Newbie ? about FMP5 & Web

[Vaughan]

There are a few issues here: firstly, the user's details have to already be in a database somewhere: either you create this details db or you access an existing db through ODBC.

Second issue is the need for common "keys" to identify people. Common isn't the right expression for the key, it should be "unique and consistent." Making the lookup on a person's name won't work, there will be two or more people with the same name. E-mail is a good solution since almost everybody has one. Or make an ID number but then people need to remember it. But remember that this identification "key" needs to be used in both databases for it to work.

So the system could work like this: the user types in their ID number (or email address) clicks a button and the form comes back with their details already typed in.

Believe it or not it's a lot of work to implement this system. I'd spend time weighing up the cost:benefit considering the amount of typing thew user will save vs the trouble to develop it.

[rcutting]

Here's the deal -- I want to have a user database and a request database. After the user logs into the Intranet, he selects the form for the appropriate job request and on that formI want him to type his last name, hit Submit and the user database would send back other info (first name, campus, email, etc.) and "auto-fill" those fields in the web-based request form. The user would then fill out the rest of his request, hit submit and that would create a record in the request database with no info sent back to him except the new_reply page. How in the heck do you do this - the interplay between a web page and a database? What "language" do you write it in? Do you give up HTML/CDML completely? I have FMP5 Unlimited & Web Companion on an NT4 with IIS serving up the one-way version of this already. Now let's take it a step further. Any guidance or personal experience would be greatly appreciated. (Sorry to those of you who saw this on another message board.)

[Anatoli]

If you pay the return air ticket Prague - Huston I can spend 1 week to show you everything :-)

[flexistentialism]

The link between the databases could be done with a portal (I can't remember if the WC alone supports portals?)with the user updating the link/relationship data with their "key" data. and therefore pulling through the rest of their data (*Lasso won't update sorted portals a bug they're trying to fix, but with hopefully only one record in there a time it's not an issue*) The filling in of the form is easy [Portal: 'relationshipname'] *any html* [Field: 'relationshipname::field name'] *any HTML*[/Portal] tags would do the job. I would consider getting a middleware application like Lasso WDE it will make a lot more things possible! (and no I don't work for them)