copying multiple field data into a new record

[Stuartey]

Hi there, I am learning the Filemaker ropes and need some advice. Not even sure if I am in the right topic section. I am trying to create an application that manages property rentals including the payment of utilities. Each property has fields, 'rent from' and 'rent to' eg 1st Feb 2008 to 29th Feb 2008 and 'current' and 'previous' electric readings. I want the user to perform a search for the property, this brings up portals with all the previous payment records. They then click a button to create a new record, the new record is pre-popluated with some of the data from the previous record. Specifically I want the data from the 'rent to' to go into the new 'rent from' field and similarly the current electric reading to go into the new previous reading.

Is this all down to scripting or is there an easy way to do this. I would appreciate someone pointing me in the right direction as this is a must have feature to save time and errors.

Thanks in advance.

[Søren Dyhr]

If you make a selfjoin on the foreignKey, could you stuff:

http://www.filemaker.com/help/FunctionsRef-340.html

Into the fields as autoenter values, picking the previous records end date and putting it into the new portalrow record's start date.

--sd

[Stuartey]

Hello Saren,

Thanks for the advice, I think I understand. I will attempt to set this up but as a complete novice it will take some time. No doubt I will need more help.

Thanks.

[Stuartey]

Hello again Soren,

I have been trying to get this working but without success. If possible could you elaborate in some more detail the steps required to make this work. As a beginner I am finding it difficult to understand.

Thanks in advance.

Stuart Duncan

[Søren Dyhr]

See if you can understand the way the approach works in this template?

--sd

test.zip

[Søren Dyhr]

I want the user to perform a search for the property, this brings up portals with all the previous payment records. They then click a button to create a new record, the new record is pre-popluated with some of the data from the previous record

Portals huh?? Even in plural ... please explain, are you portal'izing the result of requests or....? It could of course be done via a CF ... is it really what you mean here, something in the vicinity of this:

http://www.nightwing.com.au/FileMaker/demos8/demo804.html

--sd

[Stuartey]

Hi Soren,

Thanks for sending through the example, I have applied this to my database and now have it working, pulling the previous reading. This has saved me so much time. Just so you understand my overall goal. The way it is currently setup is as follows. I have a 'homes' table, on the layout I currently have 2 'record' portals, one displays RENT information, the other ELECTRIC information.They are displaying different fields but from the same records table. I am trying to make the interface as simple as possible and mimic the way records are processed manually, where they are written into a ledger card for each home. This is how I want it to work. Residents generally pay their rent and electric at the beginning of each month. Perform a find on the home, check via the portal that the database matches what is in their rent record book. Rather than enter the new information into the portal, Click a 'Make New Payment' button that creates a new record for that home ID, enter the rent data and the new electric readings, database works out the units used and cost, enter the payment amounts and save. Things I have still to figure out. among others

1. The resident may not pay the complete electric amount and therefore leave a balance outstanding. I need to be able to have a running balance field that takes into account, the amount due and amount paid. I am thinking that using the Last function may work somehow? After that there is loads more functionality required, but one day at a time!

No doubt this is all simple stuff but to a beginner it is difficult. Any help you can offer sure is appreciated. (It took me all of last week to get my head around relationships/foreign keys etc, did not help that Filemaker Pro 9 Missing manual had a diagram on pg321 the opposite to what it should have been.

Regards, Stuart

[Søren Dyhr]

I need to be able to have a running balance field that takes into account, the amount due and amount paid. I am thinking that using the Last function may work somehow?

It would you can indeed make the result a calc' the value transfered to the new record, but unstored values might be a problem here - Related summary fields, manipulated via a calc'field might though yield better results if the golden ledger rule of not writing in previous posts when the record is made, in any way could be violated.

This violation could be something very simple that the customer pays bills in reverse order... here are my thoughts:

--sd

test2.zip

[Stuartey]

Hi Soren,

Thanks for taking the time to help me on this. In your latest example would it be possible to have the running balance amount displayed in the portal. In your previous post you directed me to Nightwing, on there I found something called 'Carry/Calculate down' that uses a Zipp script plug-in. For some reason the demo file crashes filemaker but might this be another possible solution?

It is highly unlikely that the user would write in previous records.

Thanks

[Stuartey]

Hi again Soren,

I tried something with related summary fields and have got it kind of working. However when you enter a new record in the portal, as you enter data and tab along, the runtotal figures disappear from view, to get them back you have to click in each records runtotal field, any ideas how to sort this.

I have attched the file so you can see what I mean

Thanks,

Stuart

test2.zip

[Søren Dyhr]

There's more to try out here:

http://www.databasepros.com/FMPro?-DB=resources.fp5&-lay=cgi&-format=list.html&-FIND=+&resource_id=DBPros000334

as well as:

http://www.databasepros.com/FMPro?-DB=resources.fp5&-lay=cgi&-format=list.html&-FIND=+&resource_id=DBPros000333

--sd