Modification Date -- one for each record

[HunterBoss]

All,

I hope it's just a coincidence that the last post was also about modification dates. But, my question is different.

I have several important fields that I need to keep track of who changed them and when.

The only way I've been able to think of getting this to work is to have each of these fields in their own table. I would then have a user account field, creation date, modification date and time, etc. I am then able to get all the audit information I need or want. Oh, of course, these tables would be related.

My question is this -- is there another way? Is there a way to have multiple modification date fields in one record pointing to specific fields? I'm currently on 8 Advanced and am considering going up to 8.5, if that's any help.

I'm guessing that there isn't another solution and that I've come across the only viable option.

Thanks.

Christopher

[Lee Smith]

Take a look at this file

SuperLog Audit System !!

Also, this site is an excellent resource, so you should do a little nosing around while you are there.

HTH

Lee

[HunterBoss]

Lee

Thanks

Wow. Very interesting. Anybody using this?

If I were to use this, I'm going to need to learn how to set up a Custom Function. Or, is that very easy to do? Also, it looks like this tracks every field in the table. Is that correct.

Christopher

[Lee Smith]

I have used other versions, just not this one yet.

Since you have FileMaker Advance, all you need to do is copy the CF from his File your own.

Since you are new to CFs, why not start by building a test file for this. That way, if you screw up you will not be messing up your original file.

HTH

Lee

[mr_vodka]

The other modification date post that you were referring to was for a answer in FM5.5 though and hence a lot more limited in a solution approach. Since you are on FM8 it makes things a lot easier.

As Lee pointed out to you check out Ray's Super audit log as well as these other two audit log solutions.

Dynamic Audit Log - by John Mark Osborne

Excelisys Audit Log

Edited November 1, 2006 by Guest
Updated Link

[HunterBoss]

John

Thanks

I'm having a problem with the link for the Dynamic Audit Log.

The quick glance I had at Excelisys looks promising as it lets you pick the fields being tracked.

Very cool guys.

Christopher

[mr_vodka]

Try it now Christopher. Do a search for 'Audit' when you are prompted.

[John Mark Osborne]

The same solution is also available from my web site.

http://www.filemakerpros.com/CHANGELOG.zip

If anyone remembers Bob Cusick from ClickWare, he originally came up with this technique in FileMaker Pro 3. It's obviously a lot easier to implement in FileMaker 7 and later.

[mr_vodka]

John, what I had posted was a link to your website. :P

[John Mark Osborne]

Sorry about the confusion. I was actually replying to the post by Lee Smith. I didn't see your post for some reason. I guess I got lazy.

[BowDown]

The same solution is also available from my web site.

http://www.filemakerpros.com/CHANGELOG.zip

If anyone remembers Bob Cusick from ClickWare, he originally came up with this technique in FileMaker Pro 3. It's obviously a lot easier to implement in FileMaker 7 and later.

Thank you! Wow that was simple, and I did't even have to purchase FM8.5 Advanced to do it! Woohoo!

[cbum]

John Mark,

I just tried your Change Log file, and notice that if you click into the end of the log and hit , you have just erased the log.

I'm trying to understand what is causing that behavior?

[John Mark Osborne]

Never tried that before. Well, all you have to do is modify the auto-enter formula slightly by giving the Case statement a default of the field Log.

When the Log field is modified, it triggers the auto-enter calculation since it is referenced in the formula. The result of the Case statement is false because the Log field is not included in the test for which fields to track. Since the default result of the Case statement is blank, modifying the Log field removes the entire log. Since you don't want to include the Log field in the fields you are going to keep track of, you just need to have a default result of the Log field.

If this doesn't make sense, I have uploaded a new version of the tip to my web site. Make sure to clear the cache on your web browser so you don't download the old version (they have the same name).

[cbum]

Nice turn around time ;-)

thanks.

c.