List function and variable

[Daniel Shanahan]

I'm trying to populate a global key field with a list of values. The global key field - when populated - will, in turn, populate a portal.

I am passing parameters when the script is activated (clicking a button in a portal). I am passing two parameters:

1. Source field: the name of a field in a related table which has the values.

2. Target field: the name of the global key field to be populated.

I am passing these as strings, not the field content.

Once in the script, I declare these parameters as variables:

$_sourceField

$_targetField

The parameters pass fine and the variables are properly set with the names of the fields.

Since I am moving around in a portal, I cannot grab the values until I have landed on a different record in the portal, so I need to gather the actual data inside the script. So, in the script, once I have landed on a particular record in the portal and have committed the records, I declare another variable:

$_sourceValues; Value: List ( $_sourceField ).

What I would like to do next is use Set Field By Name -

Set Field By Name [$_targetField ; $sourceValues]

However, the content of $_sourceValues is not a list of values. Instead, it shows in the Data Viewer as a question mark (?).

I have tied these two (after $_sourceField has been initially declared)

$_sourceField; Value: GetFieldName ( $_sourceField ) and

$_sourceField; Value: Evaluate ( GetFieldName ( $_sourceField ) )

but $_sourceValues still comes out as "?".

I am thinking that the List () function cannot accept variables. Is this correct? Or, am I missing something in my script/parameters?

Thanks.

[comment]

The List() function expects a reference to a field - not a string containing the field's name. The difference is not always obvious in Filemaker, but if your source field is Child::Value then:

List ( $_sourceField )

evaluates to:

List ( "Child::Value" )

and this in turn produces error 106 "Table is missing". 







Try:

List ( GetField ( $_sourceField ) )

or:

Evaluate ( "List ( " & $_sourceField & " )" )

[Daniel Shanahan]

Try:

List ( GetField ( $_sourceField ) )

or:

Evaluate ( "List ( " & $_sourceField & " )" )

Thanks, comment. I thought I was probably passing a string, but I didn't know how to turn it back to the field reference. Both of your examples work great.

Thanks again.