Locking down a record

[Donnie]

Ok, I have really beat my head about this, and I was trying to figure it out before boring everyone here with what will probably be a minor problem after all. I have a file attached called MWR Orders and one called MWR Salesman.

When the saleman takes an order for our construction company, and it's under $10,000 worth of work, he fills out an MWR instead of big job project. As you can see, it's a pretty basic layout. Once "Create New" is selected, the next MWR number is auto-entered, then the other info is entered by the salesman.

Last week, we had an instance where one of our estimators went in and highlighted all of the text in one of the records, deleted it, and typed in the info for a "New" MWR. I did create an instruction sheet, but I suppose that was overlooked.

This has prompted me to try and lock out MWR's once they are created......to a point. The "Status" field will need to be able to be altered, as will the info at the bottom of the MWR as that info becomes known.

Does anyone have any ideas on this. My head really hurts now and there is an indention in the wall from banging it!!

I'm attending the 2005 conference, but I can't wait that long to find a solution for this.

Thank you in advance!

Donnie

MWR.zip

[BobWeaver]

Although you can set up record level access privileges in FM6, the simplest fix would be to have two different layouts: the original one, and one with the field formatted to disallow entry. Then use scripting to direct the user to the correct layout based on a status field. Once the record has been completed, set the status field to locked. Your navigation scripts would check to see if status="locked" and flip to the locked layout.

[The Mad Jammer]

You could lock out users based on their logins and use a script to navigate to the record. You can prevent anyone who is not the creator of the record or an authorized user from even seeing the record. This would require that you automatically capture the creator name when the records are created so that you can compare the current system user name to the creator of the record. If they don't match then don't allow the user to see the record. Show them a message and return to the original layout in htis case. You can also set up different passwords that will allow supervisors and administrators to see records by interrogating the password they used to log in with. You should also hide the layout on the menu so that the user is forced to navigate to the record through a button that will execute the script to determine their access rights to the record.

Use the functions Status (CurrentUserName) and Status

[Donnie]

Thank you for your response. I have heard of this technique, although I don't fully understand it's concept once you're in the file. How will they make changes to it as needed, or at least to the fields that will be altered during the life of the project.

I have created the "Print Current" script that automatically takes the user to a printing layout that they can see before printing, just not editable.

Thanks.

[Donnie]

Jammer;

That sounds cool, but everyone needs access to see all of the files unfortunately.

Thanks.

[BobWeaver]

For scripted navigation, you have to remove the status area on the left side of the window, and then create your own set of buttons and scripts to navigate between records and layouts.

Examples:

#Go to next record script

Go to record/request [next]

If [status="locked"]

[DykstrL]

Look at the attached file - it may give you some ideas on how to lock individual fields in a record.

LOCK.zip