birthdays 1

[myogenesis]

can anyone tell me how to extract a birthday list for a specified month. all birth dates have been entered as normal date fields - i can't work out how to filter them just to get a desired month report
thanks

 

[JeanW]

Make one field - calculation, text

Month(yourDateField)

Make the filter bades on this field and you will have all the birthdates for a given month.

 

[myogenesis]

Thanks Jean sorry but i'm new to filemake and not a programmer but i'm working out the basics. My birthday field i have named DOB do i have to create a new field? and what sort of formula do i put in to tell it to just find the month and not the year or day?

 

[JeanW]

Let stay on basic level, there are other ways to accomplish it, but with this you still can follow the logic.
Later on you can use other techniques....

You have your DOB field, which is of type 'date'.
Create a new field; monthDOB_ct.
It is a calculation, result text.

In the calculation window, in the upper right pane, you have all the functions.
Scroll down untill you find MonthName(date).
Double click and the function will appear in the calc box, with date highlighted.

Scroll down in the left pane, where all the fieldlabels are, untill you find your DOB field, double click.

( data ) will be replaced by ( DOB ).
Make sure to change the calculationresult to text in the lower left box before clcicking OK.

Back to your layout, put this new field on the layout.
This is the field to search on.
Go in to Find mode, give a month in this field and FileMaker will give you all the records with that month.

I never let users search on a data entry layout, I always redirect the user to a special searchlayout, where I put all the fields from the given table where it is allowed to search on, but that's another story.

Instead of monthName you can use Month( date ) instead, this will return the monthNumber instead of the name.
The way of working is the same.

If problems, feel free

 

[myogenesis]

Jean - thank you, thank you, thank you it worked perfectly. Very much appreciated )

 

[TStriker]

myogenesis,

Maybe I'm not understanding the question properly but maybe the solution for you is as simple as this:

1. Go into the find mode.
2. Type: 2/*/* into the DOB field.
3. Execute the find.

This should produce a found set for everybody with birthdays in February.

-Striker

 

[TStriker]

Well... looks like i weighed-in a mere 6 minutes late.

I should also mention that the method I described above *may* not work on older versions of FM. It should work on 8.5 and perhaps 8.0 as well.

-Striker

 

[JeanW]

Hey Striker...long time no see...

Yes, you're right, x/*/* will give also the month, even in FM 8.

Here I wanted to stay on the 'didactic' way and combine calculation, text result and use of functions in one move.

Sometimes the quick solution for us, long time users, is missing the logic new users need.

In Kindness

 

[TStriker]

Hi Jean,

Like most things Filemaker--and programming in general for that matter--there is usually more than one way to skin-the-cat. Your method does indeed provide more opportunity for learning which is obviously a good thing!

I really haven't been away for long as I tend to check in, oh, probably once a day but often don't have the time to respond or you have already done a very thorough job of addressing the question so I wouldn't be adding any value.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to you Jean! I wish you and your family all the best in the upcoming year.

Sincerely,

-Striker

 

[JeanW]

>>-Striker :
>>..you have already done a job of addressing the question

Woops, have to slow down to give others (you) a chance...


Merry Christmas to you Striker! I wish you and your family all the best in the upcoming year.
Happy FileMaking