Newbie plea: Dissappearing fields

[AlanJT]

Hi there,

I don't know my way around FileMaker at all, though I've been trying to pick it up. I can't figure out how to do something that seems fairly basic.

I want a layout that only shows a particular field (and its label) when that field contains data. If the field is empty (and this is the bit where it maybe gets hard) I want the fields beneath it to move up to fill the space. But if the field is over a line, I want it to resize and push everything else down.

I don't want to set up different layouts for each possible permutation and making a calculated field won't allow me the formatting I want. I think I'm struggling to find the information I need because I don't even know the correct term for the sort of thing I am trying to achieve.

Just in case I'm not being clear I've attached a picture.

In this case, there's no subtitle, so I want the rest to move up. But author name should be on two lines and push everything below that down.

Am I making any sense? I'm worried I'm not.

Thanks,

AJT

[Inky Phil]

Hi Alan

Don't worry about making sense cos my answer may not do !

What you want to look at is called sliding the fields and can be altered by going into layout mode, clicking the field you want to slide and then using the format>sliding/printing menu. It is fairly self explanatory from there.

The only caveat is that all your text boxes need to have the text aligned to the top and remember that the results of sliding only show up in preview mode or on a printout and not in browse mode.

I do not know if this same effect can be achieved in browse mode if that is what you are looking for.

HTH

phil

[AlanJT]

That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for, thank you. I'll go and fiddle now I know what it's called, but is there any way to connect the appearance/position of the label to the field itself (so if the field is empty the label disappears - and if it is not they move in unison)? Do I have to make the label a calculated field?

Thanks again.

AJT

[Inky Phil]

Hi Alan,

Yes you would have to set the field label to be a calculation for it to dissapear as you wish.

The calc would be

Case(Is empty(the relevantfield);"";"The Field Label")

check this to be unstored and it will be revealed/hidden as the content changes

To get them to slide in unison, apply the same sliding rules to each. Oh and don't forget to set the item that you are sliding into to be sliding as well otherwise sliding doesn't work.

HTH

Phil

[AlanJT]

Thank you very much – I'm going to go follow the advice in your signature and start over now that I know what I'm about.

You've been very helpful, cheers.

AJT