Repeating fields vs Tables

[Zookeyper]

Hi,

I'm a newbie FM_DEV 7 user.

Im trying to figure out how to repeat fields on command.

I'm making a CD/DVD archive, and I want the fields to repeat only when theres more CD/DVD content to add. (e.g. if I burn a cd with only 2 files, there should be only 2 fields. 3 files, 3 fields etc.)

Can somebody help me out with a solution??

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I've been reading this forum a bit and have figured out that there might be a couple of ways to solve this. Repeating fields or Tables.

Maybe someone can tell me why one would be a better solution than the other??

Thanx a million....

Zookey

[stanley]

Zookey:

Welcome to the Forums.

Repeating fields are a legacy item, and should be avoided. One reason is that they will not fit your criteria - of having only as many fields as necessary. Rather, you should use a related table.

In your main table (which would contain the CD/DVD's metadate, such as disk name, date created, etc.), you should have an auto-entered serial number. Create a second table, called "Files" or "Tracks" or whatever. In that table, have a numerical field called Parent_ID - this will end up containing the serial number of the CD/DVD which it belongs to. Now, in your relationship graph, you can link the two tables together from the CD/DVD serial number to the Parent_ID in your new table; click on the "=" sign between the two tables, and select "allow creation of records" or whatever it is called. Next, add whatever other fields you want in the new table (File Name, Date, Contents, etc.). In your CD/DVD table, go to the layout where you've got most of your data, and add a portal to your new table. In that portal, you can put the fields you'll want to fill in when you're adding the line-item data to your record.

Now, go to browse mode. Your portal should have a blank record in it. If you fill in the fields, and then click outside the portal, you should see a filled-in record, and a blank record. You're creating related items, and it will show that many items (plus the blank one.) Once you've got that down, it's a snap to show just the related items (without the blank one), but that can come later...

-Stanley

[Zookeyper]

Stanley:

I did + like you said = It worked!! Thanks alot man!

So what's the deal with repeating fields. I'm almost scared now to use the term! Are they taboo, or what?

I've got a lynda.com tutorial. The guy on that shows some nifty ways to use repeating fields.... Or am I barking up the wrong tree?!?!

Thanx again,

Zookey

[Vaughan]

Not taboo... just difficult to confince some people that despite the fact that repeating fields are *really* easy to implement and do a good job of storing data, they are hopeless for generating meaningful reports and statistics.

For newbie developers, it could be a *year* between implementing the repeating field structure until they get around to building the reports... then they have an enormous dificulty getting meaningfull information out, often having to create heaps of calculation fields with hard-coded expressions to try to add things up, but it still doesn't work. Then they blame FMP and think it's a lousy program.

I am doing just such a conversion job right now. In this client's case it wasn't repeating fields but multiple field occurrances, which is a very similar design error.

[Zookeyper]

Ok, good for generating statistics.... But from a visual standpoint, it makes no real difference whether I use a new table or repeating fields because they both take up as much space (given that I want to allow for 30 entries of data on a cd or dvd) 30 repeating fields or a 30 row portal both take up 30 rows.

And whats up with the vertical scroll bar... Maybe thats what I'm not getting??

Zookey...

[Zookeyper]

Yup.....That was it......

Well thanks for NOTHING!!

peace,

Zookey

[Ender]

Well thanks for NOTHING!!

What's up with that??

[Zookeyper]

Hi,

I meant it sarcastically. Please don't be offended. As I said I'm a newbie. I do know the first thing about filemaker but the second is thanks to this forum!!

There's got to be SOME room for a bit of humor?!?

OK?

OK

peace

Zookey

[stanley]

Zookey:

Glad it worked.

The portal trick I showed you is only one of the ways to use the separate table (as opposed to repeating fields). You can also go into the table where the related data is stored - what I called "Files" or "Tracks" - and generate a list of what's on a given DVD or CD there, in which case you are only looking at as many rows of data as there are records. This is where you would (for example) make a printable label layout, or whatever.

-Stanley

[Zookeyper]

Great! I'm getting the hang of it...... I must say it looks pretty darn good with that scrollbar in list view.

Thanks Stan