How to build Many-to-Many Recursion

[dmontano]

I could really use some help. I recently learned how to build the TOs needed for a one-to-many recursion, as such:

Table Occurrence: PRODUCT CATEGORY

Attribute: product_category_pk

Attribute: product_category_parent_pk

Table Occurrence: PRODUCT CATEGORY is duplicated in the Rel. Graph to create...

Table Occurrence: PRODUCT CATEGORY PARENT

Attribute: product_category_pk

which is related to...

Table Occurrence: PRODUCT CATEGORY

Attribute: product_category_parent_pk

then...

Table Occurrence: PRODUCT CATEGORY is duplicated AGAIN in the Rel. Graph to create...

Table Occurrence: PRODUCT CATEGORY CHILD

Attribute: product_category_parent_pk

which is related to...

Table Occurrence: PRODUCT CATEGORY

Attribute: product_category_pk

This seems to work. However, I need to build a Many-to-Many recursive Product Category classification system. I am really stuck.

I am not sure how to transform it into FileMaker TOs.

Before I spend weeks lost in space, I thought I would ask here. Basically the tables are:

PRODUCT CATEGORIES

Attribute: product_category_pk

PRODUCT CATEGORIES ROLLUP

Attribute: product_category_parent_pk

Attribute: product_category_child_pk

I have attached a PDF of my crude table sketch to hopefully give insight in what I am trying to do. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

David

_categorization.pdf

[Søren Dyhr]

And you're already past reading this?

http://jonathanstark.com/recursive_data_structures.php

--sd

[dmontano]

Hi Soren,

Thank you for replying! Yes, I did read Jonathon's article on one-to-many recursions and have it basically functioning - see 1_to_many.pdf attached. I have not applied the scripts as he outlined - I will tackle those issues later.

I do not know how to build a many-to-many recursion. I was planning on trying to use his technique and modify it for a many-to-many, but I observed the following:

Where my TOs that require the many-to-many recursion, there are TOs before and after them. Does that mean that I have to duplicate the TOs after they are branched off into parent and child TOs to continue the logical chain of information? I am at a loss.

If I can get this functioning - I plan on using this as a "pattern" that I can apply in other areas where my entities require classification. Any help or insight is greatly appreciated. I have also attached my Rel. Graph to show what is going on. Hard to see - but best I could do in screenshot space.

Thanks,

David

1_to_many.pdf

rel_graph.pdf

[dmontano]

Recap: Soren - I can see that there is a section on many-to-many and I will delve into that - thanks. I guess when I read it - I thought I would not need a many-to-many anytime soon... HA!

I still think I have an issue though due to "where" my TO requiring the many-to-many sits in the "chain" and I am thinking that this branching will requiring duplicated TOs of the TOs after the branch. Sorry for inventing terminology here - just now sure how to say what I am thinking.

Has anyone done a many to many recursion that can shed some light?