Description field dictating instruction field

[Chemadian]

Hey everyone, this has probably been covered in another thread, but I couldn't find one based on my search so I apologize if this has been incessantly covered under some title I didn't think of.

 

I am trying to make it so when a user enters a certain description the instruction field is automagically filled in with basic instructions associated with that description.

 

So for example you could have a drop-down field with the following descriptions:

 

simple cream

complex cream

suspension

 

and then based on the selection the user makes the instruction field (a text field) would be pre-filled with a set of instructions:

 

If the user selected simple cream it would fill the instruction field with something like this

 

1. weigh out powders

2. wet the powders with the appropriate solvent

3. add the cream base

4. mix at speed 3 for 2 minutes.

 

the user would obviously be able to add steps as they need, but instead of having to write out those 4 steps for every cream, it will automatically fill the instruction field with those 4 simple steps. 

 

Any guidance with coming up with this sort of functionality would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

cheers

 

 

[mr_vodka]

You should have that information in a separate table. Then ( I am going to assume that you have an order table or something ) when the user select the product or product ID in the orders or line items table then it will display the related instructions. In simplistic terms, the great thing about a relational database is that you can have a relationship "point" to get data from a related record so that the same data is not entered over and over again.

[Chemadian]

Hey mr_vodka, thanks for the reply!

 

I've created an "instruction table" that has a primary key field, an instruction type field (simple cream, etc) and a Instruction field (that contains the instruction steps).

 

If I want this information to be displayed on a record from another table, how should i set up the relation between the two tables? 

 

Thanks again for the help!  

[Ocean West]

Chemadian

 

does this help?

 

 

Lookup.fmp12.zip

[MartieH]

I have something like this set up so that what I call the instruction title field is used as a value list - then, the table where I want to display the information (main layout) is related to the instructions table via the title field in both tables. The user chooses a value (the instruction title - which in your case would be the instruction type) and the appropriate instructions appear in the field from the instructions table that is placed on the main layout.

 

I put a transparent field on top of the drop down list that says "Choose Subject by Clicking Down Arrow"

 

I use this for a Help section.

 

If you want this info to set a field specific to a specific record in your main table (ie possibly change from what is stored in your instructions table), you would probably want to write a little script that would insert the text from the instructions table into another field on your main layout. set this script as a script trigger on the drop-down list for onobject modify. 

[Chemadian]

Ocean West, I can't open the file you provided since I am only running FMP11. Would you be able to create a file that is accesible from version 11? 

 

MartieH, so I would relate the two tables through the Instruction type field in both the instruction table and the main layout table? Also I'm not sure if I understand what your doing with putting a transparent field on top of the drop down list...?