importing/updating related records

[Sanguitch]

How do you import records from Excel or from another FMPRo database and rather than have the transfer initiate new records, it would populate empty fields within records. So if I have a database of teams and need to update scores from last weeks games, how do I ensure the scores go to the right teams? I realize this is relational, but how is the relationship established during an import? Do you have to import into a related table BEFORE importing into the target table? Someone mentioned a "join table" which I am unfamiliar with (maybe that's my missing link).

Thank you!

[bcooney]

What tables do you have?

Let's say you have Teams and Scores. You're keeping Scores in Excel. You'll need one of your columns in Excel to contain the TeamID.

Then, you'd import the Excel worksheet into the Score table.

[Dave Graham]

There's an option during import to updating matching records, which would do the trick. Keep in mind that if you are importing data into a relational database and the information being updated exists in more than one table you would have to do multiple imports, one for each table. If you don't have sufficient information in the file being imported to match your FileMaker records then you have to do a bit of scrubbing first.

To better aid you in this, you likely will need to provide a clone of your database and a sample import file.

[Sanguitch]

Thank you for your reply. That sounds simple. Now how do you get the team ID to match the team ID's in the team table? (probably through my relationship based upon record ID). I am little weak on my relationships...but I am trying. Thanks again.

[Sanguitch]

Truly grateful for your reply. The updating of matched records makes a lot of sense to me. I will give it a try. Of course you can only match from another FMPro database to another or from table to table, at least that's what I think...

Thanks again!

[bcooney]

Can you confirm that you have two tables, Teams and Scores, and that they are related by TeamID.