quick question

[vixster]

hi.. i'm new here..

i would like to search the field with a list of numbers.. how can i do this with out using "new request." i would search 5133 then 39020, then 200303, 20202...is there a way i can do this all at once? like and "and" sign. thank you!

[Lee Smith]

Hi vixster, and welcome to the Forum.

As you described your need, each number doesn't seem to have anything to do the others. What is it that you are really wanting to find? If it is truly one number, and then a different number, etc . than U R Stuck with the [color:blue]Or find. An [color:blue]And find would only find a Record where all of the conditions are met, I doubt that that would be the case, but again, we don't know enough to suggest it.

Someone once told me that, the more convoluted the find request, the more likely the need for a relationship.

HTH

Lee

[vixster]

thanks much for responding..

i do infact want to find all the numbers... hence 19393 and 30302 and 299393 and 20202.. so i may have a list if 23 different numbers and find 'new request' cumbersome.. i thought perhaps there may be a special char. like the coma, that will look for all these numbers that exisits in a list. does this help more?

[Fenton]

Enter them as return separated values in a global field (has to be type Text to allow returns). Then Exit Record, and use a relationship from the global to the number field, to Go To Related Record [ show only related records ]. It doesn't matter that one field is Text and the other Number. That is the fastest and most accurate way.

[comment]

You need a separate request for each number, if you want an OR find. To make it less cumbersome, have a script create the requests for you. Here's an example of such script - though it may need some work to adapt it to v.4:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/181329/

EDIT:

Or do what Fenton said.

Edited June 19, 2007 by Guest

[vixster]

so basically, if i am understanding correctly, i would need to have a script to do an AND. so it repeats for the next search for that field?

with all the cool features, i would have thought that a special char. like "&" would let me search for multiple numbers in one field. but i suppose i don't understand it enough for me to think it this way. so i guess the only way is to do a "new request" or use a scrpt.

right.

[comment]

I am afraid you have lost me. I think we are all assuming here that you want to find records that contain 5133 in a certain field, and also find other records that contain 39020 in the same field, and also ... if so, that is a logical OR search (criteria are alternative, not cumulative).

To do a logical AND search, you would just type your criteria into the field as separate words, in a single request.

Reading the help on finding records could be... well, helpful.

[vixster]

i am sorry if my explanation is poor.

i think i may be getting confused with the language.

let's say i have a database of phone numbers..

i want to do a find on the first 3 digits of the phone numbers (knowing it's a separate field) of '383' and 302 and 202 and 300 and so on and so on... should this be a script or is there an easy way to do this find in the field?

i looked in the the notes about this but didn't see if this is possible..

thanks again..

[Genx]

383*

Edit: Ah, right... oops, no (didn't read previous posts, sorry).

Edited June 19, 2007 by Guest

[comment]

You will need to create a separate find request for each one of '383' and 302 and 202 and 300 and so on and so on...

You can do this manually, or you could enter the values into a global field, click a button and have a script create the requests for you automatically. Or, as Fenton suggested, you could skip find altogether, and get to the matching records by a relationship. The choice is a matter of convenience.

[Genx]

See if this file helps.

example.zip

[Genx]

If you were doing the find around another find, e.g. searching for the person's name as well, you could do a perform find first with no number, and then constrain the set instead of extending it ... but you didn't make it clear.

[comment]

Not in version 4.

[Genx]

Sigh... ignore everything i just said, I see that you're on FileMaker Pro 4.

[vixster]

oh snap, my bad.. totally embrassed

i'm using fmp 8 and 8.5..

how much does this change your thoughts!! argh...

[comment]

Not much. The three basic options are the same. The script can be shorter, that's about all.