Someone must know...

[John Crosby]

Hello,

I am creating a database for by business (estate agency) and have created two tables "Properties" and "Applicants". The idea as you might imagine is to match properties to applicants. All is well so far except for one thing:

In the properties layout I have a portal displaying a list of matching applicants who may like to buy the properties BUT I cannot figure out how to put a check box relating to each of the properties inside the portal relating specifically to that appplicant. I need a way to remind myself that I have contacted them about that specific property...

Is there a way? Someone must know...

[Søren Dyhr]

Well the straight forward answer is to use IsValid( backwards over the bidirectional relationship, and then define a value list of just one value "1" ...a slight change to fields appearance in the layout makes the "1" dissapear leaving back the box only to show the value of the calcfield with IsValid(

But... but...

Are you portalizing a found set or are you making it with multicriteria relations?? Unless you want to do it manually should you need to define this matching business by the use of multicriteria relations.

So every detail such as the desired area of real-estate is defined as a range, from where the applicant just about se him/her able to swing a cat to where the lawn mower needs fuel supply like airborne fighterplanes.

These ranges needs to be entered in two differen fields each becomming primary keys for the relation. Every parameter needs to be defined as such intervals or ranges and put in action to fill a portal just containing matches to the desired property.

There are two ways to handle this, either you quantify a range into a multilinekey or you use the non equi-join relations type you find in the def.

But be aware of fm7 having a inconvenient algorithm when dealing with non equijoins on larger sets of data, filemaker tighned the algorithm behind with the release of fm8 late this summer ...so you better upgrade or use the quantification method!

--sd

[John Crosby]

Imagine a confused look....thats it! I look just like that!

I am using a portal to display data matched through multi criteria relationships but that was the only part I understood!

Best I keep to real estate I think!!

Thanks for your help any way..

JC

[Zero Tolerence]

JC,

I would suggest creating a third table to keep a log of each time you "contact" a customer.

This way, you will always be able to tell

A) Who you've contacted about a property.

How many times you've contacted a customer about ANY property.

C) How many times you've contacted anyone regarding a certain property.

If you would like a hand with this Private Message me.

[Søren Dyhr]

Zero Tolerance has a point here it's a many2many relation, at least one of them, but the other aspect is how you match the customers with the properties that suits them ...should it be automated or should the jifffy logic of a salesman does when he points out the right property a customer might be able to consider.

If it's going be a webserved solution, should the customers get some choises right away to get "appetite" ...freeing the saleman to get into other parts of the process.

What I did was cheating on the scale and make a many2many relation without a dedicated table using the matching criterias only, taken it granted the customers are send out to inspect whatever match suit.

--sd