Creating many Duplicate records with different IDs

[Himself]

So I am making an inventory database. There are large purchases of identical items. Ninty percent of the records content can be identical except for say an Inventory ID and the parts serial number.

I want a data entry person to be able to create one record that has all the identical stuff entered then multiply that by the number of acctual items. If that werent all I also want the script to auto create the inventory Ids for each record basically leaving only the parts serial number empty.

To make things crazier the Inventory Ids are comprised of the two digit year of purchase "-" 4 digit incrementing number followed by a letter to indicate what the items is. example 07-0001C this is the first computer for 2007, C is for computer, P for printer and so on. Inventory Ids are unique and there may be multiple large purchases a year.

Oh yeah this is also going to be used with IWP so no custom dialog boxes.

Is there a way to put a field on a form that is just a variable for an equation or does it realy need to part of the records?

I know this will take some time to figure out for me so I am posting this early in the effort to save time on my part.

[Søren Dyhr]

Be warned that ID's used for relational linkings not should exhibit humanreadable information, but instead follow the simplest of all schemes autoenter serialnumbers ...they are not supposed to fall into the wrong hands, causing orphans!

This means that you might build an unstored calc'field translating the ID's into something a user might understand!

It's pretty basic knowledge that a single fact per field is the way to produce the most agile databases (1NF) - However is there perhaps great inspiration to find by dissecting this template:

http://www.databasepros.com/FMPro?-DB=resources.fp5&-lay=cgi&-format=list.html&-FIND=+&resource_id=DBPros000121

Which is a classic template you need to upgrade to your version, simply by dragging it ontop of your filemaker applications icon.

The bare creation of multiple records could be done this way:

http://fmcollective.com/2007/04/18/creating-multiple-child-records-from-a-list/

--sd

[Himself]

Thank you very much both links were helpful.

I agree it would be better to make the ID a simple serial number, unfortunatly I dont have a say. There are already thousands of items with tags following the already mentioned schema and they are scattered over a large region. The one enlisting my help for thier new database has made it clear they dont want to retag thier items, plus they like it. I had actually figured on contatenating:

Right(GetAsText ( Get(CurrentDate));2)&"-"&Right(GetAsText ( "0000"&item incremential);4)&reftb_Type::ID Code

"07-0001C"

The piece I was missing was reseting the "item incremential" every year, "Item incremential" is just a field with an auto enter serial number. Lucky for me Filemaker lets reset the serial number.

Now my hang up is that the id is being generated before an actual type (ie c for computer) is selected. --> "07-0001"

I could achieve the correct Id through a script I suppose. To bad Filemaker doesnt use event triggering... yet. Does any one know if this is on the horrizon?

[Søren Dyhr]

Now my hang up is that the id is being generated before an actual type (ie c for computer) is selected. --> "07-0001"

I could achieve the correct Id through a script I suppose. To bad Filemaker doesnt use event triggering... yet.

Doesn't it??? ...take a closer look at:

http://www.filemakerpros.com/NUMFORM.zip

Strictly speaking isn't it event triggers, but you can cascade the modification of a stored number, via the autoenter (update) facilities. So the hen/egg isn't really a problem.

Does any one know if this is on the horrizon?

My take at is that as long as filemaker provides unstored calc'fields which rerenders on various layout-events, will it never find it's way into the tool. It's avoided to prevent cascaded triggings, something 3rd party plugins never have avoided completely!

--sd

[Himself]

Event Triggering... yes to an extent filemaker has some event triggering. Since I am not nearly educated enough in FM I dont really have the chops to debate in any issue regarding FM.

I will thank you agian though. The example showed me that if I uncheck the "Do not replace existing value(if any)" on the auto enter calc tab, as soon as the type is selected it updates the id.

This means that if down the line someone thinks the type is wrong and changes it the Id updates but the original physical tag on the item remains the same.

Gotta love it.

I think I will correct this with a user manual stating that if the type and id are changed the item needs to be retagged. I could also just not let them change the type once it is created. Problem solved. Haha

Seriously though thanks again these posts are really helpful.