To store a field id that is related to another table but to display a text field from the related record on a layout, I believe the common solution is to create a field that stores the id but uses a value list for data entry, with only the second record displaying in the value list. One then overlays a field displaying the related value. I provide a simple example of this solution in the Data layout of the attached file.

Is it possible to get the id not to show up in white on light blue when one is in the process of selecting a text value from the drop-down value list? The id number might only confuse users who need know nothing about IDs.

The only way I can think of is to use only one field (just the displayed value) rather than two and to script the process of value selection while creating one's own layouts for value selection. This is what I now do, but I'd like to consider going back to the easier ready-made Filemaker solution.

Test.fp7.zip

To store a field id that is related to another table but to display a text field from the related record on a layout, I believe the common solution is to create a field that stores the id but uses a value list for data entry, with only the second record displaying in the value list. One then overlays a field displaying the related value. I provide a simple example of this solution in the Data layout of the attached file.

Is it possible to get the id not to show up in white on light blue when one is in the process of selecting a text value from the drop-down value list? The id number might only confuse users who need know nothing about IDs.

The only way I can think of is to use only one field (just the displayed value) rather than two and to script the process of value selection while creating one's own layouts for value selection. This is what I now do, but I'd like to consider going back to the easier ready-made Filemaker solution.

Make it a popup menu rather than a drop down. Probably better as a user can't land in the field for a manual edit.

Make it a popup menu rather than a drop down. Probably better as a user can't land in the field for a manual edit.

Thank you. That's almost what I need. A couple of problems seem to remain, however: (1) The result doesn't appear unless I click somewhere else on the screen; (2) I can't easily clear the field. The only solution I can see is to allow adding other values, but then the user has to edit a box that contains the current ID: cumbersome, confusing, and contrary to my original aim. Is there a better way to enable clearing of the field? If not, I will have to go back to scripting data selection.

Do you know if it's common for Filemaker users to forego using value lists for the sake of greater control and functionality? I ended up implementing generalized scripts that rely on a design table I created to choose what layout to open, etc., and this has worked well. But I am thinking of replacing my portals with list views, and the generalized procedure will break down, since there appears to be no general way to sort a table (no equivalent for sorting of, say, Set File by Name). It seems one must sort a specific table occurrence with a specific script step.

Test.fp7.zip