Flaky Tab Order Settings

[K1200]

My application involves a moderately complex layout with over 150 different fields on nested tab panels. For months now, I've fought flaky tab settings. Going into and out of Set Tab Order (e.g., to add a new field) causes FileMaker to very often drop the first tab I had defined, which wreaks havoc on runtime operation, of course. Many times, I've had to clear all tabs and reset all my sequences -- and even then I have to watch FileMaker like a hawk to see that each tab is being retained.

I have finally succeeded in duplicating the FileMaker (mis)behavior in a test file.

The exact sequence to invoke the problem is this:

Layout Mode ... Set Tab Order ... Clear All

Browse Mode ... confirm that no tabs are set

Layout Mode ... Set Tab Order ... click on Alpha tab ... set tabs for Field One, Field Two and Data Value (portal) ... click on Beta tab ... set tabs for Field Two and Field Three ... confirm Tab Order = 5 of 14 items ... click OK to store tab settings

Browse Mode ... confirm proper tabbing

Layout Mode ... Set Tab Order ... click on Beta tab ... set tab for Data Value (portal) ... notice that the number 6 is assigned, but Tab Order = 5 of 14 stays the same ... click on Alpha tab ... Tab 1 is gone from Field One!

(At this point you can go to Browse Mode and back to Layout Mode and observe that FileMaker has renumbered all the tabs 1 to 5. And BTW, I've repeated this test setting as few as three fields in the first pass and still had it fail when the next field is in a portal.)

Can someone please confirm this behavior -- and maybe suggest a way out?

My best workaround so far is to define five or six dummy fields at the bottom of the layout and assign them tabs 1, 2, 3, etc. At least then I can easily monitor how many have been lost and know when it's time to reassign everything.

P.S. I've noticed one recent post -- by Cin -- that seemed to involve this issue.

TabOrderTest.fp7.ZIP

[Lee Smith]

I'll look at the problem you are describing in a few minutes, but I wanted to quickly mention that the problem that Cin was having was in version 6, where the Clear All wasn't an option.

Lee