Modification dates & names

[John Chamberlain]

I have a file that can be modified by several different persons. I'd like to have a record of who modified a record, and the date that they made the change. Even just getting the date would help.

This file frequently has field definitions added, modified or deleted so just having a "Date Modified" field won't work because it changes whenever any field is changed, added or deleted. I have a feeling that Lookup fields might be the answer, but I have never used them.

Can someone give me a good idea for a solution?

Thanks,

John Chamberlain

[jteich]

Create a textfield 'log' with an auto calculation

evaluate( "Get(current date) ...." ; field_a ; field... )

Uncheck the box which allows execution of this calculation only on record creation.

This is only the skeleton, but you should get the idea.

The technique is described more verbose in the brilliant book Using FM 8 ('Audittrail').

-jens

[John Chamberlain]

Unfortunately I don't think this function is in FMP 6, and I have to work with that as a limitation.

[T-Square]

It's not entirely clear what you're trying to do. Why, for example, wouldn't a Last Modified field not work, and how does the changing nature of the data structure figure into that?

And as an aside, why exactly are you regularly adding, modifying or deleting fields in your database? That suggests a flawed structure, since your structure reflects what your system is trying to do. So, you really should only change the structure when you're changing the functionality.

David

[John Chamberlain]

The problem comes whenever the need for a new field, or the re-definition of an old one, occurs; and this happens frequently because requirements change. Once you do that, it is a modification of every record in the file, and all of the "Last Modified" dates get change to the current date.

If I could lock down the data structure I would. But these files are tracking several activities at our local Hospice office, and I can't just say "no, I can't do that" when I know perfectly well I can.

What I need is a trail of who, and when the data in any individual record was changed in Browse mode. Ideally, this would be an audit trail that showed maybe the last 5 or 6 times the data in any record was revised, and by whom.

[Lee Smith]

Have you looked at using a Audit Trail (aka Field Modification Tracking system)?

There have been many discussion of how to do this in the version prior to v7. There are a few example files that have been shared here, and a couple of excellent examples that are posted on some of the sponsors sites. I would start with what is available at

www.nightwing.com.au/FileMaker/

HTH

Lee