Searching using two fields

[aeon]

Hello everyone!

Here goes my first post:

I've been banging my head a lot with a I've read a bunch of post here at fmforums.com but I still can't get it right!

I have two fields, "date1" and "date2" (very original) in the "Search" layout, and what I want to do is find all the records between the two dates in those fields and show them on the "Results" layout.

I've tried making a find request script but with I enter something like ">date1

I'd be very apreciated for some help in the matter!

Thank you in advance.

[Søren Dyhr]

Try to read here:

http://www.filemaker.com/help/03-Finding%20sorting6.html

--sd

[aeon]

Try to read here:

http://www.filemaker.com/help/03-Finding%20sorting6.html

--sd

Hello Søren!!

I've seen this help already, but thank you very much trying to help!

D

[Søren Dyhr]

Ah! it's interpretation of it then, try this:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showpost.php?post/252326/

....or perhaps better instead:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showpost.php?post/252315/

--sd

Edited May 31, 2007 by Guest

[comment]

Indeed, why make it simple, if it can be complex?

[Søren Dyhr]

Ha! ...what the most important thing users could optain from this forum? Something that leads to further reflexion or quick down and dirty fixes, no questions asked?

This is the difference between induction and then deduction - I do indeed subscripe to the socratic noise approach ...how much is achieved by drilling someone into robotic or cruise controlish behavior, unless you have Machiavellian aspirations, and are in dire need for such obedient subjects?

--sd

[comment]

what the most important thing users could optain from this forum?

I would say a solution to the problem they presented - not to one they didn't. If you want to expand further, that's fine. But in this case, the s/Sn (signal-to-Socratic-noise ratio) was all in favor of the noise.

[Søren Dyhr]

But this seems to be the real problem!

I have two fields, "date1" and "date2" (very original) in the "Search" layout, and what I want to do is find all the records between the two dates in those fields and show them on the "Results" layout

What is missing here is a proper description of what these fields are, is it a pair of globals ...should it then be solved via a GTRR instead? Should we just shrug and say "not enough to go on" or should we attempt to ring in the eventual strayers in the reasoning?

A fair assumtion is that your suggestion, is just as far from solution as the qustioner have been yet, and that the more proper aiming just is a shot in the dark.

--sd

[comment]

find all the records between the two dates

I think this is pretty clear (and simple). You pointed at a thread that was specifically dealing with finding records with much more complex criteria.

What is missing here is a proper description of what these fields are, is it a pair of globals ...should it then be solved via a GTRR instead?

But you didn't address any of these issues.

[Søren Dyhr]

I'm still in the pretending "utterly ignorant" fase! Perhaps schrugging is better??

Well I better start to behave, let's assume it the very same field each record holds a range between. This will cause troubles since overlapping events could start both before and after the requests start value, and similar goes with the end date....

It's easy enough to establish if a single date in within a range or not, but to get the overlapping is a bit tougher first search after those which have an enddate before the search range's start and those with start after the seach range's end. These two sets omitted give what matches both ...only problem is that it's pretty dificult to make in a script, constraining on empy sets etc.

This is why global fields can come in handy to control a CF, such as http://www.briandunning.com/cf/8 this is used for the primary side of the relations in a GTRR(so), similar have the two original fields a calc'field they pull, which acts as secondary key for a selfjoin relation. So to establish a found set of overlapping records is a GTRR which means staying in browsemode.

Well the challenge is if this is posible without relations, that is dissection of the original request into two constrained omitted requests??

--sd

[aeon]

I'd like to thank you both for helping me out!

It's working perfectly now!

Indeed, why make it simple, if it can be complex?

Indeed it was simple just had to make the datefrom and dateto global fields, but can you explain me what's the diference about a global field and a "regular" one?

[comment]

A global field doesn't belong to any specific record. You can read more about this in Help > Creating a database > Setting options for fields > Defining global fields (fields with global storage).

The important aspects here are (1) that search criteria are not data, therefore you don't want users entering them into a specific record, and (2) that the contents of global fields are accessible in Find mode.

[comment]

let's assume ... each record holds a range

Let's not.

It's easy enough to establish if a single date in within a range or not

That was my point.