Entry/Schedule Database

[gazer]

Hi,

I've just recently come back to doing some development work in FileMaker Pro (prior to 11, the last version I owned was 6!). I'm running into a snag in the design of a database for a music festival.

Currently, paper forms come in with entry name and the class ID of the competition the person (or group) wants to enter. One person may show up on many forms, since a form (and fee) must be submitted separately for each entrant or group of entrants. Many individuals (up to 10 names in the case of a group) show up on a single form.

I have tables for entries, participants, class, accompanist, teacher, and compositions. (In my diagram, I've also planned for schedule/timeslots, and locations, since there are several venues).

Eventually, I'll be generating information that can be merged into a printed program for the festival.

So far, everything seems to be going okay, except I can't figure out how to get the entry form to work the way I want. I can make it so it's easy to lookup a person who's already entered, so they don't have to rekey it. And I can make it so a new participant can be entered through a portal on the entry form. But what's the best way to do both in the same form? When I fill out the form I can look up via the participantID and a value list pointing at the participants table, but if the person doesn't exist there, how do I allow entry of the new participant, without leaving the current form. I realize I could do it by navigating to a different layout, hit "new record", etc., but I'd like to do it all on one screen. (since I'd have to do the same for accompanists and teachers).

I have volunteers who'll be putting in the information and I'd like things to be as simple as possible and reduce any duplication or bad data.

Sorry for the long post, but hopefully that's enough information for someone to point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance!

[Fitch]

How about popping up a small window or dialog to enter the new person?

[bcooney]

To allow a user to select from existing or add new, here's the technique I use:

http://fmforums.com/forum/showpost.php?post/365428/

[gazer]

Thanks,

I was thinking I might have to do something like that, or like the earlier poster suggested, pop-up a new record entry (with a script, I guess). Having been away from the program some time and seeing all the new scripting and relationship functionality, I was hoping for more of a one-screen solution.

I'll keep slugging away at it - right after I figure out how to deal with the FMPA 11 value list bug! (http://forums.filemaker.com/posts/0dd0142fda). That's two nights of spinning my wheels for nothing...

I'll report back with my eventual solution... unless s/one else can provide the magic bullet.

Cheers,

Gary