Horizontal Portal Layout

[Art Reasonover]

Is there any way to rotate a portal horizontally accross the page instead of vertically?

[LiveOak]

Only when printing the portal . -bd

[chrisk1]

I've recently had a need to scroll the portal horizontally as well. It's the only time I've ever had the need to rotate anything, and portals are one of two items it cannot be applied to (however now that I find I can't rotate tabs as well my mind starts popping out all the cool possiblities of if I could). I can't believe in five years it's never come about.

I have a settup where a series of tall single-row portals with fields running from top to bottom, all set to display a specific portal row in sequence from one to ten, display across the layout. However, the number of rows that can possibly need displaying is not pre-determinable, and needs the ability to be scrolled along.

If anyone has ever heard anytihng that may be possible please speak up. Even it involves programming a plug-in.

Thanks -CK

[Lee Smith]

Do a search of the Forum using the keywords of [color:blue]+Horizontal +Portal (Include the plus signs as shown) and you will find several past treads on this topic.

[comment]

It did come up here.

Since the requirement there was more complex than yours, and since version 8 makes it even easier, here's a simplified demo of essentially the same technique.

Well, the demo will have to wait until this message goes away:

There was a problem loading this page:

The moving of uploaded file has failed. Usually this is because where you are uploading to isn't writable. Make sure permissions on this directory and files within are writable

.

[comment]

One more try.

ScrollPortal8.fp7.zip

[Lee Smith]

Hi comment,

Thanks for sharing, and I'll be checking it out in a moment. However, isn't Horizontal = left to right?

Lee

:o

[comment]

It's a demo of a technique - apply it as you will.

[LaRetta]

This is sweet. And yes, it can be turned sideways. The beauty is that it works no matter what!! I hope you don't mind my taking the liberty of providing it sideways, Michael. Since vs. 7, we can specify portal row numbers. So, by specifying one row, we can string them across the layout (as attached) ...

The solution doesn't care how you arrange the rows - up - down - sideways - or each row two feet apart. Ah, GetNthRecord() in action ... :wink2:

ScrollPortal8REV.zip

[Zero Tolerence]

Everytime I click the up or down buttons on the layout, even if I'm in layout mode, Filemaker crashes on me. Happening to anyone else?

[LaRetta]

Hmmm, works fine for me. What vs. are you using? I don't recall any unexpected behaviors regarding portals. Maybe try downloading another copy? :wink2:

[Lee Smith]

Hi comment and LaRetta,

Thank you both for posting your files, I didn't know that this had changed in v7/8. However, I have never had a need for a Horizontal Portal, and I develop around large portals.

BTW comment, I couldn't open the link you pointed to yesterday, because I kept loosing my connection to the Forum. Hopefully they have taken care of this PROBLEM. I did take a look at it this morning, and discovered that it was one of those post, that I had paid little attention a year ago, because i didn't have v7/8, nor a need.

Lee

[LaRetta]

Hi Lee

The current business I'm designing for wants EVERYTHING in crosstab (pivot table) horizontal and they want EVERYTHING in portals. My graph shows it too. I don't KNOW this is how Michael would have done it ... I just got excited.

L

[Ted S]

LaRetta,

I downloaded your example and my system blows-up every time I mouse over your up/down scroll handles. I took a screenshot and drew a red circle around the offending object. See the attachment.

I'm running FMP8A on Windows XP SP2. The hardware is an HP 7600, Pentium 4, 3.4GHz w/ 1G RAM.

It happens within 1 second everytime I mouse over it. I don't click, just simply a mouse over that object and FM abruptly ends every time.

I've seen this happen on stuff designed by other FM developers before. It seems to be connected to non-native FM graphics.

Do you know anything about that particular graphical object?

Well, I was going to add the attachment but I can't find where that is done. I'll just post and try to edit the attachment in later.

Edited April 13, 2006 by Guest

[LaRetta]

Remember this is Michael's demo. I just changed the portal to one row, duplicated it, changed the second version to row 2 and 1 row etc. Makes no sense to me either. I'm on 8.0v2 XP Pro. Very weird! Try taking Comment's original demo - that's the proper one anyway. My copy works fine - both original and my changed one.

Oh. I never should have jumped into someone else's demo anyway. My excitement gets me in soooo much trouble ... :smile2:

[Ted S]

LaRetta,

So sorry, I didn't mean to point fingers. I would just like to find out why some of my systems crash like this. The PC I'm on now is only a few months old. My former system would crash on non-FM graphics too but... I do have other Windows boxes that will handle this without a problem.

[LaRetta]

Oh no, no problem Ted! I wasn't feeling blamed. I too want to find out why. Remember this is Michael's demo (and GREAT idea). I just changed the portal to one row, duplicated it, changed the second version to row 2 and 1 row etc. Makes no sense to me either. I'm on 8.0v2 XP Pro. Very weird! Try taking Comment's original demo - that's the proper one anyway. My copy works fine - both original and my changed one. Does his original crash you? If not, do what I did - change the portal to one row, duplicate it and make the second copy portal row 2 and 1 row etc.

Oh. I never should have jumped into someone else's demo anyway. My excitement gets me in soooo much trouble ...

I probably somehow damaged his demo. I didn't touch anything else - and I do that all the time (duplicating portals and changing their display number)!? And this file didn't crash or anything!

Is Forums still crashy for you? I keep crashing - and I crashed several times while trying to attach the file ... I wonder if it's connected!!

[Zero Tolerence]

Went back and downloaded comments file, it todes the same thing. Something with that graphic is causing it to crash. It doesn't even matter if I'm in layout mode.

So, its not your fault LaRetta! It wasn't anything you had changed.

I too am running Windows XP SP2 on a Newer HP with 1gig of Ram. 3.2ghz, P4. Strange, anyone else on a Non-HP Windows machine confirm crashing problem?

[Ted S]

Hi Zero / LaRetta,

So not only are Zero and my systems crashing, FMForums is too. That old saying; When it rains it pours.

Zero, I wonder if it may be connected to another software application that you and I use but most other folks don't. Maybe a shared DLL?

On my machine I also have MS Office Professional, Homesite 5, Crystal Reports, TOAD (Tool for Oracle Application Developers), and a bunch of smaller utility type applications. Anything in common?

FYI. I crash in Layout mode as well. If I delete that graphical object everything is fine.

[Zero Tolerence]

I'm not running any of that. And my forums aren't crashing at all :o

[Lee Smith]

.. And my forums aren't crashing at all

You must be timing things perfectly because the the Forum has been down a lot for over a day. See Feedback Topic.

Lee

[comment]

All the 'graphics' in my file are native FMP objects.

[Ted S]

Really! I had assumed that they were built using something else. So those up/down scrolling do-dads are just made from native FM lines, rectangles, etc? Were they made in an earlier FM version? If so do you happen to remember which?

I tried ungrouping them but it still crashes.

[comment]

IIRC, they were made in 7.0v3. How do you fare with the original file?

[Ted S]

Same problem in the original.

I have narrowed it down a bit. What I did was zoom in to 400%, window around the entire object and ungroup until "ungroup" was greyed out. That was 3 times I think. I then picked the assembly apart by windowing around the tiny individual objects and moving them with the arrow keys. Once the whole thing was completely exploded I ran my pointer over each object one at a time. All are fine except for the tiny 1px line(?) or rectangle(?). There are a couple of those in there and when I mouse over either of them it is an instant crash. Using the Object Size window I changed the horizontal length to 2px and the problem is solved.

Now what I'm going to do is create my own 1px line using v8 and see if that crashes too.

[Lee Smith]

I don't have any problems with the files. The graphic seem to be Native FileMaker lines and boxes, as I can change them.

[Ted S]

Okay,

I just created a brand new file using FM8Av2 on Windows XP. I have no other applications open, only Filemaker. I immediately closed the Define Database window. I went into the layout mode and created a horizontal line. I opened the Object Size window and changed the horizontal size so it is 1px long. I went into browse mode, moused over the object and its CRASH CITY.

Any ideas?

[Ted S]

Zero,

I'm running a Radeon X300 Series video card. How about you?

[LaRetta]

Hi Ted,

This may not be related but, awhile back I posted called Moving Phone. At the end, I mentioned a problem with lines (created in vs. 7) when used in 8.0v2 (Windows XP). Those lines wouldn't be identified by Object Size when on line between Header/Body etc. But what I DIDN'T mention was that, later, that strange line crashed me once. I grabbed my backup and tested it. When I selected the line and Arrange > Send To Back, it didn't crash again. But I decided not to risk it and deleted the line entirely.

But object dimensionality (is that a word?) seems to (occasionally) get *confused* in 8.0v2 and I think it may be because of the new layering aspects for tabs. And I don't think Windows is handling it as well as Macs. Just for kicks, would you try something? Select the entire buttons and keep hitting upgroup until it greys. De-select and save the layout. Circle them all again (in layout mode), Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X and save layout. Go back to layout mode and Ctrl-V to paste the buttons. Then select them all, Arrange > Send To Back and Save layout. Then re-attach scripts and let me know if you crash again.

I would try this myself but I can't make it crash and I'd really like to figure it out.

L

[Ted S]

Hi LaRetta,

Just for grins I recreated a 1px horz line on my home PC and to my great surprise IT CRASHED TOO. There is a big difference in my home and work machines. I'm running W2K on a much older Dell box. I have Homesite on both but Zero said that he didn't run that software.

Do me a favor and just create a 1px long horizontal line on a brand new file. Mouse over it and see if you crash. I'm really curious.

[LaRetta]

Okay. I created test file and 1 px horizontal line. Then I ran my system to smokin-speed ... moving the line around, saving layout; placing line on header line; exiting FM and even rebooting - everything I could think of, I tried. No crashy ...

Then I switched my res to 800 x 600 (from 1024 x 768), rebooted, and again worked it hard. Nada.

Okay, now try my idea and see if there is a difference. If not, it could be a tough cookie to pin down - just like the moving phone issue. :wink2:

[Ted S]

LaRetta,

First off thank you testing my method.

I followed your exact steps as requested; going in and out of the layout mode where noted, CRTL + X, Send To Back, ungrouping, the whole works. It crashes instantly when I mouse over the object.

I also tried sending to back on my other file which contains a single 1 px long horizontal line and nothing, and I mean NOTHING, else. It still crashes too.

[Zero Tolerence]

Very strange.

[Genx]

This whole thing is an interesting concept, anyone have any idea how you could introduce a horizontal scrollbar?

[SteveB]

Ugo Di Luca, one of the really prolific posters and creative FMers, who hasn't been around for a while now, created a horizontal portal using GetField (I think). You might try doing a search in the Samples Forum, for 'Horizontal Portals'.

Steve