Pull Down Menu To Navigate Records - Help

[MattFM]

Hi, I'm having trouble trying to figure out how to jump to records via a pull down menu.

For example, if I had a database of records each containing a first name field and a last name field. I would like a pull down menu where you see a list of all the last names, and when you select a last name from that pull down menu, you are taken to the record containing that last name.

I've included a basic demo file hoping someone could help out and tweak it so it does what I want. I can get the pull down list to show the names, it just doesn't do anything. Can anybody please help me figure out how to make it work?

PullDownNav.zip

[Fenton]

FileMaker does not natively do this, i.e., take an action, such as running a script, after a field is changed. You need a plug-in to do this. There are several available, free, such as at: http://www.softs4humans.com

There are often some things to watch out for when using these plug-ins, trapping that the current record is still the active record, etc.. But using it for what you want is safe and simple. Though I would make that Menu field a global (Storage global); it will work better; there's only 1 choice per table.

[Raybaudi]

Hi

it can be made without a plugin...

Give a try to the attachment.

BTW: What if there are more than one identical surname ? In that case you can only display all the clients with identical surname into a portal and than go to the choosed one.

PullDownNavMod.zip

[MattFM]

Thanks for the ideas guys... Fenton, using the EventScript plugin seems like it will do exactly the trick, but getting it to work seems a little beyond my novice FMPro skills

Raybaudi, your method is much more my skill level and works great - but unfortunately I need the pull down menu to exist on the same layout as all the client records I'm trying browse with it, so I can still easily add & edit & use the client records. I tried moving your demo's pull down nav to the client layout but it wouldn't work that way... oh well.

[Fenton]

It's not that hard. This file has 2 simple pop-up menus, one based on the LastFirst calculation field, the other based on an auto-enter serial ID. Either works. You're not really using all the capabilities of the plug-in, as you're only changing a global field, which is not "real" data.

The technique was the same as in the "S4H_QuickJumpMenus.fp7" file, which is on their website.

S4H_QuickJumpMenus.fp7:

http://idisk.mac.com/forg99/Public/Dnloads/S4H_QuickJumpMenus_v2.zip

Main page:

http://www.softs4humans.com/index_en.html

P.S. I added a "Go" button; in case someone doesn't have the plug-in they can just click that instead.

[ The scripts are triggered on the global "choice" fields, in Define Database, Fields, by the auto-enter options, by calculation, with [ ] "Do not replace" unchecked.]

Events_PU_Menu.zip

Edited December 27, 2006 by Guest
auto-enter calculation

[Raybaudi]

Hi Fenton

just a curiosity...

Do ( on Mac platform ) pull down menus work different from Windows ?

[Søren Dyhr]

Poke into forgiveness in this:

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGHIDesign/chapter_5_section_2.html

So...it does and should!

--sd

[Raybaudi]

Hi Soren

thanks for the link...

It seems that pull down menus are under "Selection Controls"

...but I coudn't find a difference there ! ( if there is a difference )

[MattFM]

Fenton. Your demo was great! Thanks. I was able to figure out how to do exactly what I needed thanks to your help.

Cheers!

[Søren Dyhr]

...but I coudn't find a difference there ! ( if there is a difference )

You should click something to make the list appear, while tabbing your cursor from field to field making the list appear not quite is embraced. The metaphor requires a more deliberate action from the user ...that provides a rollback as well.

But to give you some herodotic approaching to the matter, give this some thoughts as well:

http://acm.org/cacm/AUG96/antimac.htm

--sd

Edited December 28, 2006 by Guest
added raybaudi to the quote

[Søren Dyhr]

:thanks: Lee!

--sd