Sorting value list

[rpc]

I have a pop up list of contact names whose values come from a field in a related file. I want the names to appear in the list as first name last name and be sorted by last name. Instead they are automatically sorted by first name. Any suggestions as to how I can get the list to be sorted by last name?

I really don't want them displayed as last name, first name.

[BrentHedden]

Since you are building the value list only off of one field, and this field contains beoth the first and last name, I don't see how that is possible.

However, you could create two new fields named 'NameFirst' & 'NameLast'. Then base the value list off of both fields, and sort by the second field.

[Ender]

Hi Brent,

Unfortunately, using two separate fields would only populate the target field with the first field, not both.

rpc, you might consider using a portal for selecting a name.

[rpc]

I hadn't thought about using a portal. I had wanted the easy option of a pop up list, but obviously it is not to be.

[sgoethner]

Hi,

The key is to have the last name separate. You implied that both the first name and the last name are in one field. You can use a calculation field to extract the last name. (You'll have to do some research on how to find everything to the right of a space using the Position function.) Then you'll be able to have the last name calculation field as the second field in the pop up list and the one that is used for sorting.

Good Luck,

Steve

[rpc]

This is a little messy, as now I have last name displayed twice, but at least it works better than anything I came up with.

Thanks.

[John R]

In FMP 7, you can use the specs as described by BrentHedden. Once you have the one name field split into 2 fields probably using rightword & leftword calculations and for ex. fName, lName - go into defining value lists and select fName as the first field, lName as the second field and sort by the second field. This gives you a nice looking popup list with fName then lName and sorted by lName. Using two fields of full name and last name will indeed give you first name, last name, last name and looks rather funky.

In FMP 6, this was not possible.

[rpc]

As Ender says above, this only puts fName into the field. You can show two fields but FMP (6 or 7) only takes the first one.