Display Values from list with commas

[mkruter]

I have a checkbox set. On a report I would like to display the results of the field from the checkbox in a single row with each value separated by a comma (or anything, really). Filemaker automatically places the next value on a new line.

Thanks in advance, Marc

[Søren Dyhr]

There's a bit more to it, the sort-order is as the entries have been made, this will make the reading in the report hard to say the least, therefore should the entries come say alphabetically, so my suggestions go this way:

Let(theString = 

Substitute(FilterValues ( ValueListItems ( Get ( FileName ) ; "theList" ) ; aField );"¶";", ");

Left(theString;Length(theString)-2))

--sd

[John Sindelar]

This will turn...

Jill

Beth

Susan

...into Jill, Beth and Susan.

Hope it helps.

Let ( [

n = YourCheckBoxField ;

x = Substitute ( n ; "¶" ; ", " )

];

If ( PatternCount ( x ; ", " ) ; Replace ( x ; Position ( x ; ", " ; 1 ; PatternCount ( x ; ", " ) ) ; 2 ; " and " ) ; x )

)

Edited January 23, 2008 by Guest

[Søren Dyhr]

Nice twist John!

--sd

[mkruter]

John, BRAVO!

That is super awesome. Works like a charm and all I had to do was cut and paste +replace field name. Wow, I wish you could ask you all my FM questions. I'm gonna check out your site a bit later. Thanks!!!

[mkruter]

OK, new problem same source.

I now would like to generate a report using the vales from my checkbox to sort. Among other values in the list are "Back Cover", "1/2 Page B&W", "Listing", etc. I would like a sub-summary field to list values from the list with businesses below. Currently, if a business has "Listing" checked as well as "Back Cover" and another business has only "Listing" checked they show up as two separate categories.

What I would like is to have each category listed only once and businesses listed once for each ad placed. A business that has two values chosen from the checkbox will show up more than once, one time per category.

[Søren Dyhr]

Use the checkbox field in the customers table as join in a sans-table many-2-many, report from the values table via a calc'field and sliding objects.

--sd

makeStats.zip

[mkruter]

Your example certainly solves the problem as well as another that I had (I was generating a report and sorting by a value list. But since not all the values in the list are associated with a customer they are not all showing up. I wanted to have them all show up so I can see what values had no customers).

But I don't understand it and have no idea how to incorporate it into my solution.

[Søren Dyhr]

I wanted to have them all show up so I can see what values had no customers).

My approach seems to do so - doesn't it? You have to investigate the functions involved:

http://www.filemaker.com/help/FunctionsRef-39.html

http://www.filemaker.com/help/FunctionsRef-215.html

+ the sliding feature to the repeating field, show in the image above.

--sd

[mkruter]

Yeah, this seems a little beyond me now. I really wish I knew what you are talking about! What I need, I guess, is someone to help me design my database from scratch and walk me through it's development. Aside from all these details the whole thing is probably not set up logically

Aside from spending a lot of money do you know where I can get some free consulting? I know I can ask questions here but it's a bit tedious to ask one question at a time and have it explained in jargon that makes no sense to me.

Edited January 25, 2008 by Guest

[Lee Smith]

.... I guess, is someone to help me design my database from scratch and walk me through it's development.

.....do you know where I can get some free consulting? ..... .

There is nothing free. You might check your local community college to see if they offer a class on FileMaker, there are videos, and classes, seminars, that are offered at some of our sponsor's sites, and be sure to check out the Resource Topic Area here.

There is a Classified Topic Area, where you can solicit help, but you will probably have to pay for the help.

HTH

Lee

[mkruter]

I have watched countless hours of video (mainly JMOsborne tutorials) and have searched forums and sites for answers. I have come a long way and have developed a solid solution. But I'm not an engineer, math savvy or a programmer or developer. Most of the software that is designed for guys like me is children's play (Bento, etc.). I love the stuff that FileMAker can do and I just wish that there existed instructions that explain it in lay terms, for a guy like me!

[John Sindelar]

Not to disagree with Lee, but I've always found there to be a ton of free consulting, help, etc. on these forums and from FileMaker developers in general. This is probably the most generous tech community out there, and that is certainly how I learned FileMaker: by reading everything these generous people had to say.

But, at some point you do need to kind of *get* the fundamentals of FileMaker relationships and sub-summaries: the two foundation concepts at play in this thread. (As Lee suggested, you may want to hire a developer to walk you through how this applies to your solution.) Though pretty dry, I find FileMaker's own training book to be pretty good on both topics and I think that if you return here after reading the relevant chapters you'll see all this in a new light. There are other great books out there, but when it comes to the basics, this seems the most concise to me:

FileMaker Professional Training Book

[Lee Smith]

I did not mean to imply that there wasn't free help, my response was tailored to the tutoring part of the reply.

In fact, I was getting ready to respond to mkruter last post, when you posted yours. You pretty much said what I had in mind. Thanks for pointing out my oversight.

Lee

[John Sindelar]

LOL. No oversight at all; you were right on the money in suggesting outside help.

Here is where I fall all over myself complimenting Lee for his amazing contributions to this forum. But let just one fact, Lee's 6534 posts (!), stand in for what a generous group this is.

[mkruter]

Thanks guys. Mid last week I ordered the "Filemaker Pro * Missing Manual". I honestly never heard of the training series published by filemaker. I feel that is pretty sad marketing on their behalf. Considering I have spend some time searching for good training and have found a lot of it (which includes this forum, JMO tutorials and several books that are recommended on Amazon) I never heard of the filemaker pro training book until John mentioned it. Since it comes with sample files I may purchase it but only after I check out the book I just ordered.

Just to agree with you both- it's true, I have a working knowledge of how FileMaker works and how to make it work, but it's in the relationship and strategy areas that I am not confident. And those are the biggies. I know that JMO offers strategy training but it is a huge expense. I will check out the resources that you have mentioned and hope they help. Otherwise I may need to eventually, when I can afford and justify the expense, hire a consultant to walk me through it.

In the meantime, expect to see me here every once in a while

Thanks again,

Marc

Edited January 27, 2008 by Guest

[Søren Dyhr]

I will not dissuade your purchase of the book, but merely the notion that there might be lying a shortcut hidden somewhere (single bullet theory), all internet likings, books etc. are just what they - tools.

Getting the gist of something completely different, a simple thing like a disorganized life, where no-one ever have paced or motivated you into a discipline or manners, will make all manuals without exception look incomplete and somewhat missing in reach.

You are free to believe you have a talent, but all spoiled kids believe they have:

Yet this belief in the importance of innate talent, strongest perhaps among the experts

themselves and their trainers, is strangely lacking in hard evidence to substantiate it.

Being accidentally born into a Richard Floridan discourse, might be giving you the motivation, but not the urge to sharpen skills hard enough, since you have gotten the notion you always can pick from a plenty of sources as well as there always might people around to use and abuse.

There isn't any inadequate tools or tools manuals as such, but always only a perception problem with the people using them, causing them to label their problems wrongly or attempts to tear a tool out of its realm.

Properly skilled people will always know the workarounds, the exceptions and when to practice pragmatism, but in particular when to break the rules. Improvisation requires how hard and unfair it might seem ...skills and qualifications and even with tools seemingly inadequate for the purpose.

The skills required universally - no matter what you dig into are 3 things, practice, practice and practice.

--sd

[mkruter]

Um, ok then. Huh?