Field cannot be found

[FMSoccermom]

I have a solution that has been used for several years ( I designed it 10 years ago in FMP3.) The problem is that when I want to work on redesigning and adding new modules to the solution fields on related files disappear. They are in the field picker when I start working on calculations, but when I try to link the field to another related field it cannot be found. Right now I am trying to create a database to create advertiser insertion orders for the magazine I work for.

contacts has a field ad_code

insertion_order is supposed to grab the code from contacts and use it to generate an insertion order number based on the ad code, and the current issue (month and year.) But when I try to link back to contacts I get the error "This field cannot be found."

The two files are related by company_id

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

[Lee Smith]

You show version 6, are you trying to take these v3 files to 6, or v6 files to v7/8?

Lee

[FMSoccermom]

I moved everything to v5/6 several years ago. I created everything in v3. I had the same problem back in v3. I figure that it is something silly that I have missed. I am trying to finish up this one thing in v6 while I am working on converting the entire system up to 8.

The entire solution is getting very unwieldy in v6. Turning into spaghetti. I hope the rewrite will solve some of the problems.

[Lee Smith]

What are you waiting for? If it were me, I wouldn't waste my time trying to fix the older files, that is unless it was absolutely necessary for some other reasons that you haven't stated.

In any evernt, I certainly wouldn't be fixing them just in preparation of migrating them. The reason for this is simple, you are going to want to create your files in version 8, so you can take advantage of the new features. Also, this is the recommended way for migrating more than a simple file. You can speed things up a lot, because FileMaker has added some cool things you can do with copying and Importing. Check out the different things that can now be done by looking under Copying in your User Manual.

HTH

Lee

[FMSoccermom]

I would love to just be doing this to migrate over. Unfortunately I need to get this fixed so that the existing program can be used while I am working on the new one. This one little problem has kept this key module from being used for several months and with the beginning of the new production year (our fiscal year starts next week) my husband would like to stop using the paper insertion orders he has used for years and move to electronic. Then he can split the work with another employee.

[Lee Smith]

You probably will need to post a sample of the files and explain what you are trying to accomplish and what isn't working.

Lee