Need Help w/ <<DBname::Field>> coding...

[Markatfmpf]

Hello,

I have been trying to do something, but have not been able to get it to do what I want... Hope you understand this...

I know the system will let me type a line of text onto a page to be viewed on-screen or printed... that looks someting like this: <> - and the data that is located in that field will appear...

What I want to do, is to be able to create a Field, and be able to type data into the field, and to be able to include <> within the rest of the text, so that when the Field is viewed it will show what was typed, and it will show the Data in that Field too... but it does not seem to be able to do this.

The data will be entered into the field by a user, who does not know how to set this up by going into "Layout" and typing it so that it works, so I want a field that they will be able to type into, and add this data.

Can This be Done???

The closest way I can describe what this is and how it will be used is that the user will bring up a data screen on a customer, and to one side of the screen, there will be a small script of how to greet the customer, and we want to include the customer's name in the text, for example, (<>), that would appear on the screen as "Hello Mr. Smith, how are you today..." so the user can read this...

I do not want to simply type this on a page for viewing (which I know can be done), because the management would like to have the abillity to change this "Script" from time to time, by simply editing the field...

Again, can this be done???

Thank You!

[overrider]

im not sure if i understood your meaning correctly. however there is no way you can edit the <<>> part directly from browse mode. You have to edit the field that it references. i attached a small example file you can try to see what i think you meant to do. your user should not have access to layout mode at all for this case...

greetings.zip

[Genx]

... yeh ok, i know what you want... however merge fields cannot just be entered into a text field... instead you have to utilize the substitute function in a seperate calculation field... attached is a solution for dynamic mail merge i put together for someone else, however if you rip it apart, you'll be able to see how you can utilize the substitute function in your problem... also there is a slightly more complex way floating around... a custom function, i dont remember who made it but if you have a look around in the custom functions section you'll find it, its much more dynamic if you want to just be able to put the codes in by just typing in the field names, but i find that i dont really want my users to know my mostly developer oriented names so i use the substitute function for that reason... anyway, before you look into the custom function have a look at the attached file and see if its enough for what your after...

genx

1139010411-mailmerge.zip

[Ender]

My my, you forget me so quickly. It was only a week ago when we discussed this last:

http://fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/173749

Markatfmpf, note that in that demo genx provided, the author used the old format of nesting the substitute() function. In FM7/8, it is easier to use this format for nested substitutes (I've also changed the <> characters):

Substitute ( Letters::LetterBody;

["<

>" ; NameTitle];

["<>" ; NameInitial];

["<>" ; NameFirst];

["<>" ; NameLast];

["<>" ; ClientPostalAddress];

["<>" ; ClientRefNo] )

[Genx]

what did i nest?, oh my, yay, i never new you could use square brackets, awesome, cheers.

[Genx]

... i just saw it in a file once, and since then have been doing it that way, this certainly makes things slighltly less complicated, thanks again ender, i didnt pick it up the first time it was mentioned..

as for the <<>> merge characters... even though its convention to use them, they just agrivate me cause square brackets are prettier lol...

genx

[Markatfmpf]

Brilliant! That was exactly what I needed...

Thank You overrider, Ender, and aflgenx!