Advantages of multi file solution

[Genx]

Well you wouldn't necessarily have to have a completely empty shell file, you could always reference the main data file and use all tables and data from there... just purely for the purpose of reports, all it is from my perspective is:

Front End ---- Backend

Report File /

Where the report file is just a mini custom front end, that varies between companies only in terms of it's specific reports. This would allow you to update your front end file once seeing as the front end would be the same for all companies, as opposed to having to modify many individual custom front ends -- this speeds up not only modification of files but update releases..

[Brudderman]

Yes, this is the kind of thing that might help me as I need reports that are specific to various groups. But the data and interface files could be the same for both. It's just easier for me to understand with an example.

[Genx]

..But an example of what exactly? Whats your scenario in more detail

[harvest]

Hello James,

if you already have an existing separated FM-App just save a copy of the GUI-file as a clone. Rename it to e.g. Reports.fp7, link the new File to the GUI-file, open this clone, delete all Interface-Layouts and there you are, or at least basicly... You will need many of the relationships that are present in the GUI-file so this is a fast way to get things working.

Now all that has to be done is creating a selection of IDs of the data you want to print/save as PDF (this is usally done in the GUI-file)... and pass the ID-Collection from the GUI-file to the Report-file. There you will need a script to restore the selction of the data with help of these IDs in your layout for printing. Because the clone has the same TO-names as the GUI this shouldn't be to hard.

My approach is collecting the IDs in the GUI-file, write it to a scriptparameter separated by linebreaks where the first line holds the information of what has to happen (print, save as PDF, preview...), looks like this:

Print

12

134

135

198

go to a layout in the Report-file that references the correct data-table, write the scriptparameter to a globally stored field, that is related in a selfjoin-relationship to the ID of the table, GTRR of this relationship and there you are...

Holger

[lonesomejubilee]

How do you create the table references if you don't have any tables in the UI file? When I try, it comes as . What am I doing wrong? Shouldn't I just be able to set that table reference and "see" all the files from the back end file?

Vandy

[Genx]

Yes and no...

When you create a file reference (in the UI to your backend), you are effectively creating a bridge to that file. You can access all tables (for use as table occurances) as well as scripts and a variety of other things within that other file, however the actual tables, fields, and data reside in the back-end file.

Given that it says "", this may be due to the fact that the file reference has broken (you may have renamed the file or something) and this has lead to the bridge and therefore access to those Tables, scripts etc. in the foreign file to also be broken...

Anyway, this probably didn't answer your question, but i had fun? :D