If/Then calculation allowing conditional text entry

[DrNikon224]

Hey,

I am the administrator of an FM database that keeps track of photo assignments for a newspaper. One of the fields is "Film Type" which records the type of film that the assignment was taken on. If we receive photos from an outside source, the field is "Courtesy Photo." If we run a photo from a previously shot assignment, the Film Type is "File Photo."

I want to make the field that usually records the photographer's name (called Photographer) that needs to return "File Photo" or "Courtesy Photo" depending on the data entered into "Film Type"

I can get as far as entering the film type into the Photographer field. However, there is a twist...

It also needs to allow text entry in the abscence of any of the above conditions. The text entry comes in the form of a drop down i currently have that field using. how would make it allow text entry from a drop down if none of the requirements from the other field are met?

This is what i have so far:

If((Photo Assignments::Film Type)="File Photo", (Photographer="File Photo"), (If Photo Assignments::Film Type="Courtesy Photo", (Photographer=Courtesy Photo), (Photographer=:?)))

what would go in place of the : to allow the regular text entry (from the drop down...?)

[LiveOak]

A field can be set in a couple of ways. A text or number field can have an auto entered value based upon a calculation, a script can be used to set the value of a field, or a field can be a calculation field, in which case you need an additional field for manual entries.

I think what you want is two fields:

PhotographerEntry (text)

PhotographerCalc (calculation, text) =

Case(

notIsEmpty(PhotographerEntry), PhotographerEntry,

Photo Assignments::Film Type ="File Photo", "File Photo",

Photo Assignments::Film Type="Courtesy Photo", "Courtesy Photo",

"")

Make the fill on the PhotographerCalc field white, uncheck "allow entry", and stack it in front of the PhotographerEntry field. If PhotographerEntry is blank, the value will be calculated. If you click on the PhotographerCalc field, the cursor will end up in the PhotographerEntry field stacked behind the it because of the disabled "allow entry". Attach your drop down value list to PhotographerEntry.

-bd