I have two fields - phone number(text) and phone number display(calculation to show phone number in a certain format - no matter how user enters it).

I want them to lay on top of each other in the layout with the phone number display showing, but being able to enter data into the phone number field.

I have seen this done before - but can not get my two fields to line up this way.

Please help.

OK.

Best thing to do is make a copy of your phone number (text field) and change the copy to phone number display. Now, go to field format and make the display field not allow entry into this field.

Make sure both the fields have a fill colour

Now, because both fields are the same height and width, you can either manually move the display field on top of the text field (and you can use your cursor keys to move it around very precisely), or you can choose set alignment from the arrange menu. you can then say align top and left edges.

Now, because the display field does not allow entry when the user clicks on it it sees the phone number field behind it and goes into that.

HTH

Try this:

Create two fields with the same width/length, the information-field in the back (with a fill color if you like) and the description-field in the front. This field must have no fill color.

The description field is an (unstored) calculation field as follows:

If (IsEmpty(telephone);"Description";""). This field must be set to 'allow NOT entry into field'.

When the telephone number is empty, the description shows up, and when it is not empty, the phone number shows up..

Aundy gaunt has the credits, because he brought me to this..in his solution there seemed to be one problem; the moment the field is not selected anymore, the description always shows up, even if there is information in the field.

In addition two placing two fields on top of eachother:

When I tried to select both fields to group them (Arrange>Group) dragging a dotted square around them, I noticed that when two fields with the same measures (length/width) are placed exactly in the same position on top of eachother, they cannot be selected by mouse dragging a dotted square.

It seems I found my first filemaker bug (v 5.0 Mac)...

Of course there is a simple workaround, the overlaying description field should not have a border either, and made some pixels smaller or bigger, then selection of both fields is possible again. (By dragging)

Harry

When you drag a box around two overlaid fields, you are selecting both. The handles just don't show (sort of toggle each other) when overlaid. Dragging still drags both stacked fields.

-bd