Portal Creation for Newbie

[aquaeous]

I have been trying for a long time to create a new portal. I have file A and File B.

This is a conference in which a person can register for 20 different classes from a choice of let's say 80. I want to be able to enter the class no. in the portal and have the class name flood in from my Classes Database. I am having no success - even went to an extensive class on this. I have looked through filemaker help to no avail. I have a serious deadline now and if anyone can respont to my email at [email protected] and keep in mind that I am self learning so not that familiar with different languages, calculations or anything else complicated. Please help if possible!

[Geeksharka]

It sounds like you need 3, not 2 files.

One for the Participants

One for the Classes

and

One a join-table (file) for the Selected Classes (per participant).

Step 1:

In the Participant table, set up a portal to the Classes table. You can use a global field with a common key so you can view all the classes all the time in the portal, or you could use a category_field, such as Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, which would match up with the appropriate records in the Classes table, showing only the appropriate Classes.

Step 2:

In the Participant Table (P) again, make a portal to the Selected Classes table. Each record in the Selected Classes (SC) table needs a field in it that can hold the Participant's ID# (we'll call it rel_participant_id). It also needs a field to relate the (SC) record to a particular Class, so add a field for that relationship too. We'll call that field rel_class_id. The (SC) table will function as a join table, with each record representing a Selected Class by a Participant. The relationship between (P) and (SC) is based on the Participant's ID#.

Step 3:

In (P), in the portal that shows the Classes, create a script that, in this order:

1-Copies the Class ID# from the portal row you select

2-Pastes that Class ID# into a field in (P) called temp_rel_class_id (or whatever you want to call it).

3-Copies the Particpant's ID#

4-Goes to (SC), creates a new record in (SC), and pastes the PArticpant's ID into the rel_particpant_id field (in SC).

5-Then, while still in (SC), add a script step that sets the rel_class_id from the temp_rel_class_id, based on the Particpant's ID relationship from the (SC) back to the (P) table.

6-Finish the script with Go To Layout (original)

Your script allows you to, from any Particpant's record, to browse through the available Classes in the first portal, and then by clicking on a Class in the first portal, add it to the Selected Classes for that Particpant, and the selected Classes info (form the Classes table), is hooked up in (SC), meaning its information is available to you ofr viewing, printing, etc.

HTH

[aquaeous]

Thank you for the quick reply but I still am clueless! It just isn't quite easy enough for me!!!!

[danjacoby]

Sharka has it basically right; I'll try to illuminate.

You need three files. A file ("Classes") containing the complete list of available classes, with ClassName and ClassNumber fields. A file (call it "StudentsClasses" with fields for StudentName, ClassName and ClassNumber. And a file ("Main") containing one field for StudentName.

In the "StudentsClasses" file, create a relationship to the "Classes" file based on the ClassNo field. Make the ClassName field a calc field, equaling the ClassName field in the related file.

In the "Main" file, create a relationship to "StudentsClasses" based on the Name field. Then create a portal with this relationship, putting both the ClassNo and ClassName fields in the portal. I also recommend making the ClassNo field a popup list, using the contents of the ClassNo field in the "Classes" file.

Now, when you enter a ClassNo in the portal, using the popup list, the ClassName will auto-enter.

Hope this is clearer.

Dan