Finding and elimiting duplicates

[manatee]

I have a situation where I import transactions from our customers, and then I use that data to track the customers and send them emails. However, many of the customers have multiple transactions and their names show up several times. So them when the email goes out, it is sent several times. What is the best way to set this up to find the unique values.

Thank you!

[Genx]

Have a seperate Customers table?

[manatee]

sort of. I wasn't sure the best way to create that relationship. I have it based on the order number right now.

[Søren Dyhr]

It's something in the vicinity of this:

http://www.databasepros.com/FMPro?-DB=resources.fp5&-lay=cgi&-format=list.html&-FIND=+&resource_id=DBPros000686

--sd

[manatee]

In looking at the script I believe it may be helpful, but I am not sure if it needs to go to that extent. What I have is:

January:

Customer 1: Name, address, etc. Purchases product A; Contact: Yes

May:

Customer 1: Name address, etc. Purchases product B; Contact: No

Each time they have the choice to set an option to be contact by us. If I do my script now, I look for all "yes" selections, but the customer chose recently to be "No". So if I go, I will be against their request.

How do i see that they are the same customer, and the status of the "Contact field" Should I do this at import of the purchase data?

Thank you.

[Søren Dyhr]

I would see if I could get away with name and address as criteria keys to group them by, unless you have a unique customers ID, it's where I use the Company name as Key value, and the concatenation of those as breaker for the GetSummary(

CustomersID is ideal, the multicriteria breaks with the tiniest typo....

The field I call "Repeating Part" should be two repeating calc'fields one for product and one for contact. Now the number of repetitions should be equal for the two, and accomodate enough place to reach each of the products possible. This means that if each customers roster contains 100 record should 100 repeating values be available for the sake it might happen.

--sd

[manatee]

Great help thank you!!