I am new to Filemaker but know SQL and Access....I am in need of help, if anyone would be so kind.....

This is for a Printing company.

I want to be able to enter 3 different print locations for the same item, and for each of those print locations I want to be able to asign a design.

each item will have it's own locations for design and the designs itself.

example:

I want to choose, for item A Location #4 with Design #65

for item B : Location #5 with Design #12

for item C : Location #4 with Design #62

I have a table that Locations table that contains static information on the print location

example:

Location# LocationName

4 Front

5 Back

I also have a Design table that will contain user entered print Designs.

Design# DesignName

65 Horse

12 Cat

Right now, my problem is that one I asign a design to a location it is set. If I use #4 with Design #65 the next Item I enter #4 in will show #65 and if I change it too #61, all #4 locations will then contain #61

How should I set my tables up to avoid this?

This is what I have atempted.I'm sure it's a mess...

Could you attach a clone of your file so we can have a better understanding of what's happening?

Well, I think I have that situation solved. I created instances of my locations and print designs and relationshiped them to my OrderParts table. It looks really messy, but it seems to work ok. But now I am having trouble with my Order and Order Parts table. I think it may just be in the design of my layout. I am really confused. This is nothing like what I am use to doing in SQL. My database design view looks like a mess. Is it supose to look like that, with instances of tables everywhere?

Anyway, my Order and Order Parts layout is under Invoices tab in my project. Take a look if you want but don't be shocked when you see my mess in progress. Any ideas would be greatly appriciated. I have read 2 books on FileMaker7 now and can hardly find any information on the internet either. If anyone has a good informational source they could pass on too, that would be great.

Thank you so much for your help.

Gina

Zip file attached

Printing_Company_Copy.zip

Please see the attached file for a better approach to your solution.

For what it's worth , here's my general opinion on your approach and in using FM Business Tracker as a starting place.

Business Tracker is an excellent learning tool for solution development in FM7. When it first came out I dissected it, reverse engineered it, looked at it from every angle I possibly could. When used for learning FM7 development, I think it's fantastic and indispensible.

But I also came to the conclusion that I would never use it as a base or template to build upon. (Please, no offense meant to its creators) I just think that if you're going to build a solution that you plan on keeping for the long term and you'll need to administer, maintain and modify, you should know it intimately.

That said, if I were you I'd start from scratch by drawing an ERD and building your solution from there. You'll probably save lots of time in the long run because you'll know exactly how your solution works. When you get to a point where you can't figure out how to do something that Business Tracker does, dissect it and reverse engineer it so you have an understanding of its workings and methodology and then take that newfound knowledge and apply it to your solution.

Regardless of the approach you take, I hope my example sheds a little light on how to accomplish what your original post requested.

LOL! :)

DesignLocations.zip

Great advice, I appreciate it. I would love to be able to start from scratch but the “Boss man” started this project and asked that I take over. So far, the reverse engineering method is what I have been doing. Thank you for the example. I learn a lot better by example.

Again, that's so much for your help.