Sorting value lists

[pug]

Is it possible to force a pop up value list to sort. I have a situation where a client is entering cities into a value list, but wants Filemaker to sort the list when it displays in the pop up. Is this possible?

[Chuck]

Not if the value list is entered with the "Edit..." command in the menu, or if you are assigning the values manually. However, if the value list is taken from a field in a database, then you can specify that the values be sorted. This is why, unless it's a very simple value list (such as "Yes/No", "1/0", etc.) I don't tend to use the built-in manual entry for value lists, but use a database module in my solutions that users can edit to create the value lists.

If this isn't an option, the only solution I can offer is to perhaps use one of the design functions to get the values in a value list and create a script that will sort them correctly. But this would probably be as much trouble as having the value lists come from a file.

Chuck

[billholt]

Yes, there is an easy way to do this.

If you want the list to be editable and automatically sorting, simply use the field which will contain the list values as the source field in defining the list. E.g.: your field is "textTest" Under format/lists create a list and define it as being the contents of "textTest." Then, with each addition to this field the list is ammended and automatically sorted.

Bill Holt

edit: sprelling

[ June 04, 2001: Message edited by: Bill Holt ]