If I have a text field that contains a particular state. How do i return a list of all states that are being used for the found records.

Depends what you mean... You could make a subsummary layout. You could export to a text file. You could go to a layout with just that field on it and use the Copy All Records command. You could loop through the records with a script or a custom function, e.g. http://www.briandunning.com/cf/471 . A custom function is a nice way to do it. Did you need to get rid of duplicates or not? There are some other examples on Dunning's site that do that.

Eventhough Tom just descriped the most commonly used methods, could it be interesting to see a solution encompassing a lot of the ways in one single template - since you are a little thrifty when mentioning purpose and context, would it indeed be nice to know what your take on a list is?

http://www.filemakerpros.com/GetNthRecordTAIL.zip

I would say that Copy All Records only should be used when speed is crucial, since it's a bad programming habit to involve the users clipboard.

Further should it be considered if the listing should undergo a "only one of each" algorithm or the same thing should be solved relationally - is this a reporting issue or a wish to see this in browse-mode?

--sd

I'm trying capture a summary of this text field and then in another table create a new record for every for every summary. another words no duplicates. I've tried using a loop in a script but can't get the right results.

Why not use a relationship from the one table to the other? If there's no match, it's a new value, create a new record.

If it's a one-shot deal though, the "sort, then export [x] grouped by, then import" is the fastest way to get new records of unique values.

I'll put out another warrant for both context and purpose, it is as if this post is a repetition of this post:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/194589/fromsearch/$fromactivity/tp/0/all/1/

There is a template I wish you to investigate:

http://www.nightwing.com.au/FileMaker/demos8/demo803.html

However is there in the thread you unintentionally carbon copy a mentioning of "Fastsummaries" which originate from here:

http://www.onegasoft.com/tools/fastsummaries/index.shtml

...which by todays facilities in the ScribtMaker - could go like this:

--sd

Untitled.zip