Need some self-relation scripting help!

[Maharajamd]

Good afternoon all!

Well I work at a small newspaper, and we run a pretty simple process here. We input data we receive from the courts and input them into "template" filemaker files. We then import these template files into the main database for our internal use. The internal DBs hold all data and also perform several scripted procedures. We need to export "todays" new records to the specific web db, we also need to export the new records for print. We accomplish the print export by exporting the records to text, then use a ms word merge doc to finish up the editing.

These files have been working great until the last month or so. Now we are having issues with "Repeating" title in the finalized word document.

So the process is like this...

1. import from template file (working great)

2. export for print (not working)

3. use applescript and VS to manipulate the word doc (working great)

4. export for web (working great)

Now the guy who created these scripts before me did it much differently then I would, and his way is probably better. I guess I'll give some examples so you all can see...

Basic Record..default layout

Print Layout

Print Layout - Layout Mode

Scripts

Print Script A

Print Script B

A bad export result...

Now the two pictures above that are print A and print B are working. I redid them. His way was completely different, and much shorter. He was using self relations.

His defined fields looked like this..

And his worked but not working now script looked like this...

Man, this is much harder to explain then I thought it would be. I need the first record to have a title, and a date. The next records title and date are blank, IF its the same as the previous records. IF its not the same, it needs to export the new title/date etc. I feel my way works, but it very long handed, and doesn't need to be. The title and date (centered data on word doc pic) keep repeating.

Kinda like...

date = record1.date

if currentrecord.date = date

replace currentrecord.date with ""

else date = currentrecord.date

Again, pic Print A and Print B are working. But if I add more variables then title and data, say title/date/city/zipcode it could get really really ugly.

Well, hope I explained that well enough...thanks for the help in advance!

~ Chad

[Søren Dyhr]

It's too tough to digest your post, especially the tiny images - but if I understand the process correctly ...should you consider this tool with native filemaker reporting instead. Well an upgrade to the newest version could get you quite near as well.

http://www.schubec.com/en/product_details_883818.html

The produced .pdf'es could then be munged by one of the tools found here:

http://www.recosoft.com/

--sd