Design Problem

[faaslave]

I have two questions, if anyone can help I would appreciate it. I am a member of a non-profit group, that was asked to volunteer to help create their database. I am getting in over my head, and it seems I need help frequently.

1) Using Filemaker 8, when setting a script to go to a specific layout, can you also specify which tab to go to on that layout?

2) I have members that belong to committees, and I have members that are officers. I have a table for commitees, and one for the officers. There is one Board that comprises the officers plus the members of one of the committees (Board of trustees). While I could easily just pick the members manually in a portal like I do for the members of the committees, I would like to be able to automate this. This database is for the Chapters, and I have one for the National Level. I need to understand the logic for this to work, because the other database will use this logic.

On the Exec Board Layout members tab, I want to find any members that hold an officer position, and any members listed under the Board of trustees Committee, and list them as the members of the executive board. Then I would like to display them in a portal. From this screen you see the members that belong to the board instead of manually adding them.

Thanks, Dave

FAAMA.1.2local.fp7.zip

[John Mark Osborne]

The answer to your first question is easy. Use the Go to Field script step and specify a field that is unique to that tabbed area. If there are no unique fields, then use a global field and hide it on the layout so nobody can see it.

I'm not sure I completely understand your second question.

[faaslave]

Thanks John,

As far as the second question goes, here is the scoop.

I add people to committees using a portal. I select from the available members, and I have the members listed nicely in the portal.

The problem is, there is an executive board. I don't want users to pick the members of this, since it is clearly defined who these members are. the executive board is:

Pres

VP

Treas

Sec

and the members that belong to the board of trustees.

I don't want users to be able to decide who is in this board, I want it displayed to them.

On the exec board layout, members tab, I want the results to be displayed, whether it is a portal or not.

So I need to grab the members names from the officers table that hold positions, and grab the members listed in the board of trustees and display the result somehow.

Is that clearer? thanks alot

Dave

Edited May 19, 2006 by Guest

[faaslave]

On the committees layout, that is where the board of trustees are assigned. The officers are assigned on the officers layout.

Thanks

[Genx]

Okay, i tried to go through it, i really did, but its really really hard to follow the relationships. What you will be looking at however at least in the officer portion is a calculation field with a calc that goes along the lines of:

Case(Position = "President" or Position = "Secretary" or Position = "Vice-President" or Position = "theotherone" ; "Executive Board" ; somefieldwheretheuserhadtheoptiontopick)

Secondly, you would have a text field with global storage turned on in your exec table. In here you will store the value "Executive Board" i.e. just type it in - in browse mode. You will then relate this to your officer table at least by that calc field you just set up before (make sure the calc field is set to stored).

Finally, I'm not sure how you've set your join table up, but i would have suggested that you store both your members and your officers in the same table.

It really is hard to follow your relationships, and i'm doing the whole 12:30 in the morning thing again so ive got to head to bed... but, for your own sake, try and use color logically in the relationships, and group like things under each other, align etc. etc. it makes the bigger picture a lot clearer if you do this...

Sorry i couldn't help more.

~Genx

[faaslave]

Thanks for looking.

It presents a problem, since I want to display names from two different tables into one portal. The main reason I want it done this way, is so the user can't decide the results. I want it to be automated so that there are no mistakes.

I can't believe that it isn't possible, so I will keep trying to come up with a way to do it.

What about figuring a way to automate a flag being created?

Any officer position has a flag on. execflag

Anyone in the board of trustees under the committee table has this same flag created somehow.

Then somehow display the members with that flag on in the executive board?

This is definitely over my head

Dave

[Genx]

In answer to the flagging question, yes you can "flag" them, using just the number one. In your exec table you would have a simple global number field with the number 1 stored in it. Then just relate the two.

You might consider scripting this though vs. adding them through relationships which can be quite a hassle if you don't know what your doing (i tend to use scripts more often then not out of convienience sake, especially when explaining things).

Anyway, try and clarify your problem even more (i know its hard) and try and clean up your relationships so they would make sense to anyone and we'll try give you some more help and suggestions.

~Genx

[Genx]

P.S. I used to think some things weren't possible with FM, but it is an extremely powerful tool, so much so that it has now become a question of not whether or not something is achievable but how i can go about achieving it.

[faaslave]

I am starting to think that there really isn't a need for an executive table. I only have one executive board, so maybe it shouldn't really have its own table. I need the committess table, and the officers table though.

I could probably make the executive board part of the committees table. Then from that, my only task is to grab the officers, and the members of the board of trustees (which is one of the committees in the committee table) and display them as the executive board.

As far as my relationships go, I know that I am probably not making the cleanest layout. Some of the tables aren't even needed. I have a bigger database that I use for the national organization, and this is a scaled down version of it. I dropped off most of the unused tables, but some straglers are still shown. I will work on cleaning it up.

Thanks Dave

[Genx]

If you have multiple boards, you may want to have one table and one of those records in there will be your executive board. While you want to put both your officers and members of a specific committee, remember that they are both stored within the member table - this can (i'm not sure how because i still cant wrap my head around how to implement it into your current structure just because its hard to visualise) be exploited for your portal.

Clean up your relationships, but take a break, once you can visualise everything on the screen, it generally will start to make sense in your head (or so i've found).

[faaslave]

Alright, here is what I tried.

I made a calc in the members table that returns a one if someone is an officer, and a 0 if they are not.

Then I made a calc in the committee table that returns a one if they are on the board of trustees, and 0 if they are not.

Then I made a calc in the members table that adds the two fields together.

If the total is one, I want this person displayed on the executive board layout as a member.

The calcs seem to work, but my relationship I am using in the portal on the executive board layout does not.

Any ideas what might work?

Thanks Dave

FAAMA.1.4local.fp7.zip

[Genx]

They have to be stored calculations

[faaslave]

That is the problem. But I have no idea what logic to use to make all the calcs needed.

Dave

[Genx]

Its not really a problem though i have always found it requires work arounds. You just have to re-index the calcs. After that, if your officer is an officer he's an officer, if you change it, the contents of the referenced fields, it will update.

~Genx