I have 3 different databases holding customer names and addresses. Is there a way to add a relationship that enables a search that finds out what database a customer is in?

For example, the databases are Company A, Company B, and Company C and I want to see what database(s) Joe Smith is in.

Right now I have the databases connected in a relationship through the name (First, middle, and last); it recognizes if the name exists in the other database. I was thinking there might be a way that I could create another database and link the 3 to that one and have the fields in the new database just point to the corresponding fields in the other databases for the search. Anybody have any ideas? Is this even possible?

RsChantell

I am sure that there is a better way of doing this.

Create a script with a custom dialog box and attach a field so a user can enter a name.

using the set field command set a global field in each database and run a find script in each db and attached a custom dialog box with a if statement that if the name is found the custom dialog would appear stating that the name is in this db.

Hope this helps

Why keep three tables instead of one?

I'm with comment, would it not be easier to keep them all in one file/table and have a Company Type Field?

There is a possibility that in the future that one of the companies could decide to manage their own database and this makes it easier to remove them from our files and not lose anything. That is why we decided to go with multiple files.

Right now I am following something similar to Big Bear. I decided to do a find in each database and copy the name and the ID to a 'dump' table in the main database so the user can see a list of all the names similar to the one they want. once the user is done, it will clear the table. the only problem I can see is if 2 people search at the same or just a little different time. the table is set to clear when starting a new search, so the first search will be cleared. Any suggestions as how I could improve this? Thanks

Any suggestions as how I could improve this?

Yes. Put them all in the same table. If and when one of the companies decides to manage their own database, you will find their people (by searching the Company field), export them, and delete them.

Until then, the separation doesn't make sense, and it's only causing problems such as this one (there will very likely be more).