well do away with the related file altogether and just have repeating fields listing donations in my master file.

if i go that route, is there any way to format that similar to a portal, in which only a few lines of data show and you can scroll down to see the rest of the data? because that is REALLY the main thing i'm interested in. having to create a separate, related filemaker file in order to do this seems a bit redundant and inefficient.

thanks AGAIN for any help you can provide

You could create a donation record that does not have a record in the Master, then at some point have the Master create a record with the contact information. You will need to have a dummy ID number that Master will have to fill in once Master has an created an ID number. The only problem will be how to handle more than one dummy ID number, but could be handled with sequential dummies I imagine. Maybe it would be better to have a "traveling" Master to create these needed new contacts that would then be created in the "Master" Master.

Have you ever considered purchasing FM7. If so now would be a great time because you get a FREE copy of Donations, an FM7 solution for what sounds like your problem.

I don't understand the dilemma. What's wrong with using two files, and creating the record in the Master file when you need to add a person? Adding donation records is a simple matter of typing into the first empty portal row.