i thought i was well on my way to getting this database set up, but i guess i was wrong. i've read every tutorial i can find on setting up relationships between tables, but i guess none of it is sticking.

when i input listings into my members layout, it should be creating new records in the listings table. it worked (sort of) for a while, but now the listingID field just keeps going back to one, even though the dialogue box says it should be a unique serial, up to 17 at this point.

additionally, when i try to look at the listing records, it gives me some error message about ID fields not being defined in that layout.

i have no idea why i'm getting this error, or why the listingID suddenly stopped working, but have no clue as to where else to look for the problems. i hope there's someone out there who can make sense of it.

thanks

db

GLCCtestdatabase.zip

Basically you're doing too much. The relationship should be MemberID to MemberID, with allow creation. The MemberID in Listings should NOT be a lookup. That's redundant, the relationship populates that field automatically; that's what "allow creation" means.

The ListingID should NOT be in Members. Period. There's multiple listings per member.

Also, you've got all kinds of validation set up for the MemberID, but then you say they can "override." That doesn't make sense to me.

[color:"red"] Basically you're doing too much. The relationship should be MemberID to MemberID, with allow creation. The MemberID in Listings should NOT be a lookup. That's redundant, the relationship populates that field automatically; that's what "allow creation" means.

ok, i kind of understand that, and the listing IDs are moving again, but i'm still getting the error message that says the memberID is not available in this layout when i try to look at the listings layout. how? why?

[color:"red"] The ListingID should NOT be in Members. Period. There's multiple listings per member.

how does the one to many relationship work then? it was in all the tutorials, but i can't seem to make it do what it implies it should in real life.

[color:"red"] Also, you've got all kinds of validation set up for the MemberID, but then you say they can "override." That doesn't make sense to me.

that was just an oversight

here's where i'm at now

thanks again

db

GLCCtestdatabase.zip

Turn off the validation that MemberID must be unique in Listings. That's wrong. It's the "many" table.

Delete the ListingsID from Members. It is also wrong; once again, there are multiple listings per member, 1 ListingID has almost no use there; it's unneeded, and leads to confusion. Trust FileMaker relationships to work. MemberID is the only tie that's needed.

oh hooray! that did it. thank you SO MUCH for all your help!

db