Best way to edit related records: portal, relation or...?

[Justin Close]

I'd like to hear folks' ideas about the best way to edit some related records in a script.

I have a layout based in TableA, with 3 portals each showing related records from TableB.  There's a simple relation TO from A to B via an ID from A.  Each portal only shows one record, so I can view 3 records at a time.  There are buttons that set a few fields between records, though, or copy from one record to another.  E.g. a button to assign a name in Record2 to the same name as in Record1.

My current process is to use an 'Edit' relationship:  TableA is related to a new TO of TableB via a key field and a global-field selector.  So if I want to edit record 2, I set the global selector to 2 and then write to fields through the 'Edit' relationship.  I am also using this 'Edit' relationship to READ data from a record.

But would it be better to do a variety of 'go to object'...'go to portal row'... steps in the script?  Does it really make a difference?  Or is there yet a better way?  (I don't think that I want to do a new window-find record-edit record-close window sequence.)

This was originally designed in 13, but I am playing with 14 now, so any options are available.

--  Justin

Edited May 13, 2015 by Justin Close

[Ocean West]

Justin this would be a clear example of how Connector Selector technique would work

https://www.geistinteractive.com/2014/11/21/filemaker-selector-connector-video/

Edited May 13, 2015 by Ocean West

[Kris M]

Perhaps you might want to let the use case determine the method.

What is the best choice for the customer?

 

Edited May 13, 2015 by Kris M

[Justin Close]

Ocean:  thanks for the link, I will look into that.

Kris:  Not quite sure what the use case/customer needs would help inform here.  The results of the script are already determined, the question is about best ways to achieve that output.  Are there arguments for one technique over another (e.g. performance, stability, readability, etc)?  Or is it just personal preference of the developer?

 

--  Justin