Hi,

I have a simple problem, that I just can't find out where I'm going wrong.

I have a working portal on a layout, which has a Global field matching a Calc-Field, which returns the first letter of a name. I set a letter of the alphabet from a drop-down on the Global and all my contacts whose name starts with that letter show up in the Portal. Cool.

Now I want to change it.

I have made a second global field, into which I put, via a script, a value of 1,2 or 3.

I have changed my old Calc Field and depending on whether the value of the new GlobalField is 1,2 or 3, it will now return either the first letter of the first-name, second-name or Company fields. This Calc and script works fine.

*However* ... the Portal no longer works!!

I can see the appropriate letter in the Calc-Field and it corresponds with the the number set in the new Global field ... but nothing, nada, zippo in the Portal.

Has anyone any idea where I am going wrong?

The values match ... is it an indexing problem? Is there a problem with one Global field too many? Am I getting too complicated for my own good?

Any help, much appreciated,

Grant

The calc that produces the first character can not be indexed since it references a global. Since the results of the calc can't be indexed they can't be used as a key in a relationship. Which is why nothing shows up in the portal.

Hi Wlm,

thanks for the reply.

This is pretty much what I'd come to think.

Are there any workarounds for this, other than making multiple relationships? I'm probably missing something simple, but since my use of FM happens in fits and starts, I find I have to 're-learn' a lot, each time I want to update my files.

Grant

You could use a normal number field instead of a global.