Xpost: inventory tracking issue

[crebma]

hi, i posted this in a different spot, and upon revisitation today, i realized that it was in the wrong spot, so i am reposting here in hopes of help.

I am back, with more dumb questions about stuff that's probably easy. Here goes:

I created a database for the inventory in which each record is one item. There are only about 200 records in it. But now I want to make a database that can take the date it was modified (inventory day) and create a record that would include all items in it, with their count. I am hoping that then, if we need to, we can look back and say, "oh, we had this many this day, blah blah." I also want to be able to track sales by week and that sort of thing. I don't know what the heck I'm doing, apparently, but I thought I could do it since I just made eight other wonderful, working databases, but apparently not. Hahaha.

Anyhow, what I was trying to do, which is probably all wrong, is make variable in the new database that have like 200 repitions. I set the id of all records in both databases to the same global number, because I thought they might be able to find things that way. Then I went through and said perform find in the other database to find the matching product name and size for each repition, and then set the count to that number. It says nothing can be found. Also, when I got rid of the find part, just to see what it would do, it gets two of the three variables it's supposed to, and it's always zero, regardless of the count that's in the active record. It could just be late, but I need help.

Thanks in advance for all help, I really probably couldn't do all this stuff if it wasn't for this forum.

Amber

[crebma]

Here's another question to add to the others: I also don't savor the idea of typing in each product, it's size, it's color, etc, for 200 products by hand; I did that once when I created the inventory database to begin with. But since instead of using 200 productname and 200 size and 200 color variables, I used repetitions, am I going to have to? Or is there a way to have filemaker use the count variable inside a loop as the repetition number? it doesn't seem to want to let me, but i can't believe there wouldn't be away.

thanks again for any help.

amber

update:

alright, i think i'm getting closer; i gave every product in the inventory database a unique id, and i change the id of the current record in the database with a count variable in a loop. now the only issue i have is the same as above: do i really have to type out all the different set field[] functions for 200 repetitions? or is there away to make it set the field to the repetition value of count??

Edited August 22, 2005 by Guest

[Søren Dyhr]

Or is there a way to have filemaker use the count variable inside a loop as the repetition number?

Yes but you winding your self into the most common newbe mistake. You should forget about the setting of a repeating field - but instead try to grasp what relational design is for a fierce beast.

A good way to solve your probelm is to investigate this template:

http://www.nightwing.com.au/FileMaker/demos7/demo705.html

...or rather, since you not on 7Dev does it mean that you can't use his "strainer" custom function, in no other ways than change modify you download until it fits your purpose...

--sd

[crebma]

I have no idea what to do with that. I looked at it for a bit, did what I thought might be helpful, it turned out not to be, and now I'm just back to where I started. I am attaching the two files in a zip archive, hopefully someone can help me. ]

amber

Inventory.zip

[Lee Smith]

This is actually a [color:red]Double Post and not a XPOST. I deleted the other Thread [color:blue] "Newbie working on inventory tracking" since it hadn't been been replied to yet.

Please do not Double Post in the Forum. It really isn't necessary as this is only one List divided into several Topic areas to help you select one that comes the closes to the sprite of your problem or question.

Lee

[crebma]

anyone?

[Fenton]

Here's how I think I'd do it, with a related table and portal.

inventory_fej.zip

[comment]

Here's another approach (not that different from Fenton's in principle).

InventoryCount.fp7.zip

Edited August 26, 2005 by Guest

[crebma]

holy cow, i feel more like a newbie now than ever. thanks guys, for these great demos; i'm going to go try to wrap my brain around em.

amber

ps: if anyone wants cookies and or brownies shipped to them for their much-appreciated help, please email me your address and i will bake and send a package on it's way! email = amber at a2underground dot com. thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.