I am building a database for my cabinetshop that assigns tasks to workers.

It relies on color coded conditional formatting to signal task priority and status of tasks.

 

If the tasks need to be done TODAY the record turns yellow.

If the urgency level is HOT the record turns red.

When the task is iIN PROCESS the record is conditionally formatted to be green.

 

The current status of each worker is reported in Global storage fields that live in the header.

If a worker is currently engaged on a project his record turns green.

If a worker is NOT currently engaged his record turns white again.

 

The conditional formatting works fine when the database is on a standalone machine.

When the database is hosted on a server the conditional coloring for the global  storage fields becomes completely random.

 

Is condition formatting compatible with global storage fields when hosted on a remote server?

Is there a different way to get a generic report similar to what is shown in the header?

 

If anybody could shed some light on this I would appreciate it.

 

In case you are interested the hosted version of attached database can be found here:

fmnet:/n36.fmphost.com/conditionalformat.fmp12

 

 

Here is file:

conditionalformat.fmp12.zip

The global storages are local in a shared environment. Global Fields help

The current status of each worker is reported in Global storage fields that live in the header.

 

You should become suspicious when you find yourself creating fields like worker1, worker1Status, worker2, worker2Status … it's not a good structure to store your real data in, and it quickly becomes too awkward for displaying data in a user interface.

 

The proper place to hold name and current status would be a Staff/Employees/Workers table (that you should have anyway). Then show the records from this table in a portal via a Cartesian relationship on your dashboard / main menu / any layout.

LEE,  Thanks for heads up about global fields being local environments.  (where were you two weeks ago when I needed you?)

 

EOS,  I am using WORKER1, WORKER2, WORKER3..... as a way to create a buttons that are populated by script parameters.

I assign tasks by clicking on the button and it populates the assigned worker field with the value in WORKER1, WORKER2, WORKER3......

 

I am going to follow up on your suggestion about creating a table just for holding worker attributes.

I think what I will look at is having Worker1 lookup the value in Record 1 from that table.  Worker2 would look up value in 2nd record from that table.

 

Thanks also for the heads up about Cartesian relationships.  I can't say that I fully understand how they work but I was able to create something similar to a portal by using the character "X" instead of "=".

 

My problem is that I am really a cabinetmaker, not a developer so I really appreciate the inputs you guys give me.

You are very generous with your time.