Hi. I am creating a scheduling db and i have list of employees working. So i created a repeating field with drop down lists of employees with a static repeating number. Is it possible to make the number of repeating entries vary? example: if i have 10 people working have it only have 10 repeats but if some more people need to work to be able to expand it to 15 repeats automatically with data entry? let me know. thanks.
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Repeating field, make number or repeats vary upon data
- Thread starter LoffKat79
- Start date
LoffKat79,
If I understand your question the answer is no.
You should be aware that repeating fields are hardly ever used anymore. They are a thing-of-the-past going back to a time when Filemaker wasn't a relational DB (FM v2). If you're not too far into your database design I strongly suggest that you ditch the repeating fields. A related table will give you everything a repeating field does and much more; including the ability to vary the number of lines.
Developing reports that utilize repeating fields can be all but impossible. They often include results that you do not want included. Related records will give you much more granularity.
-Striker
If I understand your question the answer is no.
You should be aware that repeating fields are hardly ever used anymore. They are a thing-of-the-past going back to a time when Filemaker wasn't a relational DB (FM v2). If you're not too far into your database design I strongly suggest that you ditch the repeating fields. A related table will give you everything a repeating field does and much more; including the ability to vary the number of lines.
Developing reports that utilize repeating fields can be all but impossible. They often include results that you do not want included. Related records will give you much more granularity.
-Striker
- Thread starter
- #3
Striker... I don't understand how i should be setting it up then. I have a table with the employees’ names with rates or pay. I have a separate table for scheduling which has the repeating field of employee's name, date, start time, hours to work and end time. The amount of employees that work per day varies but is normally around 15 per shift. I want the employee's field to be filled with a drop down list, or pop up menu from the employee's table data. How should i go about having spaces for multiple employees per day if it shouldn't be repeating? Please let me know because I am a dated FileMaker user (last was very familiar with 4.1). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I have problems to understand:
>> I want the employee's field to be filled with a drop down list, or pop up menu from the employee's table data.
In your employee table you have the name and the rate.
In your schedule layout, or you reflect the employee, with a relationship or you sort of hardcopy the data with a lookup.
I follow Striker, like I said in a previous thread, you have to dig into the relationship techniques for this.
>> I want the employee's field to be filled with a drop down list, or pop up menu from the employee's table data.
In your employee table you have the name and the rate.
In your schedule layout, or you reflect the employee, with a relationship or you sort of hardcopy the data with a lookup.
I follow Striker, like I said in a previous thread, you have to dig into the relationship techniques for this.
- Thread starter
- #5
Yes, but i don't know how to. I need help with the technique. In the schedule layout, the lookup does hardcopy to the schedulng so i can do reports late on cost of dates for employees (meaning how much the total cost of employee work was for a particular date). please help. i'm new to 8.
Before we slip too far in the wrong direction...
According to a previous post I think you have 'events' and for each event you need 1 or more employees.
You assign those employees to an event and want out of that a calculation of the time worked or assigned to that given event.
Is that in short the case ?
If you can give us a clear view on what you have and what you want to achieve, we can guide you.
According to a previous post I think you have 'events' and for each event you need 1 or more employees.
You assign those employees to an event and want out of that a calculation of the time worked or assigned to that given event.
Is that in short the case ?
If you can give us a clear view on what you have and what you want to achieve, we can guide you.
- Thread starter
- #7
yes that is the short case. here is the elaborate case so you fully understand.
I have an events table
holds event name and event date
I have a housemen table
holds housemen name and pay rate
I have a housemen schedule table
which pulls data from the events table for the event name and date (drop down menu and calendar menu)
Has 3 shifts of workers (1st shift, 2nd shift etc...) with a start time (entry) for the shift of workers, the hours (entry) for the shift of workers and a calculated end time (calculated, unmodifiable) for the shift of workers.
Currently has for each shift: 15 repeat values of a 1st shift employee name which is a drop down list which displays values from the housemen names field in the housemen table.
I would later like to create a report that calculates the total cost of the event including housemen cost total and whatever various single fields i put in later. I don't think i can explain it anymore. Is that elaborate enough to comprehend? Let me know! thanks a bunch!
I have an events table
holds event name and event date
I have a housemen table
holds housemen name and pay rate
I have a housemen schedule table
which pulls data from the events table for the event name and date (drop down menu and calendar menu)
Has 3 shifts of workers (1st shift, 2nd shift etc...) with a start time (entry) for the shift of workers, the hours (entry) for the shift of workers and a calculated end time (calculated, unmodifiable) for the shift of workers.
Currently has for each shift: 15 repeat values of a 1st shift employee name which is a drop down list which displays values from the housemen names field in the housemen table.
I would later like to create a report that calculates the total cost of the event including housemen cost total and whatever various single fields i put in later. I don't think i can explain it anymore. Is that elaborate enough to comprehend? Let me know! thanks a bunch!
As far as I can see you need a table with employees/houseman with their name, shift and rate (among other info).
Your main table should be the event table. This is the variable.
The events will steer the dates/hours for the housemen.
There is an event, date, duration, place etc.
This is the variable info.
To this events you want to assign housemen.
According to your previous posts, it's nearly a 24/7, together with your 3 shifts.
You need an 'in between' table where you will assign those employees to an event, with the dates and duration for each of them.
In the event table you can make a portal, where you can fill in the names, and duration for each assign employee.
With the allowed recordcreation on, this will create records in the Itemtable (the inbetween).
In this table you can make your calcs for the hours, rates etc, needed for each employee, and also generate your reports.
This is in short an overview how you could do it.
But I want a second opinion (Striker) before we go further in detail.
Your main table should be the event table. This is the variable.
The events will steer the dates/hours for the housemen.
There is an event, date, duration, place etc.
This is the variable info.
To this events you want to assign housemen.
According to your previous posts, it's nearly a 24/7, together with your 3 shifts.
You need an 'in between' table where you will assign those employees to an event, with the dates and duration for each of them.
In the event table you can make a portal, where you can fill in the names, and duration for each assign employee.
With the allowed recordcreation on, this will create records in the Itemtable (the inbetween).
In this table you can make your calcs for the hours, rates etc, needed for each employee, and also generate your reports.
This is in short an overview how you could do it.
But I want a second opinion (Striker) before we go further in detail.
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