File Name: View Selected Child

File Submitter: dansmith65

File Submitted: 22 Aug 2012

File Category: Samples

FM Version: 11

This is a modification of comment's sample file found here: http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/71867-getting-more-out-of-filtered-portals-2view-selected-child/

This version uses custom functions to manage the selected values in a single global variable, and a calculated field/relationship instead of a filtered portal.

The goal was to provide access to the selected child via a relationship, and to define a default selection, if no child has been selected.

This should work with versions older than 11, but I didn't bother to test with any older versions of FileMaker.

Click here to download this file

Why not just use a global field?

Because the selected child would be selected for all parent records. This method allows each parent to have it's own selected child.

Well, no, the selected child would only be visible to the associated parent record.

But with a global, other parent records would not have a selected child; so - aha - I see the point of your method.

Why not just use a global field?

Because the selected child would be selected for all parent records.

I am not so sure about that:

ViewSelectedChildGlobal.fp7.zip

That's a cool way to accomplish the same result. So, to compare your global field method to mine...

ViewSelectedChildGlobal by Comment

• requires initialization on file open
  

View Selected Child by Dan Smith

• requires Custom Functions
  
• script requires Refresh step, which causes flashing on Windows
  

Ok, I thought I would find more differences than that, but they both use a single field, a single "select" script, per-user selection storage method. I wouldn't even know how to go about testing performance differences. My guess is that there's not a big enough performance difference to worry about.

ViewSelectedChildGlobal by Comment

• requires initialization on file open
  

Well, I wouldn't say "requires". It's merely a quick way to provide a "default" selection. I am not convinced that's a good idea, but I wanted to match my file's features to yours.