interesting dilemma

[softpac]

How would you implement the following specification in FM 8.5 (Win)?

On a typical Quote screen, a user can select a product to quote on. When a product is selected, the price of the product is automatically inserted into the quote. Then the user selects one or more options for that particular product, each having their own price. As each product option is selected, the option price is added to the product price on the quote. Then the user may override the final price with whatever (for example they may decide to bump up the price or knock it down for whatever reason depending on who the customer is).

That's the spec given to me - and I tried to solve with a calculation field (ie the price field) - but you cannot override the result, and bsides the result is not stored (FM popup message says so because it references a related field), which is no good - you need to store the price because you are quoting to a customer.

Tried an Auto-Enter Calculation - but that failed too. The Auto-Enter field (price) is only good for when the product is selected. There seems to be no way of "re-triggering" the Auto-Enter Calculation when the user has selected an option (in order to add the option price to the product price).

What are your thougts?

- softpac

[Søren Dyhr]

There seems to be no way of "re-triggering" the Auto-Enter Calculation when the user has selected an option (in order to add the option price to the product price)

Then study this:

http://www.filemakerpros.com/FieldFilter7.zip

Hint, the trigging could be set by listing of important fields of an Evaluate( statement...

--sd

[comment]

If I understand this correctly, each option is a separate, additional product. And each product - basic or optional - is a record in a related QuoteItems table, and has its own price looked up from the Products table.

If so, user can override the price/s in several ways:

1. Change an individual looked price directly by typing it in the portal row;

2. Apply a general discount by entering the amount into a Discount field in Quotes. The Quote total is than calculated as Sum ( QuoteItems::Price ) + Discount. Or you could do a similar thing with a percentage discount;

3. Apply individual discounts by entering the amounts/percentages into a Discount field in QuoteItems. The item's adjusted price is precomputed in the QuoteItems table, and the Quote sums the results.

[softpac]

Thanks, but that's not what I was meaning. Your attachment refers to formatting a data entry field.

What I need help with is how to get the code in an Auto-Enter Calculation Value to re-execute, based on whenever the underlying values in related fields referenced in the code change.

This can be achieved by closing the layout and re-opening it, or by adding a button with a script. But these techniques require manual intervention from the user. I would prefer it to be automatic.

- softpac

[softpac]

Thanks Comment. In fact each of your 3 things I have done already, and are working fine.

Except that your assumption about the option is wrong. The end users do not want it as a separate line item, but to bundle it into the product (at quote stage).

Eg. sample product is "Print 1000 business cards on budget stock". Lets say the price is $100. The options to this product include:

- gloss finish (add $20)

- Deluxe stock cardboard (which is thicker than budget) (add $25)

- Full colour print process (add $15)

Now, when the user selects the business card product (on the quote layout), up pops ups the options (for that product). The user can decide to select one or more of them, or none at all.

If the user selects Gloss option, then the price on the quote should say $120 (not $100 on one line followed by $20 on the next line). The user just wants one line. (which has Qty, desc, unit price, amount).

Don't worry about how the user will know if options have been bundled in or not, my lovely layout solves that.

The issue here is: how do I get the price field to say $120 instead of $100 automatically. I really don't want the user needing to click a button to cause a script to run to refresh that field.

- softpac

[comment]

So where are these options (and their prices) kept?

[softpac]

In an Options table.

[comment]

I THINK I understand this, but I am not sure. Could you post a small demo file, showing just the basic relationships between Quotes, QuoteItems, Products and Options? I would like to see in particular how you select multiple options for a product.