Auto Formatting /Auto-Enter Calculations

[grumbachr]

Sorry if this topic is in the wrong location but I wasn't sure where to post it.

A couple years back on FileMakerMagizine.com Matt P. posted this very useful file for Auto Formatting fields. However, it stopped working I believe with the 8.0v2 update. Link to article: ( http://www.filemakermagazine.com/videos/auto-formatting-filemaker-7-fields.html)

The basics of the feature was to have 2 fields, one for entering notes (NoteEntry) the other to display the notes (NoteLog). Clicking on a button triggered a script that put in the in the NoteEntry field, you typed your notes, then when you exited the field your notes and a time stamp would be appended to the NotesLog.

I'm want to get this or something similar working so if anyone has any suggestion please let me know.

[Lee Smith]

download the upgrade 8.0.3 and see if that doesn't fix things.

Lee

[grumbachr]

It does not work with any version after 8.0v2. It doesn't even work in 8.5. it seems to be something that FileMaker changed.

[Lee Smith]

I tested the file in 8.5 before I posted my reply, and it worked okay for me, although it was a brief test. What does it do, if anything.

Lee

[grumbachr]

I tested the file in 8.5 before I posted my reply, and it worked okay for me, although it was a brief test. What does it do, if anything.

Lee

Lee thank you for taking the time to look at this but I'm not sure how to answer your question. If you tired the demo file I'm not sure I could explain it better than Matt.

It basically appends the contents of one field to another field with a date and time stamp. It was the perfect way for me to keep a log of action/notes to a specific record.

[Lee Smith]

You misunderstood what I asked, and I was afraid that I was not being clear enough with I posted it.

I know the pricipal of the file. Although the method has changed to produce the notes, a version of it has been around over the years in version since 4.

What I meant by my question was. Instead of working as it should, what does it do if in stead. If anything?

In other words, saying something doesn't work right rarely tell us what the problem is. Telling us what you expect it to do, and what it actually does may lead us in the right direction.

BTW, is this a file you converted from v5 or earlier, or has it always been a v7 file?

Lee

[NDCinc.]

I have Filemaker Advanced 9 and I tried following this same video submitted by Matt and copied and pasted everything and the notes section did not Auto Update notes, I had to click about 5 times into the notes fields before any note would be taken, if it would take the notes at all. Then the divider bar, would show up on the bottom of the notes field. I also noticed that when I created a new client and tried entering a new note, not only did the same things occur, but the notes I originally posted pulled up as well.

If anyone has a fix for this or another easy solution. I would greatly appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance.

[Lee Smith]

NDCinc., and welcome to the Forum,

Can you attach a copy of the file?

Lee

[NDCinc.]

Thanks for the welcome. I am attaching a copy of the file...I am trying to revise a template site and once again, trying to create an auto note enter...following the video provide through this site. Thanks for any help you can provide.

CLIENTS.zip

Edited December 12, 2008 by Guest

[Lee Smith]

The auto notes technique is working sort in your file, but I'm wondering, how did we go from a FileMaker Magazine technique to a Database Pro File.

What you need to do, is to select the Bold Text that says "Click here and start typing..." and then type. after you have completed the note, Tab Out of the field.

If you do a search at Database Pros site for Notes, and I think you will get the information you need.

Lee

Edited December 12, 2008 by Guest

[NDCinc.]

Database pros, was some tuturial videos that I've watched and they give you a sample database, so I was trying to work with that. I've put the notes into just a new created database, and I get the same thing...so I don't believe it has to do with the database pro database. I got the original note script/set-up from a video Matt posted here. I will include a copy of this, his seems to be working, but for whatever reason mine still doesn't. Let me know if you have any additional ideas.

Thanks in advance. Jason

NoteMethods.zip

[Lee Smith]

Actually, I believe you mean the video is from FileMaker Magazine, because the file comes from Matt Petrowsky.

The first file you attached came from Databasepros, and was done by John Mark Osborne.

Both of these files are working the same for me.

Are you talking about a different file then these two that isn't working?

[grumbachr]

I'm not sure if this will help but Matt posted a technique many months (could be years now) that used a script and 2 fields to log notes. In the process it used an Unstored Calculation. This worked fine with version 7 and local files but when 8.0 or 8.5 was released FM changed something in the way untored calcs were handeled on shared files which broke the technique. I contacted him and he confirmed this with the help of someone else. I wonder if it something similar happening.

Let me posts the quoted emails.

Matt P. - You're not the first person to mention issues with upgrading and the way the notes file was working. There are actually two notes files. Power Notes was released on 6/7/04 and then Auto Notes on 6/30/05 - a year later.

I have only a few other people who have mentioned anything, and the issues brought up are not consistent. Over the past month I have opened both files with FMP8Av1 and FMP8Av2 on both Mac and Windows - and also across the network. For some reason I can't duplicate the loss of functionality.

Are you using FileMaker Server (oh yeah, you say FMP7SA)? What is the setup of most of the computers? What version of FileMaker? Does it work using a client version 7 with 7 server advanced? Is it just 8 that is having the problem?

Maybe I can get this same information from the other users having the issues and we can try to track down what might be a FileMaker bug.

There are a few other issues with some other techniques as well that were introduced with FileMaker 8v2 release. I am having to look at those files as well.

In the v2 update FileMaker did something internally that deals with the field order creation and this might be something causing these issues - although field creation order is not a requirement for either of the techniques.

I'll do my best to work on a fix if I can help find the problem.

Dan S. I can confirm that as long as you open the table and do anything to it add

another field or just look at the notes field and close it it will then

break because the order of creation is no longer used in evaluation.

We have solved most of the problem using the evaluate function except trying

to figure out how to remove the note.

Using a script we can make it work as it was but you need to control enter

to exit the field in order to trigger the script.