how to duplicate the parents and their children data?

[James Chung]

I am trying to create a database for my company, but I am not sure that can FileMaker pro 9 do this or not.

Here is the scenario:

We will get inquiries from customers everyday and we need to forward those inquiries to our suppliers (equipment makers) in order to get the net quotation, then we will send or print out our final quotation back to the customer after we add our profits to each item.

Here are my procedures:

1.First, an inquiry has many types of equipments and each of them has many parts. We need to type in the equipments and the related parts for this inquiry.

2.Second, I need to select suppliers for this inquiry so that the selected suppliers can offer us the net price for each item.

3.Third, I need Filemaker to compare the price automatically or manually from each supplier (getting the lowest price for each item from all suppliers that offered the price) and then we can add our profit (? %).

4.In the end, it can be print out and track so that I can do the rest of the jobs.

I am having problems with the 2 and 3 procedure and also I am not sure that my comprehension is correct or not. Could any expert help me and give me some advices?

Best Regards,

James

[Søren Dyhr]

Isn't this question disjoint from the header??

What here is a purely relational matter or a transaction model ditto, has not particular much to do with the interface layer??

--sd

[LaRetta]

Hi James,

The requirements you've outlined are considered more advanced techniques that beginners shouldn't attempt to tackle. It would be quite doubtful that you would implement a proper, sound structure and, without one, items 2 and 3 would be difficult if not impossible to properly design. If you are struggling with the comprehension then NO developer can save you; you must at least have clarity of your needs. Do you?

I would suggest one of two possibilities here: 1) pull in a good developer to handle this or 2) at least post what you have and let Forums give input. If you have mistakes in your * base, then nothing we say can save you.

*using repeating fields for lineitems, using multiple fields for quotes and so forth.

LaRetta

[James Chung]

Thanks for your advice. I think that I will try to fine an expert to help me. It is too complicated for me.

Best Regards,

James