How can I import records from an unrelated file (db1) into another file (db2) when db2 has related fields in its layout from db3? When I attempt to import into db2 and I access "match fields", the related fields used in db2 don't show up. Is it possible to have the related fields in db2 show up on the "match fields" dialogue box, or do I have to import the data from db1 directly into db3, the "master file/fields"? I hope this question is clear. Thanks for the help.

Simple answer. You can't import into related fields. You must import into the file the fields reside in, do a second import the the related file, or import into a temporary file and move the data around using scripting.

-bd

Import the related data directly into the related database. This may mean you'll have to massage the imported data quite significantly before importing.

In a recent job I converted a poorly designed flat-file system (parts were relational) into a fully relational solution. I spent a couple of days just working out how to massage the data into the shape of the new system: some time was spent making some FMP converter files with scripts to do the data crunching (there were a couple of databases with thousands of records that needed to be split into several new related files -- the converters got the data out of specific fields and created new records with the appropriate key field, then removed duplicates and cleaned up the entries). Quite a bit of fun, actually... very challenging. It's easy to loose or munge the data big-time.

There is often a lot more to it than just choosing Import from the File menu -- that's the last step, the easy bit.