Is it possible to...

[soulicious]

The concept is simple, but I'm having trouble putting the problem into words. Here it goes:

Is it possible to get data from table B which was created through a portal from table A, and simply show a field from one specific record in table B on a new layout (new layout is based on table A)?

Background:

I have a db for doctors where we store all the contact and licensing info. I have created layouts with background images which are forms we regularly fill out. These forms are "automagically" filled out already because I simply placed copies of the contact info fields over the correct spot on the form.

Currently I have fields hard coded for the doctors' address types (i.e. [color:blue]Primary address, primary State, Primary zip, [color:purple]Mailing address, mailing state, mailing zip, etc.)

What I would like to do is create a new table called addresses with the relevant fields, and be able to create as many addresses as needed and keep "old" inactive addresses as well. All addresses could be labeled in an AddressType field in the address table so I could identify whether the address was residential, mailing, surgery, etc. No problem, that's all easy, but what I can't figure out is how to get the correct address type(i.e. mailing address) into the form (as opposed to just the first address set from the related table).

Most forms want several different address. If I use a new address table and portal, how do I get the Mailing Address to show up on the form where it asks for mailing address and residential address to show up where it wants that...etc? Currently, I'm just using the hard coded fields so that mailing address goes to mailing address, mailing state goes to mailing state,mailing zip goes to...

Also, on the form layout, the spaces provided are better suited to placing individual fields, not portals. Is it possible to show one field from the relationship and get it to use the correct address set, or do I need to make each one a portal with a single field?

I'm lost. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Sol

[Søren Dyhr]

What I would like to do is create a new table called addresses with the relevant fields, and be able to create as many addresses as needed and keep "old" inactive addresses as well.

These are all all good and sound considerations, but there might be a more suited structure to this issue:

http://previews.filemakermagazine.com/videos/513/DataTagging_full.mov

Also, on the form layout, the spaces provided are better suited to placing individual fields, not portals. Is it possible to show one field from the relationship and get it to use the correct address set, or do I need to make each one a portal with a single field?

Indeed, but you can due to tunneling do a bit of both... investigate the attached template!

--sd

doctors.zip

[soulicious]

Wow! Thanks for the link to the video and the example file. I definitely had an "aha" moment when it comes to data classification. This will come in extremely useful in the future.

However, there is still the problem of displaying more than one "address type" without a portal on the same page with a form's image as the background.

I have added a layout to your example file to make the problem clear.

Thank in advance for your help.

Sol

doctorform.zip

Edited December 5, 2006 by Guest
I forgot to attach the file...

[Søren Dyhr]

Well as it is can't you make much use of a newer function called GetNthRecord( which came with fm8 - so you have to accomplish it via the RG instead, I have in the attached template ...first made a straight forward portal to enter the different options (here addresses) - The fields shown below is then new multicriteria relations sifting earlier from the newer.

--sd

GetSecondThird.zip

[soulicious]

Thanks for your help. I'll have to study that for a while to make sure I really understand it.