I can't get this "portal" thing to work

[shoil]

I just don't get it, sorry...

Two databases -- Main and Affiliates

I want to create a portal in the Affiliates DB so that I can type in a "Domain Name" and have it fill in the "Account Status" field and the "Start Date" field from the Main DB.

Then, down the road I will create a calculation field in the portal that will figure a commission for the Affiliate (based on the Account Status and the Start Date).

Is this reasonable?

[Ocean West]

A portal is a window into another database but there has to be some form or relationship in to that database.

If for example in Clients.fp5 have a field called Client ID and another called Client Name . But since a client could have multiple phone numbers instead of defining 5 different fields or 1 field with 5 repeats. You can create another database Phone.fp5, with a field Client ID and Phone Number.

From Clients.fp5 you create a relationship ClientPhone between Clients.fp5 and Phone.fp5 using Client ID as the field on both sides of the relationship. (Note that the field Client ID should be of the same type: number or text)

You would want to check the box marked create records.

Now with your relationship defined create a portal on your layout. And drag a new field into the portal, from the dialog box that pops up select the popup at the very top to change from "Current File" to the relationship you defined. Select the Phone Number field.

It should look something like "ClientPhone::Phone Number" the "::" represents that it is a relationship.

You now can create multiple phone numbers for each client.

Now in Phone.fp5 you can create a relationship PhoneClient and relate it back to the Clients.fp5 file

using the same fields.

Now you can create a calculation field in Phone.fp5 and specify

a field from the Clients.fp5 file.

In the latter example you would not want check the create records check box.

Hope this helps

s

[ October 26, 2001: Message edited by: Ocean West ]