Multiple Match Relationship

[chasm24]

I'm trying to create a multi-match relationship between a table that holds "projects" and a table that holds "companies" so that i can create a portal in the projects database that displays all the companies that meet criteria, as defined by corresponding fields in the projects database. the portal i've set up is acting very strangely though. what does my relationship graph need to look like? is it an equijoin relationship?

[RalphL]

All we know from this is that you have 2 tables and a reltaionship. I don't know what "acting very strangely" means. I don't know what "meet criteria" means.

If you want help you have to tell us everything in detail.

[LaRetta]

If you want help you have to tell us everything in detail.

But don't do as I do and give them the entire world.

What Ralph wants is the field names and their data types (indicating which table they each are from) and what would designate that they (as a group) should produce a match. You can easily join on multiple fields, but we need to know what you are trying to accomplish.

Phrases such as "acting very strangely" or "it doesn't work" mean nothing.

[RalphL]

A sample file also helps.

[chasm24]

Hi Ralph and LaRetta,

sorry to be so vague--i appreciate your willingness to help. I'm attaching a pdf of my relationship graph which i hope will also help you help me.

There are 3 tables (projects, companies and contats) involved here that are connected by intermediate tables (project-company link, company-contact link, etc.). I make links between two tables manually by way of a data entry portal that makes a record of one primary key and one foreign key.

in addition to these relationships, I'd also like to create a relationship between the companies and the contacts so that within the projects database I can check a box indicating that a project is in the electricity sector, and a portal will automatically populate with all companies that have also been designated as electricity sector (in a corresponding field in the companies table). Ideally, i could have a few fields in the projects database that correspond to fields in the companies database so that i can make a few "queries" and populate the portal in each project record with a different set of companies that "match up" with the project's needs.

does this make more sense? sorry for the initially weak post.

thanks

Relationshipgraph.pdf

[RalphL]

I don't understand why you want a relationship between contact and company.

It looks to me that the Project to Company link is realy Tasks. It seems to me that sector belongs in this table and the Find Relevant Company should be related here.

[chasm24]

i have a relationship between contacts and companies because i need to associate every contact with their company.

when i put sector into the project-company link table, then the portal in the projects db that displays companies that are actually working on the project no longer shows those companies (that i have linked manually) because it's now evaluating according to sector as well. What i want is two separate portals, one that shows companies that are actually working on the project, and another portal that shows companies that "could" work on the project because they have fields (sector, size, geographic expertise) that match up with fields in the project database that i would specify once i knew what the project needed in terms of companies.

[RalphL]

The graph that you posted looks like you have a many to many between Contact & Project, and a many to many between Project and Company. I don't see a relationship between Contact & Company. Are you saying that there should be a many to many between Contact & Company? If so you need to look at a star join.