I created a text field and called it "List."
The list displays the following entries:
All
A FLT
B FLT
CHAMP
But when I create a popup menu and tell it to use this list, the popup menu resorts the list. It shows it as:
A FLT
All
B FLT
Champ which is alphabetical. How can I make the popup menu display my list exactly the way I created it?
The list that is created will be totally random every time a user creates a new file and I need the list to dynamically create based on whatever entries they may have created. If the user would create the list manually, this wouldn't seem to be an issue. But I need to create the list by script and the user has no control over it at all. So, the easiest way to simply display the list in the popup exactly the way the list is created is what I need to do. It seems as though your response is that I need to "trick" Filemaker into simply displaying the list as created. Seems as though your Suggestion B is best, but I don't know how to implement that.
How is your value list currently defined? If it's a use values from field value list with the second field option not currently being used, we can exploit that field to set an arbitrary sort order. If you are using both fields, such as an ID for field one and the text shown in your example from field 2, then the method to be used must differ.
But I'd say that C) is actually the simplest to set up. Since you already have a table storing these values, you only need a relationship (can be a Cartesian relationship) and then you can add a portal, which if unsorted, will list the values in the order that they are created. The portal rows get covered with a button that sets your field's value to the value of data from a field in the clicked portal record.
Ok. I'll try to work out that last option. I think I follow you.
Thank you!
For examples of a sorted "use values from field" value list, and examples of selection portals, see:
Adventures in FileMaking #2-enhanced value selection
The sorted value list example uses that second field. I don't have a working example of inserting a leading space or other "non-printing character" to explicitly sort a value list, though I do use that trick in the same file to sort an "action value" to the top of the list in one of the other examples. To do this for an entire list would require taking the code for the first charcter in a block of nonprinting characters and incrementing that code for each subsequent value. It works, but is a major Kludge IMO. The portal option is much more direct and by using a popover, it need not take up any more layout space than a pop up menu or drop down list.
Thank you. I'm certainly going to study what you have sent me because I know I can use it in the future. But here's what I ended up doing - it is so simple. You suggested a "invisible leading character" - I just added a couple spaces before the word " All" and it sorted exactly like I needed it.
You would only need one such space. But note that this only puts "all" at the start, the rest of your values will still arrange into ascending order. If that works, then you have a simple solution to your problem, but you'll need to do more than that if the order for the other values needs to be other than ascending.
Thanks, Beverly. I'll look at this, too.
Options:
A) use a custom value list instead of "use values from a field" type value list
B) Force a different order--either by using invisible text in the second field (if it's not being used) or by adding an invisible leading character in front of certain values in the visible text data in your list
C) Use a selection portal inside a popover and sort the data pretty much any way that you need to.
Feel free to ask for more info on any of these approaches that you want to try.