Two Databases that should be one?

[fmMatt]

Hi everyone. I'm new here, so I hope this posting is in the right place.

I have been using FileMaker Pro for a little while now. We use it here at a more basic level to keep a customer database. We have two data files that contain customer records, divided by state. Every time we make a layout change on one database, we have to go in and make the same change on the other, and so on and so on until we duplicate our work. We've thought about merging the two together but we wanted to keep the records separated because they are two different markets we keep separate.

Our concern is that if we merge the two together, then when we do a search for an address, we may end up with results from both markets. I have thought about adding a field that can distinguish between the two markets, but we are used to hitting Command J a lot and that will reset my search results and if I don't remember to reselect which market I want in my Find, then I get the same problem. So my question is, is there a better way so that I don't have to keep duplicating the layout work between files? Any help would be great. Thanks.

[IdealData]

As you are maintaining the data in the two files separately then you will not improve matters by merging the two files into one as you would still need different TABLES to hold the two sets of data.

Each layout must be based upon a single TABLE OCCURRENCE, so you would still need two layouts to show the separate sets of records.

If you want to get out of the habit of command-J then you could look at restricting the menu options available to users and replace the find options with a button or two - then you could consider merging the data sets using a marker to distinguish.

Consider also have some preset find buttons with find options being already setup to find "all" of each data set.

[RalphL]

I think merging the 2 databases into 1 is a good idea. I would use scripted finds so that I would not have to worry about which set I was in.