Understanding Relationships

[Ryusui]

Hey guys.

 

I'm new to FM and while the database creation itself is extremely simplistic, having multiple tables talk to each other is just going way over my head.

 

What I have:

I'm using FM Pro 12.  I started with the Contacts Starter Solution, and then created a new table - Events.  I plan on using this table to create a database of client weddings.  In Events I have a tabbed panel, one tab being "Client Info" in which I have two identical forms: Bride's info and Groom's info.  Things like first name, last name, address, phone numbers, etc.

 

What I want:

When entering a name into the Events table's "Client Info" fields, if that client already exists in the Contacts table, I want it to have their info auto-populate in the corresponding fields below it.

 

FM Pro 12 has its own Events Starter Solution with a Contacts table, in which there is a "Contributors" area which does close to what I want, but because of differences in layout and execution, I haven't been able to reverse engineer it for my purposes.

 

Seems simple enough, but for whatever reason I just can't seem to find any explanations that lay it out for me so I can understand how to do this.  Ideally, I'd like to have the Events table create a new record in Contacts if that person does not exist, but from what little I understand about relationships in FM, this is a bit more complicated and so I can very easily do without it.  It's that first relationship that I absolutely need.  Eventually I want to have this database create a new contract and invoice for me as well, but I figure that once I can understand this first basic part, that should come with a little work.

 

If anyone can help me with this, I'd greatly appreciate it!  Thanks!

[Lee Smith]

Have you looked at the Event Managment.FMP12 file that came with your copy of FileMaker?

[Ryusui]

Have you looked at the Event Managment.FMP12 file that came with your copy of FileMaker?

Yes.  Sorry, that is the "Events Starter Solution with a Contacts table" to which I previously referred.  As stated, I have tried to reverse engineer it to my needs, as well as modifying that particular database, but neither option has worked well.

[bruceR]

Nevertheless, that is where you should start.

 

You will have much less complicated design work if you begin with the Events example file than by starting with the Contacts file.

 

What exactly do you see as the problem?

[Ryusui]

My biggest problem with the Event Management Starter Solution is that the Event Details table doesn't have two fixed fields for a bride and groom; it has a "Guests" section and a "Contributor" section, which don't act the same way I need the "Bride Info" and "Groom Info" to act.  Also, neither has all the required information fields to pull from its Contacts table.

[bruceR]

Generally you  do not "pull" fields from the contacts table; you DISPLAY existing related fields from the Contacts table in different views.

 

Though sometimes you need to pull (look them up).

 

But perhaps you mean that you think you need new fields.

 

The ROLE field in Contributors can be filled in with Bride; or Groom; or Best Man; Minister; etc.

 

It will probably be helpful to all concerned if you can describe your vision of what you are trying to accomplish and what you want it to look like.

 

Especially at this stage, it is likely that your ideas about which tables, fields, and layouts are required is still a little fuzzy.

[Ryusui]

It's indeed quite likely.  I just started with FMP last month and have only been able to work on it sporadically between other projects.

 

Anyway, attached is my database.  (Thanks BruceR for the heads up that I needed to ZIP it)  I created two sample records in the Contacts table.  In the Events table, I want to have the "First Name" and/or "Last Name" fields under "Client Info" linked to the Contacts table so that if I start typing in a name, it will look for an existing person of that name and if one exists, fill in all the fields below up to the "Email" field.  I started trying to do this by copying the field calculations I saw in the Event Managment.FMP12 file, but that was as far as I could go.

 

Hopefully seeing the file will help a little to understanding what I'm trying to do.  I greatly appreciate the help so far!

Events & Contacts.zip

[bruceR]

Or consider the approach Lee and I have suggested.

Event Management.fmp12.zip