I am using a a dropdown list to show the surname field from a table containing thousands of names and addresses.

The value list specifies the surname as the first field and also displays a second field which is first name.

For some reason if there are people with the same surname, then only one instance of this name is shown in the drop list despite there being different firstnames!!! I cannot understand why if they are different records, that Filemaker excledes them?

Any help appreciated that would enable me to show all records in these drop lists!!

The value list specifies the surname as the first field

That is why. Value lists use only ONE value based upon the field selected in the left-hand pane. The secondary field is simply for display and is not taken into account on uniqueness.

Matt,

I believe this is the nature of Value Lists. They show a "Unique" values lists for the field you specify. The value list doesn't know the that you want to show "Jones, Tom", "Jones, Glen", etc.

2 Ways I Might Handle (sure others will have good suggestions also).

[color:blue]1. Create a calc field.

FullName = LastName & ", " & FirstName & " " & MiddleInital

Then use that to show in the value list. Not a bad idea to utilize the unique ID field also, in case multiple people have the same name.

[color:blue]2. Portal list.

Use a Portal to display all the names you want, make the portal row a button to "select" that customer for the field. Either by script, or Set Field button command.

Or use the unique client ID for the first field which is the only true way of protection from disappearing records in value lists if there is a duplicate.

Exactly. Thanks LaRetta. I meant to say that.

:shower:

Thanks everyone

I ended up using Joshs advice with the fullname calc and it worked well!