Help with a signature container

[thetravo]

I did not how how I should go about searching this topic. Well I need to put a signature container into a layout.

Certain records need to have a signature for Alex, Others need one for bruce, and another for Joe. I have all three in a jpg format.

I was thinking of placing all three in separate container fields in a table and layout.

Now I need to make a function (either a radio button or drop down menu for the names) that allows me to choose their name for the record on our main layout. Then places their sig on the layout that needs to be printed or PDF'ed.

Anyone have any ideas or a link to a topic that might have overlooked? Thank you

Travis

[Raybaudi]

Hi Travis

start the job by creating a GLOBAL repeating container ( gSignatures ) with 3 reps, each one containing the signature of Alex, Bruce and Joe.

If the field formatted as radio button is named 'choice' , the calculation for your visible layout container will be:

Case(

choice = "Alex" ; gSignatures[1] ;

choice = "Bruce" ; gSignatures[2] ;

choice = "Joe" ; gSignatures[3]

)

[thetravo]

Thank you Very much. It Worked of course!!

[thetravo]

As I said it worked and Thank you. Though the one thing is once I close down and then re-open, the signature pictures are gone from the container fields and I have to re input them. Anyway this can be saved permanently?

[Jeff Hannes]

Ever since FileMaker (finally) added variables a couple versions ago, I have tried to avoid using Global fields as much as possible. Global fields are designed to store "session" data, that is, data which applies to the current user only, and only to his or her current session with FileMaker. This is why your global field contents are disappearing... unless the data is entered into an *unhosted* database, it will only last until the file is closed. Furthermore, only *you* can see the signatures... To everyone else using FileMaker on a different computer, the signature fields will be blank, even after you put them back in on your machine.

You could stop the database from being hosted, open it locally on the server and enter the signatures in your global field, and then they'll stick around through each session (they would become the "default" values), but there's a better way...

I usually create a table called VARIABLES. The table has one record, and all the fields you wish to store "global" data in. Then you create an "X" relationship between your VARIABLES table and the table you want to access the data from. (It doesn't matter which fields you put on either side of the relationship, just choose the "X" operator when creating the relationship so every record in each table matches up.)

Now whenever you enter information into your VARIABLES fields, the changes will be permanent. This is also a good place to store universal information which may change on a semi-regular, or even infrequent basis, like the address of your company or the primary contact person's info. General rule... if the same data appears on more than one layout or is used in more than one script, I tend to store it in the VARIABLES table, so that if I do have to change the data at some point, I don't have to comb through my layouts and scripts to find every instance of the data.

Specific to your needs... if, down the road, one of the signatures changed for some reason, you wouldn't have to shut down the server and open the file locally... you could just navigate to yoour VARIABLES layout on any remote machine, change the signature, and you'd be all set.

Just make sure if anyone has access to the VARIABLES table they aren't creating new records, as only the information in the FIRST record of the table will be pulled in by the relationship (hence why the table should only ever have one record).

Edited February 27, 2009 by Guest

[thetravo]

So I made a table called signature table. I that table I have the field gsignatures as a global/required value repeating 3 times. Basically I did everything as described above. Now when I try to created a relationship between the table that I have all my data in and the signature table it won't allow me since the gsignature is in gray. I might be a little slow with this but can you explain further. I appreciate all your help.

[comment]

IMHO, this is not a good approach to start with. The three people, Alex, Bruce, and Joe, and their signatures are DATA - NOT part of your database structure. You should have a table of Signatories with three records, and a regular (not global and not repeating) container field for their signatures (if you already have a People or a similar table where these three are listed, you could just add the Signature field there). Then define a relationship to the selected person's record, and place the related signature field on your layout.