I've learned that you cannot sort reports by calculated text fields so I need to come up with some workaround. Sadly, I've been using FMP for about 1 month now and am not sure the simplest way to go about this.

I have 3 calculating fields that check for weekly stock conditions and either display a big red "YES" or a plain "No" depending on the outcome of the IF condition. Each IF also checks a flag field to see if the warnings should even be displayed. I need to be able to sort on these conditions in a report.

I'm embarrased to say that I got it to work by having the IF result in "YE5" (number 5 instead of S) or "N0" (number 0 instead of O) but such trickery seems too risky and unprofessional. I'd rather not resort to using numbers in the fields to enable a sort.

And can anyone confirm that there's no way for the results of a calculation of one field to set the field of another? That is strictly the domain of scripts, right?

It seems that maybe I have to run a script that loops through the records and sets 3 other fields to Yes or No and then sort on those since they'll be plain text? ug...

Edited March 17, 200619 yr by Guest

I've learned that you cannot sort reports by calculated text fields...

May as well stop right there. Tain't true; what leads you to this conclusion?

Hi Bruce,

Well, I tried sorting by any of the 3 calculated text fields and they just sort randomly. Below are the three calc fields so maybe I'm doing something wrong. It didn't matter if the result was a number or text, still couldn't sort by them.

Out_of_Stock_calc:

If(

// If there's none on hand but there have been some sales this year

Column_D_OnHand = 0 and Column_F_YTDSls ≥ 5

and

// And user has not already turned off warning flag

Stock_Status_Reviewed_Flag ≠ "Yes";

// If out, make bold, red

(TextStyleAdd(

(TextColor ("YES" ; RGB (255; 0; 0)));

Bold))

;

"NO")

----------------

Low_Stock_Calc:

If (

// Confirms product is not dead or brand new or sold out and that...

Column_G_WkSls ≥ 1 and Column_F_YTDSls ≥ 1

and

// Stock is low...

Days_Until_Zero_Stock < Lead_Time

and

// And user has not already turned off warning flag

Stock_Status_Reviewed_Flag ≠ "Yes";

// If low make bold, red

(TextStyleAdd(

(TextColor ("YES" ; RGB (255; 0; 0)));

Bold))

;

"NO")

---------------

Low_Stock_No_On_Order_Calc:

If (

// Checks if the stock is low and there is nothing on order...

Low_Stock_Calc = "YES" and Column_E_OnOrder = 0

and

// And user has not already turned off warning flag

Stock_Status_Reviewed_Flag ≠ "Yes";

// If yes, make bold, red

(TextStyleAdd(

(TextColor ("YES" ; RGB (255; 0; 0)));

Bold))

;

"NO")