Display of -- "specify field" 1

[blackd77]

Does anyone know what the significance is of the bold text displayed if one does a right click on a field? I have one field that does NOT show this feature, and I'm wondering why. (So, my question is really about the lack of the bold text).

Forgive me please if this is too obvious. Our Filemaker (it's an old version, v. 4 unfortunately) materials don't mantion it, and my web search hits were too many, without pertaining to this per se).

 

[blackd77]

The reason I'm asking this (and this is a continuation of a previous post) is that I have a field that isn't performing the way it appears it should. The original database has a lookup that locks up the application for about 30 seconds. The secondary file, the one cited by the lookup, resides in the same folder on a local hard drive as the database executing the lookup. After analyzing it for days, and getting nowhere with it, I decided to rebuild the problem database from scratch. Each field, relationship, script, value list, button, lookup and layout in the new and old file is exactly identical. The only differences that I can see are:

1. The creation order of some of the items differ (fields and value lists).

2. The above-mentioned difference of the original field in question having its "specify field" display in normal rather than a bold font.

The field in question clearly has a lookup, which cites a relationship between it and a third database called "Agencies". (This "Agencies" database is called by both lookups, in the old and new databases. The relationship between the old/new databases and "Agencies" is the same in either case). The old database has the "application lockup" problem when the lookup is envoked. The new database does not perform the expected lookup when that field is clicked on while in browse mode (the action that triggers the lookup in the original database).

Again, everything I can see looks identical (except the items noted above).

Is there some "Filemaker gotchas" list out there somewhere?

 

[Schlogg]

You don't normally trigger a lookup just by clicking in a field. Was there a button associated with the field in the old database?

Cheers,
Paul J.

 

[blackd77]

No button corresponds to this field/location on page/resulting activity in the original file. Since I'm new to Filemaker, I copied this original's structure as closely as I possibly could.

I didn't want to actually copy over database objects, because the original has problems. The latency, the application lockup, in the original, disappears if I disconnect the network cable on the PC I'm using during the lockup. This occurs even though all files concerned exist in same local hard disk folder, and the databases know of their location.

They are 99% identical, yet behave in a slightly different manner.

Is the "bold versus normal" text issue noted originally a known thing, a weird fluke, or something else?

 

[Schlogg]

FMP4 had very, very few gotchas. And, no, there isn't a list of gotchas. FMP is one of most bugless bits of PC software I've ever experienced. (Before V7, that is.)
See my previous post. I just turned a normally displayed field into a button, right-clicked it and, you guessed it, 'specify field' is not bold.
Try this. Go back to the original db, go into layout mode, double-click on the field. My bet is you will get the 'specify button' window. Am not sure if you realise that you can make (almost) any object on your layout behave like a button.
When you say the field has a lookup, just what do you mean?
How is the lookup invoked? Is it auto-enter, calculation or what?
By the way, what OS are you running?
One of the gotchas with FMP is it can get lost on networks and have trouble finding files. This is not due to bugs but odd user 'errors'. A really good way to cause trouble on networks is to have copies of related files lying around.

Cheers,
Paul J.

 

[blackd77]

EXCELLENT! Can't thank you enough. I did that, opened the original database, journeyed into layout mode, and checked the button status of the field. It did have properties, that of "Go to related record". I totally missed that one.

The auto-enter tab does not have the calculation box checked. Only the "looked up value" is checked, and nothing is checked under the "validation" tab.

By what I mean concerning lookup, if I go to File, Define, Fields, and scroll to the field in question (Department) it shows as Text, and Indexed, Lookup.

I'm running Windows XP.

Concerning FMP's getting lost on networks...in my testing, I have moved the database files around. How does a certain database file, or the application itself, get its information on where files cited in relationships, or called in a field lookup, are located? The information must be stored somewhere, written to a file somewhere.

Again, thanks. I think this will allow me to overcome this particular problem!

 

[Schlogg]

Good!
Re how/where does FMP keep its secrets re file locations - who knows? Seriously, I've never been able to get a handle on it. In V7 you can actually see all the paths that FMP will try in order to get to a file. In earlier versions, you just grin and bear it and try to keep FMP in the know. If it loses a file location, it will ask you where it is. No big deal really. As I said before, it's copies that cause havoc.
The description of that field definition means
...when a new record is created, automatically enter the looked up value....
The looked up value will be based on the value in some other field in that record - like Customer Number to get Customer Name from a related file.
To get it to look up values for already created records, you need to move your cursor into the base field (Customer Number in the example) and the go to Records->Relookup.

Cheers,
Paul J.