portal to display multiple records

[Jie]

I have used filemarker 3 years ago, but could not remember how I created a portal fields. Fo example, i have a table only with two fields "name", and "hobboy". How to define a self-join relationship so that i can enter multiple recrods into the "hobby" field?? I am depressed that the Filemaker Pro 9 does NOT give a good example on this issue..

Thanks!!

Jie

[Tori Mitchell]

Okay... let's go about this a slightly different way.

You can create self-join relationships by simply setting up one in the relationship graph... but given the example, I'm a little confused as to why you're doing so.

Any clarifications that you can provide?

[Jie]

Hi, I just want to create a field that can hold multiple rows. For example, if I create a table with two fields "PatientID" and "Visits". For each patientID, there are multiple visits. I want to create a form where multiple visits can be entered. I really hope that this simple scenario explains my needs well.

[Tori Mitchell]

Yup... but the relational theory behind that is a little more complex. What you're talking about is a classic one to many relationship (at least it's not a many-to-many).

What you have is something like this:

Patients

- id

- first name

- last name

Visits

- id

- date

- doctor seen

- patient_id

What you'll have is a record for a patient:

1002

John

Doe

and a record for his visit:

3953

2/22/2007

1336 (external key for a doctor)

1002 (the patient's id)

You'd link it on the relationship graph and whatnot in a very basic manner. Problem is, I don't have the space here to explain much relational theory sooooo, I'll kick you over to this book. It's really the best primer on any of this stuff and will give you the foundation that you need to build solutions like what you're talking about.