Relationships - I Think?

[GaryB]

Hello,

Just learning FM and what I am trying to do is within an order entry system pull client information from a separate database populating the information into the main order entry data base by selecting a client from a drop down list...am I explaining myself clearly?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

thx

G

[The Shadow]

I was just about to reply, then I saw you're using FMP 4 - I'm not even sure what that one has.

If you want to keep the client data in the other file, you need to create a relationship to it (on clientId, for example) that will let you display those related fields in this file. You can create a value list that shows all clients from that related file, and use it to setup your popup list.

[GaryB]

Thank you...I have done that and it works. But I don't think it is the correct way of doing what I want to accomplish.

Scenario: I have the main database whereby a relationship is set to match the customer and pull customer information over from another database.However,if the other database is for some reason not there the fields in the main database show as which I understand. My question is, how do I keep the fields populated without having the other database around?

Thank you

G

[Genx]

Well the data is never really "pulled" across from the other database in the sense your thinking...

Even while it's on your layout, the data is being displayed directly from the other file and when you save it, it is being saved back to the other Database (hence why you get when your file reference is missing)... None of the data is actually ever physically stored in your primary file.

[GaryB]

Is it possible to have the data physically stored in my primary file?

Thank you very much

G

[Genx]

Not in FileMaker 4.

[GaryB]

Which version and is it straight forward to do?

Thank you

G

[Genx]

Well... Prior to FileMaker 7, all tables had to be kept in separate files i.e. each file represented a table...

In FileMaker 7+ every file can have lots of tables...

[comment]

However,if the other database is for some reason not there

A file is just a file. A Filemaker solution can have many files (in versions before 7, it practically had to have multiple files to be useful). A solution needs all its files in order to work. So you should eliminate, as much as as possible, any reasons for the 'other file' not to be there.

For example, you could put all your files in a 'Required Files' folder buried deep in the solution's folder, and access them through a shortcut. Or you could have your main file at the top level, with auxiliary files hiding in the folder.

[GaryB]

Sounds complicated...is there anyway to just copy and paste with the same result?

Thank you

G

[comment]

I don't think I understand your problem. How will you copy from a file of clients, if it isn't there? But if it is, than a relationship will fetch the client info as soon as you select a client for the order - much simpler and neater than copy/paste.

[GaryB]

I have the relationship but going back to my scenario

"Scenario: I have the main database whereby a relationship is set to match the customer and pull customer information over from another database.However,if the other database is for some reason not there the fields in the main database show as which I understand. My question is, how do I keep the fields populated without having the other database around?"

Thank you

G

[Genx]

Why won't the other database be around though... that's what I think comment's questions were trying to work out...

If the main file is there, why cant your secondary file just be in the same folder as your main file?

[comment]

To answer your question literally: define some fields in the 'main' database to hold this information, and make them lookup the required data from the customer file, using the relationship.

But any serious solution spans several files, and cannot work when some are missing. Even a basic ordering solution needs at least 4 files: Customers, Orders, OrderItems and Products. There is no "main" file to hold ALL of the information for the entire solution.