See what a user searched?

[Kingme]

I'm looking for a way to see what the user just searched for.

Currently I have a layout with about 10 fields in it that can be searched. I would like to find out what the user actually searched for, to then show them on the "results" layout "Your search for 'X' came up with the following results."

I could probably just loop through the fields on the layout with isEmpty then perform the find but I was wondering if anyone has a better idea. (what if the fields change.. I would have to go back into the script and change the loop to now look at the "new" field and delete the old ones.)

I know filemaker "stores" the find.. for use in "modify last find" but I can't seem to easily "see" this information.

[Genx]

... The only way to do this is scriptually

i.e.

Allow User Abort[Off]

Set Error Capture[On]

-

Enter Find Mode[Pause]

Set Variable[ $fieldsSearched ;

If( not IsEmpty(field1) ; "Field 1: " & Field1 & ", ") &

If( not IsEmpty(field2) ; "Field 2: " & Field2 & ", ") &

If( not IsEmpty(field3) ; "Field 3: " & Field3 & ", ") &

.

.

.

If( not IsEmpty(field10) ; "Field 10: " & Field10 & ", ")

]

Perform Find[]

Show Custom Dialog[ "Search Results" ; "your search for " & $fieldsSearched & " returned " & Get(FoundCount) & " results." ]

[Lee Smith]

If you just want to see the last find, then hit Command R, and it reinstates it.

However, I think what you are wanting is more indept than that. If so, then you should consider scripting the eitire find process as Genx has suggested.

There are a couple of demostation (how to) files availabe to show a couple of methods.

Here is one that has a video and a file:

Link

Lee

[Kingme]

Thanks for the help.

I figured i'd have to use the "isEmpty" deal-o and script it all. I change "search fields" very often on that layout of 10 so I was hoping for an "automagic" way to see the search instead of having to go into the scriptmaker and change the "isEmpty" fields so often.

Thanks for the help and the links!

[Genx]

... well, technically... you could loop through all the fields on the layout as such:

Freeze Window

Go To Field[ field1 ]

Loop

Set Variable[ $fieldsSearched ; $fieldsSearched & If( not IsEmpty(Get(ActiveFieldContents)) ; Get(ActiveFieldName) & ": " & Get(ActiveFieldContents) & ", ") ]

Exit Loop If[ Get(ActiveFieldName) = "field10" ]

Go To Next Field

End Loop

field1 is your first field, and field10 is the last field on your layout in the tab order

[comment]

Technically, this can be completely dynamic, without hard-coding either field names or the number of fields on the layout, e.g.

Go to Field [  ] 

Go to Next Field 

Set Variable [ $firstFieldName; Value:Get ( ActiveFieldName ) ] 

Loop 

Set Variable [ $criteria; Value:$criteria & Case ( not IsEmpty ( Get ( ActiveFieldContents ) ) ; Get ( ActiveFieldName ) & ": " & Get ( ActiveFieldContents ) & ¶ ) ] 

Go to Next Field 

Exit Loop If [ Get ( ActiveFieldName ) = $firstFieldName ] 

End Loop 

Go to Field [  ]

[Genx]

Cool

On a serious note though, my stupidity and your anti-stupidity (aka smart-ness) scare me sometimes lol.

Edited March 16, 2007 by Guest

[Lee Smith]

Hi Genx,

You are not stupid! In fact, I've always been impressed with your abilities, knowledge, etc.

I feel like a neebee here though. Could someone please make an example file, or explain in some detail, how this script solves the problem of providing a history of the Finds that were done by the User?

TIA

Lee

[Genx]

Well, it doesn't really provide a history, just shows what criteria the user used in their last find... which as far as i understand given the comment below is what the op wanted:

I could probably just loop through the fields on the layout with isEmpty then perform the find but I was wondering if anyone has a better idea. (what if the fields change.. I would have to go back into the script and change the loop to now look at the "new" field and delete the old ones.)

Small file attached, and thanks for the reassurance Logic just seems to elude me sometimes though.

example.zip

[comment]

Hey, no personal remarks, please.

(But if I thought you were stupid, I wouldn't bother.)

[Lee Smith]

Thanks Genx, nice job.

Now I see what I was doing wrong. At least I think so. I'll look deeper tomorrow.

Lee