Tab panels for portal records

[Seeker4]

I would like to use a tabbed panel to hold portal records.  I do know about replicating the portal in each panel and using a different starting record number.  This looks viable, but I don't know how to implement some other features I also need:

1. I want the name of the tab to be a field from the record in the portal.  One possibility seems to be a custom function or calculated field in the parent record to provide that field.  Or what other way might be better?
2. I want the number of tabs to be variable, depending on how many portal records there are (there will be less than 10).  I don't see how to do that.
3. Do I have to predefine the maximum number of tabs and copy the portal layout to each??  Or is there a scripted way to say "create another tab just like this one"?

If any of the starter solutions do something like this, I'd appreciate learning which one.

 

Thanks!

[comment]

3. Do I have to predefine the maximum number of tabs and copy the portal layout to each??  Or is there a scripted way to say "create another tab just like this one"?

 

You have to predefine the number of tabs. Not the maximum number of tabs, but the number of tabs, period. There is nothing in Filemaker that would increase or decrease in number dynamically in the horizontal direction.

[bruceR]

In FileMaker 13, tab names can be calculations. So you can get your field-as-tab-name.

 

Why do you think you need a feature like this?

[Seeker4]

You have to predefine the number of tabs. Not the maximum number of tabs, but the number of tabs, period. There is nothing in Filemaker that would increase or decrease in number dynamically in the horizontal direction.

Thanks, I was afraid that was going to be the answer.  A tabbed panel would have been nice for this application, but there are other approaches that will work too.

[Mark Scott]

Hi Seeker4,

 

Not exactly what you're looking for, but check out Anvil Dataworks' technique for a "perpetual" slide panel, which may help you accomplish something roughly in the spirit of your original goal.  Although slide panels, like tab panels, require you to define a fixed number of panels, this clever technique makes the number of panels appear open-ended to the user.

 

hth,

 

Mark