I am building a dictionary of a native language using specially designed fonts for the language. To get the correct alphabetization for the native language, I have had to build separate databases for each letter of the native alphabet. Now I want to print the output of each database in sequence, but I cannot figure out how to alter the page number variable so that it does not reset to 1 by default.

I apologize if I am overlooking something simple, but I would appreciate some assistance.

Thanks

My guess is that you have not structured your files properly to solve your problem. The fact that you have put each letter in a separate database (file) is suspect. In a properly designed database you don't need to alter the database structure as you add data items. Why didn't you structure your files so that each letter was a record in an alphabet file?

-bd

I originally had all records in a single data base, but had major problems sorting on the font I designed for the native language. I constructed a custom value list based on the language's alphabet order, but FM will not sort the characters that involve shift-option keystroke combinations in the order I specify/

I guess the answer to my original question is that it cannot be done.

Thanks,

rs

I'm sure it can be dcne, you're just not giving us a lot of information about what you are trying to do. Options might be:

1) Use the version of FM that is native to the language you are interested in.

2) Create a library file with each letter of the alphabet of your language. Give each letter in the alphabet a position 1 thru N. These positions can be built into words the same as letters in the alphabet. For instance for sort purposes the word "dog" becomes 041507 and sorts after "cat" which becomes 030120. When you enter letters in the language, you will need to (automatically) enter corresponding numbers in an index field used only for sorting.

Without more information, it is hard to guess an approach that might be appropriate.

-bd

RE: 1) Use the version of FM that is native to the language you are interested in.

That will be nice

I think the solution is not in trying to find a native version of Filemaker, because I doubt that there is a version for Beaver, Chilcotin, Tsimshian, Comox/Sliamon, Cree, Dakelh, Ditidat, Gitksan, Haida or any other North American native language (except English, French and Spanish if you call these native)

But, in any event, Filemaker, like any database, is designed to organize and sort data. If the font that you are using doesn't sort alphabetically according to the language you're interested in, there are many alternate ways of sorting.

How about a bit more detail what you are doing?