I want to do something like that

Go To Layout [Any Layout Name Here]

Show All Records

Constrain Found Set

Constrain Found Set Again

Check for additionnal condition then

Constrain Found Set one more time

Sort

etc.

My main concern is that engine seems to start processing summaries and other stuffes behind the hood before I actually filter records out. Is there a way to prevent any processing before I actualy ask it to do so?

Kinda

Set Engine [Off]

Go To Layout [...]

Show All Records

[...]

Filter Out

Sort

Change my mind and Filter Out Again

Sort Again

Change my mind one more time and Filter Out

[...]

Set Engine [On]

Switch to Preview Mode

Thanks

Is there a way to prevent any processing before I actualy ask it to do so?

Indeed this is a metaphoric confusion here, summary fields doesn't belong to ordinary layouts ... only Subsummary reports - since it's the layout rendering that pulls evaluation. You're are probably fooled by the marketing efforts made by FMI - which tells you that this tool just is a spreadsheet + a percentage.

This means in your case that at least two layouts are needed for a solution, one for the sifting and one for the presentation.

BTW isn't there a point in first showing all records and then constraining those, the first time is just an ordinary Find, constrain is first meaningful when the found set is reduced.

Further does a hunch tell me that the solution also might be burdened by other dependencies ... how well is the normalization actually performed, the number of records could though prove this wrong, if we're dealing with found counts of records in the vicinity of 20000 -> 30000 ... could you make a screen-dump of the relations graph with each of the TO's expanded the most?

--sd

Our database design has a major flaw till it's a big "spreadsheet" rather than a true relation database with multiple tables. I doubt the structure of the database has anything aware with what I am looking for.

I'm prolly not the first one to use multiple "Constrain Found Set" and "Sort Records" commands to get desired result. I "MUST" use "Show All Records" cause I can't expect data to be already "unfiltered".

If it's a FM "Feature" (I wont say bug)... right, I'll deal with it but it makes layout loading time way way longer.

cause I can't expect data to be already "unfiltered

That the point I tried to convey, since there ought to be a distinctive difference between the workings of constrain found set on one side and then perform find on the other ... earlier on when constrain didn't occure among the commands should you indeed remember to "Show All..." to prevent errors.

I doubt the structure of the database has anything aware with what I am looking for

You have indeed high hopes for a deliberate tearing a tool out of it's realm ... why the hell bother with all that normal form crap, lets have some fun!

Perhaps we need a that someone reveals Rosenbergs e-mail address, so we could give him and his false assumtions that everything is done without any sort of development disipline, you can't really get away with suburban sprawl and piggibagging. Leave the templates as they are, a good laughter or a source of greevience.

The templates are just supposed to serve as inspiration, and as a prooff to management that you havn't wasted too much budget money ... but solutions should be build from scratch with propper planning ahead of doing anything with mouse and keyboard. If you think you're appearing more convincing when doing something with the computer use a mind-mapping tool or such.

--sd

Your "philosophy" makes me a bit confused but I'm not working with templates, samples or tutorials from FM but with our "legacy" database.

Even though building it again from scratch is an alternative, I doubt i'll achieve more. My concern is not the data nor the database but the engine itself.

Maybe I'm wrong the way I do it and it's the kind of tips I am looking for.

Should I try to achieve the save using only "find..." instead of "Constrain" ? Would it makes any difference ?

A Freeze Window script step at the beginning will do what you want, unless you're pausing the script when you "change your mind". If that's the case, I'd suggest making a separate layout without all the summary/unindexed calc fields that are slowing things down.

I don't see how you can even imply that a field showing the data you tell it to is a bug.

Should I try to achieve the save using only "find..." instead of "Constrain" ? Would it makes any difference ?

It might make a difference if you specify all your criteria first, then do a single Perform Find[] step. I don't quite see the point in hacking at it piecemeal like that - it's not sculpture.

Even with your current method, I would test if starting with Freeze Window[] makes a difference. Or:

Go To Layout [a blank layout of the same TO, with no fields on it]

Show All Records

Constrain Found Set

Constrain Found Set Again

Check for additionnal condition then

Constrain Found Set one more time

Sort

etc.

Go To Layout [the real layout]