Back to the Basics - Issue Creating a Related Record

[Matt Murray]

I have been using FileMaker Pro since the days when one had to use multiple files to create related records. Back then to create a related record I would copy the unique ID of the parent record, go to the other file ("child file"), create a new record, paste the copied unique ID into the appropriate field in the child file, and voila they would be related. I continue to use this method in FM8 but with tables instead of files now and it seems to work pretty well. However, rather often the paste step of my script that pastes the unique ID does not work and my "foreign key" field in the related table is left blank.

So my questions for those far more intelligent than me are:

1. Is this the optimum way to create a related record in FM8 and

2. If so, is this a common problem.

Many thanks to a great forum.

Edited January 25, 2006 by Guest

[Wim Decorte]

Definitely not the optimum way of doing this.

Pre FM8 you'd set a global to the value of the primary key, go to the related file, create a new record and set the key to the value of the global & clean out the global.

With 8 you can forgo the global and use a variable to do the same thing.

Or you could use a portal if the relationship was set to allow creation of related records (entering a value in any field of the "blank" record in the portal automatically enters the key value in the related record).

[Matt Murray]

That is great to hear as I always felt like my way is archaic. Do you know of any posts that discuss how to do this with a variable or even a global in FM8?

Many thanks.