Newbie question, setting up a drop-down menu or calling long info

[FreedomFighter]

OK, I'm totally new to Filemaker from a layout perspective (just created basic layouts...no value lists). I've followed the various instructions for value lists, but I'm still having problems figuring out how to do the following:

I have a database for creating a delivery memo. A basic field at the top of the memo is a "Vendor" field. Since I use a fairly regular set of vendors, I was wondering how I would set up that field in a manner that would let me use a "type-ahead" style feature or even a drop-down menu, but one that calls multiple lines of info.

For example, I have 30 vendors, whose information that looks like this:

IBM Corporation

1 IBM Way

Atlanta, GA 98430

Contact: Joan Schatz

605-348-6987

So when someone is filling out the "Vendor" field, I want them to be able to type "IB...." and for all of that IBM information to pop up into the field, instead of typing the whole address for each vendor each time.

I've seen something similar to this done before, so I think it can be done, but I can't get it to work. I assume you could use a separate database for the vendor info?

Can someone explain this in newbie terms?

These will be printed out eventually, so it needs to be done in a way that the final sheet can be printed and included with deliveries.

MANY THANKS!

[LiveOak]

Sorry, no type ahead is available in FM. You can create a drop down menu to allow selection of the vendor and fill in the vendor's information.

1) You need a "Vendor" file to contain the contact information for each vendor. Give each vendor a Vendor ID field with an auto-entered number.

2) In your Delivery Memo file, create a value list defined as "use fields from another file" and show both the Vendor ID and Vendor Name fields, sorting by Vendor Name.

3) Define a relationship matching Vendor ID in Delivery Memos to Vendor ID in your new Vendor file.

4) In the Delivery Memo file, define Vendor Name, Vendor Address, Vendor City, etc. as lookups based upon the relationship you created in 3). I use lookups instead of related fields to preserve historical information. If a vendor changes address, you don't want to update the address on old Delivery Memo records, but rather want to show the address the vendor had in use at the time the memo was created.

Probably not the short explaination you expected, but this will give you a chance to learn more about some of FM's features. Just take the list I gave you a step at a time and read the FM manual for an explaination of each feature you need.

-bd

[ December 26, 2001: Message edited by: LiveOak ]

[FreedomFighter]

No....long explanations are good!

Thanks...

I had another question, but I might have just figured it out...

[ December 26, 2001: Message edited by: FreedomFighter ]

[danjacoby]

By the way...

When you use a pop-up list, you can start typing the Vendor you want, and it'll jump to the first vendor with the letters you typed. Try it!

You can also have the value list be the contents of the field itself; that way you'll see a list of the vendors you already have. In order to add a new one, simply click in the field a second time (which will cause the pop-up list to disappear) and type the new vendor in the field. The next time you go to that field, the new vendor will have been added to the pop-up list.

HTH,

Dan

[FreedomFighter]

Thanks. I've come up with some new questions, actually, but moved them to a different thread here:

http://www.fmforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=16&t=000593

Thanks again.