Layout Design

[mpower]

This is a two part question.

1. I'd like to design a layout where the contact information from a seller table and buyer table displayed at the top side by side and the realted property information (with several tabs) at the bottom. Is this possible (if so can search through the various seller and buyer records while keeping the property record the same)

2. I'd like to create a button that would allow the the current seller record address information to be auto populated into the current property record. And antoher button that would connect the current buyer record to the current property record. That is of course if the answer to question 1 is yes. and if yes, how is that done?

Edited December 17, 2007 by Guest

[Phillip Holmes]

1. The first part is very possible of question 1. The last part is not possible because the very moment you move the record pointer to some other place you lose focus on all related records.

FileMaker can only work from a layout that is directly linked to one table. Other DB programs can give you the ability to create a form that handles more than one table, and work with records from those tables.

[CobaltSky]

It is indeed possible to display buyer and seller information at the top of a layout, with related property information below, and to search through the seller and buyer records while keeping the property record the same.

The way this is done is by establishing a relationship from the current layout's table occurrence (TO) to a TO of the property table, where they key field in the current (Buyer/Seller) TO is a global field. By providing a script to populate the global key field, you will establish the connection that causes a selected record from the properties table to display in the lower part of the screen, while you are free to search the records in the current TO (buyers/sellers).

So, in short, all of what you have described in part one of your question is not only possible, but relatively straightforward to set up.

The second part of your question is also not difficult. Both the buttons you require can simply write data from the current (Buyer/Seller) record directly into the currently displayed Property record via the relationship that allows the display of the selected Property record (the relationship based on the global field in the Buyer/Seller TO).

If your address is spread across multiple fields in each table, you will need a script that uses several Set Field[ ] steps to set each of the address values from the current Buyer/Seller record into the corresponding field in the current (related) proprerty record. You will be able to attach the script to your first button.

The button that creates a link between the current Buyer/Seller and the displayed Property record can be attached directly to the Set Field[ ] command, setting the current buyer/seller ID into a Buyer/Seller ID field in the Property table (you can set up a separate relationship that matches the buyer/seller ID in both tables, to access and use the link).

HTH.

[mpower]

It is indeed possible to display buyer and seller information at the top of a layout, with related property information below, and to search through the seller and buyer records while keeping the property record the same.

The way this is done is by establishing a relationship from the current layout's table occurrence (TO) to a TO of the property table, where they key field in the current (Buyer/Seller) TO is a global field. By providing a script to populate the global key field, you will establish the connection that causes a selected record from the properties table to display in the lower part of the screen, while you are free to search the records in the current TO (buyers/sellers).

So, in short, all of what you have described in part one of your question is not only possible, but relatively straightforward to set up.

The second part of your question is also not difficult. Both the buttons you require can simply write data from the current (Buyer/Seller) record directly into the currently displayed Property record via the relationship that allows the display of the selected Property record (the relationship based on the global field in the Buyer/Seller TO).

If your address is spread across multiple fields in each table, you will need a script that uses several Set Field[ ] steps to set each of the address values from the current Buyer/Seller record into the corresponding field in the current (related) proprerty record. You will be able to attach the script to your first button.

The button that creates a link between the current Buyer/Seller and the displayed Property record can be attached directly to the Set Field[ ] command, setting the current buyer/seller ID into a Buyer/Seller ID field in the Property table (you can set up a separate relationship that matches the buyer/seller ID in both tables, to access and use the link).

HTH.

Thanks! Cobaltksy, i was just about to scrap this project. I'm going to attempt do this with your suggestions. In the very likely chance that I can't pull this off, are you available for the development project? And if so, what are your rates? Feel free to email me. Thanks again!

Rod