Copying & Pasting Fields In The Same File

[mz123]

Hello,

I am attempting the following: select a whole layout, copy, go to a new layout (the same file, the same table), paste the layout.

While the layout is still "intact" based on positioning and formatting, all the fields are blank! It's like the look of the layout came, but the fields became undefined.

Help?

[Lee Smith]

Are you using 7.03

and

10.3.9

Lee

[mz123]

I'm using that Filemaker but 10.3.8 on the Mac.

To clarify what i'm doing, i'm trying to take what's on 5 different layouts, and putting it all on one layout (for printing and .pdf purposes), so duplicating a layout is only useful for 1 of the 5 layouts I am trying to compile

[Lee Smith]

I don't think there is a problem with your set up then.

To clarify what i'm doing, i'm trying to take what's on 5 different layouts, and putting it all on one layout (for printing and .pdf purposes), so duplicating a layout is only useful for 1 of the 5 layouts I am trying to compile

Okay, that wasn't quite what you said originally, but the bottom line seems to be the same.

As long as all of the layouts are in the same TO, it should retain the Field information, at least it always did in earlier versions.

If the fields sitting there blank, then that would be an indication that you are putting them in a different TO. If the do NOT appear in any format, that would mean, IMO, that you didn't get them in your copy.

Lee

[mz123]

I'm on the same table occurrence. I'll choose a layout with the table occurance I want, create a new blank layout so it uses the same TO, but it still won't let me copy and paste fields.

Interestingly enough, this only happens on CERTAIN tables! I went to ANOTHER table, and duplicated that layout and I had no problems copying and pasting fields.

On the Layout where there's the problem, I can't even copy and paste a field into the same layout...!

[Lee Smith]

I don't like the sound of that, it is starting to have some evidence of corrupted.

Has this file every failed. been recovered, crashed while process data, etc.

Lee

p.s.

[color:red]did you create this file in v7, or migrate it.

Edited February 3, 2006 by Guest

[mz123]

The file was migrated from 6 to 7 over a year ago.

The layouts/TOs that came from the fm6 file seem to be working fine. I'm having trouble in a new table that I created this week.

The database is backed up every day, so I believe that anytime there has been a sign of corruption, it has just been "brought back" from the previous day (but to be quite honest: off the top of my head, I can't think of anytime when it has occurred).

Sigh... it does sound like corruption, doesn't it?

[stanley]

You may want to check would be to take an old backup, from say a few months ago and try the same cut&paste routine on that one. See if you get the same behavior.

-Stanley

[mz123]

Alright, thanks.

I won't be able to check it until next Tuesday probablly, but I'm sure you'll see more posts, soon =)

Thanks so much!

[Lee Smith]

I am happy to hear that you have a good backup system in place.

Although this possible corruption could go back to the v6 days, happened during the migration of the files, some time since, or just now do to the changes you are making, I think you might want to consider recreating them from scratch. Recreating the files is the recommended practice for anything other than a simple file.

Lee

[mz123]

Recreating from scratch involves recreating 40+ tables... and I don't even want to look at how many fields I would have to recreate....

I still haven't had a chance to look at backup files, but I am trying it on Filemaker 8 and still no luck...

[mz123]

It looks like this goes farther back than I'd like it to...

I'm not sure that I have any option other than to rekey the fields, because recreating this database would take a VERY long time.

Any other, last-hope, suggestions?

[mz123]

I figured it out!

The symptoms: Field will not copy and paste within 1. it's own layout, and 2. in the same table, different layout.

The problem: The table and field name have a colon ( in it, which causes it not to work correctly.

The solution: rename fields without symbols like a colon (I wish filemaker warned me against a colon!)

*sigh*

Such a simple answer to a big problem...

Thanks for all your help Lee Smith & Stanley! I should have known better than to use a colon...