Automaticall inserting text in blank field

[Carrie Hagelberg]

Please help!! This is very frustrating. I am creating a rate schedule (a list of prices) we send to our customers. Some fields only apply to certain customers. My boss doesn't want to see any blank spaces, so I need to figure out how to put "N/A" in the blank fields. Should be easy, but I can't figure it out. All fields are in number format. Thanks!

[T-Square]

Create a calculation field in the table:

If(IsEmpty(PriceField); "N/A"; PriceField)

Put the calc field on the layout.

[Carrie Hagelberg]

OK, I am no filemaker genius, so I, of course, have more questions. I should change all fields from number format to calcuation format? There are about 250 fields. I don't mind that, but whet do you mean by "create a calculation field in the table?" When I go to "define fields" and define it as a calculation, I don't see how I can do this. Sorry! I am sure I sound dumber than I am.

[Brudderman]

You would need to create a new field of type calculation. For the calculation formula you would use what T-Square has given you. YOu would, of course, substitute an actual field name for the PriceField in his example.

This calculation will test see if the specified price field is empty, and if so will return N/A as you desire. If it is not empty, whatever number is there will be returned instead. You would use the calculation field on your print layout instead of the number field you have now. Read the on-line help or the FM manual to see how to do this.

But if you have 250 fields, you almost surely have a database design problem that really ought to be fixed.

So you might describe what you have and what you are trying to do, and someone will likely be able to suggest a more efficient solution than creating 250 new calculation fields.