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Navigation Portal

Question asked by RobertGardner on Apr 20, 2011
Latest reply on Apr 21, 2011 by RobertGardner

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Navigation Portal

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I am using FMP 10. I have a Student table that lists loads of data about the student including:

Membership Expiration Date
Balance Owed
Student Name
ListCalc (which = Get (CurrentDate) - 60 )

To ease navigation for the non-Filemaker savvy, I have currently created a portal that displays the first 3 fields from all records whose Expiration > ListCalc. To do this, I had to create another table that imports the data from these fields and consistently updates them. The relationship between them is that ListCalc in the Student table must be < the Expiration on the List table. Then, on the Student layout, I created a portal that looks at this List Tables records. Once the name field in the portal is clicked, it triggers FM to find that student's records.

This seems to be a waste, since I'm simply duplicating data that is already there. I have tried to create the same relationship simply between Student and another instance of itself, but the portal does not show any records. I can either show all the records via an "x" relationship, or none. This is essentially an attempt to filter the portal results, but nothing I try gives any results other than ALL or NONE.

philmodjunk Apr 21, 2011 8:33 AM

Correct Answer

You'll need to find a way to make it static data. One option is to modify your system so that scripts update the static date whenever a field or record that is used to determine that date is modified. Script triggers can be very handy for that purpose.

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philmodjunk Apr 20, 2011 3:42 PM

If your layout is based on Shaolin and your portal is to List, you should be able to:

Make ListCalc an unstored calculation of return type date.
Make List a table occurrence of the same data source table as Shaolin.

You would not be able to do the reverse (base layout on List and base portal on Shaolin).

With FileMaker 11, which you don't have, you'd also have the option of using the X operator and a portal filter expression.

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RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 4:10 PM

2 questions:

1) I'm not sure quite what you mean by a table occurrence of the same data source as Shaolin since Shaolin IS the data source. Does that mean that List is just another instance of the same table? Basically, I have FMP set to automatically import/update the records into List which already exist in Shaolin, and then I have created a portal from there. Is that the same thing as you have in mind? If I could bypass the import/update, that would be great.

2) In the past, you gave an example of someone having records of a list of cities in the US and being able to view all of those cities through an X operator into the portal. However, with hundreds of cities being a cumbersome portal, you suggested somehow categorizing the data by state so that the only records shown in the portal were those from that category. Basically a filtered portal, I know, but it sounded like you had some kind of work around for it?

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philmodjunk Apr 20, 2011 4:19 PM

Instance = table occurrence. Every box in Manage | Database | Relationship is a table occurrence. Some table occurrence boxes have the same name as the data source table to which they refer as Filemaker automatically adds a table occurrence box of the same name every time you define a new table. Since I can't see from your screen shot whether Shaolin is the same name for both, I tried to use a little caution in how I described this.

You can "filter" a portal at the relationship level like we are discussing here, or we can filter the portal with an expression that's part of portal setup, but this second option was a new feature added with the release of Filemaker 11 so it's not an option for users with Filemaker 10 and older.

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RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 4:33 PM

At the relationship level, I have tried an X operator AND ListCalc < Expiration. But I can't seem to get it to work simply with another table occurrence. The screenshot with Shaolin 6 is another occurrence of Shaolin that I tried to get to work. List is from a different table whose records are generated by an import/update from the Shaolin table. I want to eliminate that step, but the portal via Shaolin 6 only gives me all or nothing. Here are the relationships I've tried.

All:

FullName X Fullname

Nothing:

FullName X FullName AND

ListCalc<Expiration

I've also tried just

ListCalc<Expiration

But it won't work either. Suggestions? Or is what I'm trying to do not possible with FMP 10.

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philmodjunk Apr 20, 2011 4:40 PM

It should work with FileMaker Pro 10.

Don't see any reason why it doesn't work from here as long as you base the layout on Shaolin, the portal on List and use Listcalc < Expiration date.

If it wasn't nearly time to go home here, I'd create and upload a demo file for you to look at.

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RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 4:45 PM

I will try a smaller, less cluttered demo to see if I can get it to work. I'll post if it does. Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if maybe tomorrow you could create one.

Thanks so much for your help thus far.

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RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 5:12 PM

I can get it to work with a smaller demo database and have discovered the issue with the larger DB. My Expiration field is itself a calculation from Receipts table.

Max (Receipts::Paid Through)

If it is static data, the relationship works fine, but once I make it a calculation, the portal ceases to function. Any ideas?

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philmodjunk Apr 21, 2011 8:33 AM

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RobertGardner Apr 21, 2011 9:23 AM

I see we're on the same page. I did the swap early this morning and used a script trigger to update the field when the record is loaded. Worked like a charm. Thanks so much for your help.

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9 Replies

philmodjunk Apr 20, 2011 3:42 PM
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Correct Answer
If your layout is based on Shaolin and your portal is to List, you should be able to:
1. Make ListCalc an unstored calculation of return type date.
2. Make List a table occurrence of the same data source table as Shaolin.
You would not be able to do the reverse (base layout on List and base portal on Shaolin).

With FileMaker 11, which you don't have, you'd also have the option of using the X operator and a portal filter expression.
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RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 4:10 PM
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Correct Answer
2 questions:

1) I'm not sure quite what you mean by a table occurrence of the same data source as Shaolin since Shaolin IS the data source. Does that mean that List is just another instance of the same table? Basically, I have FMP set to automatically import/update the records into List which already exist in Shaolin, and then I have created a portal from there. Is that the same thing as you have in mind? If I could bypass the import/update, that would be great.

2) In the past, you gave an example of someone having records of a list of cities in the US and being able to view all of those cities through an X operator into the portal. However, with hundreds of cities being a cumbersome portal, you suggested somehow categorizing the data by state so that the only records shown in the portal were those from that category. Basically a filtered portal, I know, but it sounded like you had some kind of work around for it?
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philmodjunk Apr 20, 2011 4:19 PM
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Correct Answer
Instance = table occurrence. Every box in Manage | Database | Relationship is a table occurrence. Some table occurrence boxes have the same name as the data source table to which they refer as Filemaker automatically adds a table occurrence box of the same name every time you define a new table. Since I can't see from your screen shot whether Shaolin is the same name for both, I tried to use a little caution in how I described this.

You can "filter" a portal at the relationship level like we are discussing here, or we can filter the portal with an expression that's part of portal setup, but this second option was a new feature added with the release of Filemaker 11 so it's not an option for users with Filemaker 10 and older.
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RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 4:33 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
At the relationship level, I have tried an X operator AND ListCalc < Expiration. But I can't seem to get it to work simply with another table occurrence. The screenshot with Shaolin 6 is another occurrence of Shaolin that I tried to get to work. List is from a different table whose records are generated by an import/update from the Shaolin table. I want to eliminate that step, but the portal via Shaolin 6 only gives me all or nothing. Here are the relationships I've tried.

All:

FullName X Fullname

Nothing:

FullName X FullName AND

ListCalc<Expiration

I've also tried just

ListCalc<Expiration

But it won't work either. Suggestions? Or is what I'm trying to do not possible with FMP 10.
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Actions
philmodjunk Apr 20, 2011 4:40 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
It should work with FileMaker Pro 10.

Don't see any reason why it doesn't work from here as long as you base the layout on Shaolin, the portal on List and use Listcalc < Expiration date.

If it wasn't nearly time to go home here, I'd create and upload a demo file for you to look at.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 4:45 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
I will try a smaller, less cluttered demo to see if I can get it to work. I'll post if it does. Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if maybe tomorrow you could create one.

Thanks so much for your help thus far.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
RobertGardner Apr 20, 2011 5:12 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
I can get it to work with a smaller demo database and have discovered the issue with the larger DB. My Expiration field is itself a calculation from Receipts table.

Max (Receipts::Paid Through)

If it is static data, the relationship works fine, but once I make it a calculation, the portal ceases to function. Any ideas?
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Actions
philmodjunk Apr 21, 2011 8:33 AM
Unmark Correct
Correct Answer
You'll need to find a way to make it static data. One option is to modify your system so that scripts update the static date whenever a field or record that is used to determine that date is modified. Script triggers can be very handy for that purpose.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
Actions
RobertGardner Apr 21, 2011 9:23 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
I see we're on the same page. I did the swap early this morning and used a script trigger to update the field when the record is loaded. Worked like a charm. Thanks so much for your help.
Like • Show 0 Likes0
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