Save (and restoring) a found set

[mikedr]

OK, usage scenario.  User has a current found set that is being operated on.  He wants to perform a new search, does so, screws up the data entry, and as a result there are zero found records.  If the user cancels, the browse mode no displays zero records.

 

Preferable option would be to save the current found set, and restore to that.

 

This page describes a way to save/restore a found set, but is overly complicated.  I'm wondering if anyone knows if there is an easier way?

 

http://www.dbservices.com/articles/saving-and-restoring-filemaker-found-sets

[Wim Decorte]

Quick tip: don't make us read about the other approaches.  Tell us how it is done in a nutshell and tell us what you don't like about it.  This is all volunteer time and I like paying it forward, but there is a limit to how much time I can spend on a topic.  And I'm not the only one.

 

The link is an article from 2009 - that's ancient in IT time.  That's when FileMaker 10 was new.  That is 3 versions and 1 file format distant.  When you google, limit to what is current, it'll help you out.

 

Many ways to do this (as always):

- spawn a new window - this inherits the layout and the found set.  You can do whatever you want there without affecting the original found set

- use the new ListOf summary field (did not exit back in FM10) to keep track of the current found set, but you'll still have to script rebuilding that found set

[mikedr]

Quick tip: don't make us read about the other approaches.  Tell us how it is done in a nutshell and tell us what you don't like about it.  This is all volunteer time and I like paying it forward, but there is a limit to how much time I can spend on a topic.  And I'm not the only one.

 

The link is an article from 2009 - that's ancient in IT time.  That's when FileMaker 10 was new.  That is 3 versions and 1 file format distant.  When you google, limit to what is current, it'll help you out.

 

Many ways to do this (as always):

- spawn a new window - this inherits the layout and the found set.  You can do whatever you want there without affecting the original found set

- use the new ListOf summary field (did not exit back in FM10) to keep track of the current found set, but you'll still have to script rebuilding that found set

Very good, and I apologize. I like the spawning of a new window idea.

[bcooney]

Mike, I appreciate that you took the time to research this before posting. The new window is a good idea, but now you're managing multiple windows. Perhaps just give them a Show All button. Hey, they entered bad find criteria!

[Wim Decorte]

Yep, spawning new windows can be expensive - especially if you do it a lot in succession. And you also need to fully understand all the events that happen when you do that in case you use any event triggers.

[mikedr]

Mike, I appreciate that you took the time to research this before posting. The new window is a good idea, but now you're managing multiple windows. Perhaps just give them a Show All button. Hey, they entered bad find criteria!

For the short-term at least -- this is what they're going to get! Our FM solution is quite small, myself and a paralegal (I do the FM development "on the side"). I'm thorough with testing, and this is one scenario I encountered, which will probably affect me (<1% of the time) more than my paralegal.

If only FM development paid as well as the legal field . . . . I'd switch careers!

I will say this . . . my paralegal's husband works for a company that sells patent docketing services, on the order of tens of thousands of dollars a month, to law firms and corporations. The FM solution I came up with in four-ish months does more. My monthly cost is $20 for the FM server hosting (my paralegal is remote to me). There is definitely a business opportunity here!

[bruceR]

Learn about the other option Wim mentioned: ListOf.

[bcooney]

Bruce, now that he has a collection of IDs in a global (field) or $$var, how would you suggest he rebuild the previous found set? [ Curious to see if we're thinking of the same method ].

[Wim Decorte]

Two main ways of doing that:

- create a scripted multi-request find

- use a relationship & Go To Related based on the multi-key on the left.

and if the found set does not have to be on the right context, building a virtual list would work too.

[bcooney]

I was thinking GTRR from the global multi-key.