Mass update

[Michaelbbeck]

Hi guys

i am fairly new to fm. I use fm 13 as a client to access fm server. 

We have 18000 customers / unique ids in the DB as a crm  

each entity has has a series of tiers associated for opt in programs. 

I need to find a specific 700 of them by surname and make one change in the field from "inactive" to "active"  I have their names and details in a csv  

Obviously I could search individually ale the change in the form, save and repeat. But could I somehow drop all the names in and get the 700 and make the changes from the table field. 

Is there a better way to achieve this  

many thanks  

 

 

[JILLW]

Here's the most primitive way to do this

1  Find the records you want to change -- I'd request the surnames you want AND the status inactiver

2. Do a find/replace on these records changing the field value from  inactiver to active.

Be SURE to backup your data before trying this!!

[eos]

Here's the most primitive way to do this

​So, what would be the least primitive way?

[Michaelbbeck]

Thanks for the reply. I assume that searching for them would be an individual search for each of the 700?

 

[eos]

 I assume that searching for them would be an individual search for each of the 700?

​Which is a chore you probably want to avoid. Try this:

• import the CSV into a new table

• create a relationship between Customer::surname = CSVImport::surname*

• put the field CSV::surname onto a Customer layout and use the "*" operator to search for non-empty records

• for the found set, use Replace Field Contents for Customer::yourField to batch-set its value to "active"

*If this single predicate is not sufficient to return unique matches, add as many predicates as necessary to the relationship, e.g. Customer::nameFirst = CSVImport::nameFirst

As has been said before: be sure to create a backup before you try this.

[comment]

I need to find a specific 700 of them by surname and make one change in the field from "inactive" to "active"  I have their names and details in a csv  

​Is this a one-time update, or do you need to do this periodically? If the latter, do you have any control over the format of the CSV file?

[Michaelbbeck]

Hi this is a one time update, but i dont have any control over the csv format.

 

thanks in advance