FM 13 - Find Container = Notisempty(container)

[ron G]

I have (still) a Members database.  There is a field in Members:: called Photo.  Photo is a container field.

 

I want to produce a report whereby I show just members who have a NotIsempty(Photo) find.  But, in setting up the FIND, the Photo field is grayed out?! Huh?

 

Is there a work around for this?  (I know I could setup a boolean field "PhotoYesNo" and then Find on it.... but am I missing something native?)

 

Thanks

 

Ron

[Lee Smith]

Are they referenced or inserted w/o reference?

[Wim Decorte]

Typically when you have a container field like this you also store a textual reference to it with whatever properties you want to track (like size, file type, location,...).  So I've never had the need to try and use a container field for a search.  Given the nature of a container and the different types of data that can go in there I would not expect that to work.

Find on the stored properties of the container will of course always work.

[comment]

(I know I could setup a boolean field "PhotoYesNo" and then Find on it.... but am I missing something native?)

 

No. Container fields (just like summary fields and global fields) cannot be searched.

 

 

To find data in container fields, create a text or number field that describes or identifies the contents of the container field. Then perform a find on that field.

[ron G]

Sounds like the consensus is that there is no 'native' way to include a 'isempty(::container)' so I will have to create a reference field and then find on that field.   Thanks fo rthe input all.

[Wim Decorte]

Well, there is a native way: loop through the records and check the field...

[Lee Smith]

Am I missing the point? or did something change in 12 with the Remote containers.

 

Why not create a calculation field = not isEmpty (YourContainerField)

 

Then you can search for 0 depending to find the records without images.

 

HTH

Lee

[Wim Decorte]

 

 

Why not create a calculation field = not isEmpty (YourContainerField)

 

 

Seems a waste to create a calc field just to figure out if it is empty.  There is a lot of info you can get from a container field so if you want to create a calc field, make it just

= YourContainerField

That way you can get all that info and can still search on it being empty.  Two birds, one stone etc..

[bruceR]

Making sure to declare the calc result as text, I presume.

[comment]

See also: GetContainerAttribute()

http://www.filemaker.com/help/13/fmp/en/html/func_ref1.31.15.html#1063605