problem: delete related record in this table

[dreamingmind]

Consider Table A and Table B. I have more than one related pairings of these tables like this:

A to B on serial, delete related records in B when records in A are deleted.

A1 to B1 on serial, delete related records not checked here.

There is no connection between AtoB and A1toB1.

Now I'm in a layout based on A1 to B1 and I delete an A record. All related be records are being deleted as though I was in a layout based on the first relationship.

Am I misunderstanding this feature?

Regards,

Don Drake

[comment]

The purpose of automatically deleting related records is to prevent having orphans in the related table. When a record is deleted, it is deleted for all purposes. It doesn't matter in which layout or TO it was deleted. It doesn't exist anymore, and when you switch back to a layout based on A, it won't be there.

[dreamingmind]

That doesn't really answer the question. Here is more detail and a reason WHY I want this feature.

I have people records

I have location records

Several people may be at the same location

Any person can link to any number of locations

To accomplish this I use an in-between table containing a link to the person and a link to the location, a bridge record.

I may want to sever a person from a location, but there may still be other people at that location. In this case, I want to delete the bridge record (but not the location, obviously).

In other circumstances I will want to delete everything and leave no orphans as you describe.

So?

I know it's possible to allow CREATION of related records differently in different layouts and TOs. Why is deletion different?

Regards,

Don Drake

[David Jondreau]

The implications of Filemaker's table vs table occurrence framework is confusing, but if you read the fine print:

"Allow creation of records in this table via this relationship"

"Delete related records in this table when a record is deleted in the other table."

So the creation is relationship based. You will only be able to create records when viewing from a TO with that checked off. But the deletion is not. A record deletion will cascade, regardless of the TO is occurs on.

I'm not sure you need to worry about locations being orphaned in your set up, but if you are, I think you'll have to script the process.

[dreamingmind]

Thanks. Not what I was hoping to hear, but that reading makes sense.

Regards,

Don Drake

[comment]

I may want to sever a person from a location, but there may still be other people at that location. In this case, I want to delete the bridge record (but not the location, obviously).

That is easily accomplished by having automatic deletion turned ON for the join table (in the people -< join table relationship), and OFF for the records in the locations table (in the locations -< join table relationship).

I don't see that creation is that much different from deletion. When a new record is created, whether through a relationship or in any other way, it is created in the base table - and it exists in all occurrences of the base table and their layouts (subject to found set).