Go to a specific portal row via search

[Brian Tanner]

After several hours of reading the posts I have successfully placed a portal on my layout .

(Please hold your applause until a later date

Now I have a new question for the group. After entering data into my portals I then want to search for something on one of the portal rows.

I enter find mode and enter my search data in the portal and execute my search. The search brings up the correct record but it does not go to the portal row with the data I was searching for. I have to scroll down sometimes 8 or more rows to get to the row with the data.

Is there a way to go to the portal row with the data I was searching for?

Also, the book they gave us here at school to work with is lacking in the portal information section. Is there any publication that has good portal information and examples?

Thanks,

Brian

Edited May 8, 2007 by Guest

[Søren Dyhr]

There are not clear and obvious answers to it because you might have instated a certain sortorder for your portal rows, which differes from the way the record creation order is. Further more migh you have searched on an arbitrary set of fields, which could match several records in the related table.

I wouldn't say it isn't posible to create a universal script to optain the desired result, but by and large do you need to look at the data at hand before you choose a strategy, because a looped script thru all portalrows to get the matching stuff ...is a bit clumsy, although you might borrow a technique or two from this:

http://www.filemakermagazine.com/videos/saved-searches-making-it-easy-to-search-again-and-again-and-again-br-free-video.html

--sd

[comment]

Be careful what you search for. The way you describe, you are searching for parent records with a child attribute (at least one child meets the criteria).

The result is a found set of parent records. Which of the children met the criteria is irrelevant here - it could be any or all of them, and there could be hundreds of them. If you are interested in the children, then do the find in the child table.

[Søren Dyhr]

If you are interested in the children, then do the find in the child table

I meant to say that as well, but forgot it when typing - Thanks Michael!

--sd

[Brian Tanner]

Yes, I understand what you are saying. You are correct I am searching in the child table from the parent table.

I guess my thought process is not correct here because if I now do a search from the child table, how do I view the information from the parent table as well.

Have I not now split the tables into parts?

Here is what I have, a parent table (I assume this is my main table) and the child table (from which the portal comes from (I think I have called those correctly).

The main table houses my students by name, date of birth etc (the standard stuff).

The (child)portal holds the course and the students grades etc.

If I have my layout open and I need to do a search in the portal for class 3307 Pre-Algebra, I assumed that I could just enter that into the portal row and it would bring up the records that contain 3307 Pre-Algebra.

Which it does, but it does not go to the specific portal row.

(Hope that gives an insight as to what I am doing, and from the postings I am not going about it the correct way).

I really appreciate everyone taking their time with a beginner. Trust me I know how difficult it can be at times (I have 25 students all on different levels).

Brain

Edited May 8, 2007 by Guest

[comment]

There is no single correct answer here - it all depends on what you want.

First, the method you described accomplishes the goal - it finds the students in the class. Your complaint is only that you don't see WHY a student was found.

Next, you can of course place fields from parent record on a child layout.

Another method would involve going to related record (show related only) from a course record (assuming you have a table of courses), instead of searching.

[Brian Tanner]

Thanks I see a couple of options here.

Your complaint is only that you don't see WHY a student was found

Sorry, I may have not made clear what I was trying to accomplish . My original need was for my search in the portal area on my parent table, to bring up those records and take me to the portal row with the data searched.

As it is now, I do the search inside the portal and it does bring up the records but I guess I assumed that since I did the search inside the portal, it would bring up the record as well as displaying the correct portal row with the searched data.

Its not really a problem, I mean it does bring up the corret records, I just have to do a little scrolling in the portal to locate the class I searched for.

Thanks for your time, I look forward to reading and learning more.

Brian

Edited May 8, 2007 by Guest

[Søren Dyhr]

from a course record (assuming you have a table of courses), instead of searching

Brian, I hope you see the tiny hint here? We find your relational structure incomplete, if you structure your solution by the book would it be a many-to-many structure here, and simply by searching or singling out the course in it it's own table will you be able to show both the grades from the join table and the students name next to it although it's tunneled one relational jump more.

The portal seen from courses might have two sort orders one for grade and another for students name. It's a tiny relational error to have the course name actually stored in the portal seen from the student side of the matter ...it should be referenced.

--sd

[Brian Tanner]

I think I am getting a better understanding after reading some of the postings here and looking at some examples.

Thanks again.

Brian