Repeating "Set Fields" ...

[Davester]

Hello all. Please excuse my newbieness. I have a script here that I can't get to work. It's a script that looks up a date in the DB via custom dialog. Once it has gone throught multiple sections (fields) to find this date; I want to take that set found and copy them into a new set of blank fields to emulate those that have been found. The reason for that is because I want to add another condition that if those set of date fields are blank, don't show that row of fields. Anyhow, right now I can find the set of records but it is not copying and pasting with the exception of the first repetition. I have a screenshot of what I have here: http://www.benecab.com/misc/4523453456.gif

It looks real messy right now since I have played and tried everything. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Søren Dyhr]

It looks real messy right now since I have played and tried everything

No you havn't, Orders: shows up all over the place, you should approach it a tad more relational to be honest - the use of a naming like door3 is giving you away!!!

All these values should be broken out in another table, and although you migt pull of a trick or two with repeating fields should you ignore them for a while.

We have 3-4 similar questions here every day, where we seems to think all kind of polite ways to put things, that a reward for diplomacy should be granted on regular basis.

In short, ditch repeating fields!

--sd

[Fitch]

The term "repetitions" has a specific meaning in FileMaker that is not actually applicable to what you're doing here. But what you are doing is A Bad Thing.

Rather than creating duplicate groups of fields for each project, you should create a separate table with ONE instance of each field (Finish, Frame, Door, etc.).

This gives you a number of advantages, e.g., for each project you will have the flexibility of adding one door or a thousand; you will be able to sort and summarize much more easily; your database will be much easier to maintain, since when you need a new field you only add one instance of it instead of 4 or more; etc.

It's twice as worthwhile in your case since you have TWO tables worth of duplicate field groups!

[Davester]

The reason I have it set up like that is because each Project (with the Job Number being PK) has 8 sections. So on my page I have a tabed window with 8 sections like this: http://www.benecab.com/misc/proj_trax_prod.gif . Now I know this may not be the most efficient way of designing this.

Going back to my original question. I may not have explained my self correctly. But what I' am trying to do is generate a report out of the page I described above. The report is supposed to find all the jobs according via a custom dialog window asking to enter a date. What it's doing is only displaying the first row and not the rest. Does this make sense? The report should look like the one here: http://www.benecab.com/misc/proj_trax_rep.gif

Thank you all for your response and for helping a new guy to FileMaker. It is greatly appreciated

Edited October 5, 2007 by Guest

[Søren Dyhr]

But what I' am trying to do is generate a report out of the page I described above

Reports in the common filemaker sense is made of records in plural, not fields - if they really needs to be broken out in several tables like Fitch says is a good question, but at least one more table is required ...checkout David Kachels "Tiered..." structure.

By having them all broken out into a the same other table makes the grouping via sorts pretty convenient. The intire solution should be morphing from fields into fields in each their own record and from there make the reporting with genuine summary fields.

Fitch is absolutely right when he says:

you will be able to sort and summarize much more easily

In fact would I say novice can't pull it off, in any other way I'm afraid!

--sd

[Fitch]

What it's doing is only displaying the first row and not the rest. Does this make sense?

This latest question could be one of several things: are the expected records in your found set, but not printing? If so, is your layout set to view as list? If it's a subsummary report, have you sorted it correctly?

I probably won't have much time to look at this further, so I hope someone else will jump in. If not, feel free to ask your question again.