Adding items to user

[M. Savolainen]

Hello! Another fairly new Filemaker user.

Im trying to make a database that shows which items users have. Im currently using two tables.

Table user has fields;

username

item1

item1type

item1size

item2

item2type

item3size

item4

item4type

item4size

etc...

Table items has fields;

serialnumber

type

size

I have tried to use lookup for item fields, but once I enter item serialnumber to item1 field =>

item1type and item1size gets value from table items, but so does item2, item3 and item4 (and the value is same in all fields)... and I cannot enter multiple serial numbers.

What am I missing here? How can I make it work, so that after applying item1 serialnumber, all other fields stay empty and I am amble to enter another serialnumber to item2?

How should I set the relationship between these two tablers?

Thanks in advance.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Guest

[aldipalo]

Welcome to the Forum. You are setting up your tables incorrectly. You want 2 tables:

User Table

UserID (Serial Number)

Username

Blah, blah

Item Table

fk_UserID

ItemID (Serial Number)

item

itemtype

itemsize

Set your relationship to:

User::UserID->Item::fk_UserID

Set a portal, using Items table, on the User layout and you will now be able to see only items belonging to the user you want to view.

I would suggest a little reading material before you get to far in to your design and then things start to fall apart because of structure issues. It is better to invest a few hours now then 100's of hours later trying to fix or re design your database due to structural problems.

http://www.filemaker.com/help/MacTOC8.html

http://www.foundationdbs.com/ Read the White Papers for FM novices.

Let us know if you have more questions.

hth

[M. Savolainen]

Thanks.

I succesfully created portal and made the relationships...

Now when I enter item serial number to the field on Usertable I won't get item type or item size...

How to fix it?

And thanks for the links too I will read them

What Im trying to accomplish:

You insert only items to item table (serial number, size and type)

Then later on when user needs the item

I will search the user from user table

and enter only the items serial number and it will show item under user record (and all the info that specified item/items has.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Guest
status edit

[aldipalo]

I would suggest you post a clone of your file so we can take a look at it. Do a File->Save a Copy As->Save a: Clone (no records) and upload to the Forum. It sounds like you have a relationship problem.

However, from what you are saying you want to do will require a little more than just a simple relationship.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Guest

[M. Savolainen]

Here's the file with descriptions how the db should work....

portal_Copy.zip

[aldipalo]

Take a look at this.

portal.zip

[M. Savolainen]

Great, thank you very much! Now I get it :o