Modification Date field is resetting

[JeffreyB]

I recently upgraded from FM Pro 4 to 7.0v3 and have lost functionality in the "Modification Date" field for each record.

In 4.0, the Mod. Date & Mod. Time (2 fields for search capability) were automatically updated for that record when any field in that record was changed.

In 7.0v3, the above is true; however, the Mod. Date & Mod. Time fields, in all 900+ records, are updated to the current date/time at FM startup every morning.

How do I get the Mod. Date to function as it did in 4.0? Thanks in advance!

[Ender]

Was there a Today function used in the old file? In some cases, the FM7 conversion process adds a startup script to the file that simulates a Today function by populating a new field called "Today" with a loop. This is meant to replicate the previous behavior of the Today function, which is no longer available in FM7.

You can check for this by looking in your File Options and seeing if there's a startup script in there. Then check that startup script.

If this IS what's going on, you may need to change how you're using the Today field, using the get(currentdate) function instead. How to do this depends on how you were using the Today function, though. In some places, it may be a simple substitution of the get(currentdate) function for the Today field. In others it may require twisting a relationship around a bit so the match side does not use the Today; instead putting the get() function on the parent side.

Let us know.

[JeffreyB]

Deleting the TODAY function in the startup script seems to have solved the problem. Thank you for the insight!

[Ender]

Deleting the TODAY function in the startup script seems to have solved the problem.

Well, that wasn't meant to be the solution. It was in there because it was updating a Today field, which may have been used by one of your calcs for something important. You should figure out how it was used and make changes to ensure you still have the functionality it provided.

[JeffreyB]

The FM 7 upgrade automatically changed TODAY with GET(CURRENTDATE) in my startup script. The 'Replace Field Contents' command, also added by the upgrade, triggered the MODIFICATION DATE to reset in every record.

I deleted the TODAY subscript & lost the field showing the system date. (The Modification Date field being more important to us.) I'll keep trying other options to show the system date in every record without triggering the modification function. Thanks again for your help.

[Ender]

If the "system date" is just for display on the layout, use the // symbol in a text area instead. This will show the current date in Browse Mode.

[JeffreyB]

Thanks for the "//" suggestion. Great solution because it shows the current date in both browse & find modes.