FMPro newbie having a checkbox / boolean / value list issue

[Ricky Swift]

Hi, I'm new around here, just downloaded latest FM Pro demo (Mac) with a view to converting a Bento database for a client.

 

I hope this is in the right place, I could not find anywhere more appropriate. Looking at the level of expertise in these forums is truly humbling.. I feel rather stupid! Anyway I have been trying for some time to sort this out and just going round in circles so thought I would ask as I am sure someone will know immediately the source of my misunderstanding.

 

Imported Bento data basically OK (single table) but the issue is this.

 

Boolean field in Bento displayed as a checkbox. In FM it's a numeric field with a 1 or 0. I'm fine with the logic there but I want to tell the system "display this 1 or 0 as a checkbox, checked for 1 or unchecked for 0".

 

I would even settle for a drop-down or popup with "Yes" and "No". But the table seems to want to hang on to the 1s or 0s regardless how I format the layout, and not show me the value in any way.

 

I have tried creating a checkbox set (TWO checkboxes to display a boolean? Really?) but it wants to get its value list from somewhere. So I set up a Value List with "Yes" and "No" in it (please tell me this is not necessary!), and set the field's Data Formatting to "Boolean" with 'Show non-zeros as "No"' and 'Show zeros as "Yes"'.  This did not work, both checkboxes stayed unchecked for all records.  So I tried using a Drop-down list and a Popup menu, both failed in similar ways. The drop-down was interesting; it allowed me to choose Yes or No, which it faithfully reproduced when I revisted the same record, but all other records displayed blank, whether 1 or 0. If I look in Table mode I see a column of all 1s and 0s except one value "Yes".  I understand that one may type "Yes" or "No" into a boolean field in FM and it translates to a 1 or 0 underneath, but this means it shoudl surely translate the other way too, and it isn't.

 

I must be missing something, because it can not possibly be this tricky to achieve something so fundamentally simple as "Represent this boolean value with a checkbox".

 

Any assistance gratefully received.

 

Ricky Swift

 

 

[Raybaudi]

Create a value list of only a value: 1

Then format your field to appear as a checkbox and  to use that value list.

From now on, all what you saw like column of all 1s and 0s, you'll see as column of checked and uncheched boxes.

[mr_vodka]

Hi Ricky.

 

Set up a value list with just one value of 1. Then use that as your checkbox.

[Ricky Swift]

Genius! Thank you very much.

 

I'm still struggling with how I can get my imported field containing a 1 or 0 to display in a drop-down list or pop-up menu, with "Yes" for 1 and "No" for 0.  When I set it up using a Value List, existing 1s and 0s stay as they are, but if I change one of them to Yes or No they then stay as Yes or No. I need a way of existing 1s and 0s displaying as Yes and No.

 

Yikes.. what's the etiquette about Mark Solved...? Since you both solved my original question should I click the first? Or can I click both?

[jbante]

In Layout view, select your boolean field and look in the Inspector Palette on the "Data" tab at the bottom under "Data Formatting." Select the number format and then "Boolean" from the "Format" pop-up. Play around with that and let us know if that gets you closer to what you're looking for.