Importing Whole Columns & Deleting Multiple Data Fields

[rhythm]

In spite of working with FilemakerPro for several years, there's still a few basic tasks I do not know how to execute:

1. How can I import a whole column of data from Excel? Let's say I imported an entire Excel spreadsheet into Filemaker, which originally had 5 vertical columns of data. It's easy enough for me to do that, and to define the name at the top of each column in Filemaker's Define Database section.

But next, I want to grab just one extra vertical column of data from another Excel document, and add it to the Filemaker doc. I can easily create another column in Filemaker, just by adding one more Database field, but how can I copy/paste the entire Excel column of data to fill the new Filemaker column I've just created? Up until now, I've had to transcribe/paste entries over one record/cell at a time. How do I copy/paste a whole column of data?

2. How do I delete multiple records? In Excel, you can drag your cursor over many vertical records in one or more columns, highlighting all of them, and choose Delete. The only thing it asks you is whether you want to move the non-deleted cells up, left, right and so on, but you can delete many data cells at once. In Filemaker, I seem to only be able to delete one record at a time...there's no dragging over/highlighting a group of them and deleting all at once. Obviously, if I want to delete all the records in a vertical column, I can simply delete that database field entirely in the Define Database section. But what if I want to delete just a portion of those entries?

[Ocean West]

rhythm, welcome to the forums.

1. With FileMaker import you only have ONE opportunity to add columns via importing - at the time you import. You would have to manually add the extra column after the fact - you can always import the new column data provided your data source and target table also contained a unique identifier so that you could import records with Matching turned on. The result would add the data in to the column (field) based on the matched value.

2. to delete multiple records you may wish to create a field that is just a boolean that you can use to flag records for deletion once you have marked the records you wish to delete - then find only records with a 1 or that have been marked then DELETE all records in the found set.

2b if you want to remove data from ONE column for the found set of records you would need to perform a REPLACE function on the found set.

FileMaker is a database not a spread sheet so the similarities stop fairly quickly as to their operational nature. With a database the goal is to keep data and not so readily able to delete the data.

[Ron Cates]

Just to expand on what Ocean West was saying. Filemaker's table view may look similar to an excel spreadsheet but don't let that trip you up. Working in filemaker requires an entirely different understanding. The sooner you let go of expecting behavior like excel the sooner you will be able to start understanding the behavior of Filemaker. Free your mind and good luck :)