Report Creation Date / Report Print Date 1

[cmc2000]

I have filmaker pro 5.5 database created and I have reports (letters) that i have merged with the records. I have a field in the form for the date the letter is mailed. How do I get a field on the letter itlsef of when the letter is created or printed and reference that back to the form. I need to be able to search database by date letter was created/printed.

Thanks
Brandon

http://www.checkmanagementconsultants.com

 

[cmc2000]

I tried what you proposed but it didn't work. I am a bit confused. What i have is a scannign program that pre assigned a number to teh filename for the scan ex 01_001 and increaseses the number for each consecutive scan accordingly. I scan them in alphabetical order, and in the database they are sorted in the same order. so i was wondering what would be the easiest wasy to get those images into each record. I got a caluclation field setup to store as container, but wasn't sure how to format the calculation formula entry. since for each record the number will increase by 1.

thanks for any help

 

[marty1452]

Aren't we all a little confused?

In your previous post you mentioned using the client's name and DL number for a filename. Now you want the scanner to assign it. I still don't know your business needs enough to understand how you work and then suggest a solution.

I'll take a stab though. How do the checks come in to you 100's at a time in alphabetical order? Wouldn't there be more names in the database then checks to be scanned? In otherwords, couldn't a Smith client exist in the database yet no Smith check is being scanned?

If you are entering this information in off the check prior to scanning and this is why you are sure the client and the check for the client exists, this same process surely happens on an almost daily bases. So what happens when you enter a John Smith today, and tomorrow you enter a James Smith. How would a script know which record to go to to create a file name that would point to the automated file name created by the scanner? It could be I'm confused on the method of your madness and it could be it just won't work the way we are approaching this.

I thought you were on the right track before with a unique file name sequence, last-first-check number. For what you are doing, maybe this doesn't work at all.

Tell me more about the process of your business doings answering a few of the above questions. I'm sure there is an answer but I need to understand the question better.

Marty

 

[cmc2000]

OK, let me try to make this clearer. I have a lot of checks that have been manually entered into the computer, i also have a check scanner, and need to attach the scaned images to the manually inputted records in the dabatase. i was thinking i could use a file increment with the scanning program like i saod before, but you presented a good problem, they would all have to be in exactly correct alphabetical order for that to work. The drivers license and last name would be better, but then the problem there is that i would have to manually save the scanned image as the filename i wanted, which would take forever. Any ideas?

 

[marty1452]

I've played with this some based on your previous comment that one of my ideas didn't work. I have a calculation container field in one of my solutions and after looking it over I can see where I was leading you astray. The graphic has to exist in the database to do anything with it. The calculation I do chooses graphic a or b from existing container.

If the scanner assigns a number, there is no way for a user or the computer to identify who's check is who's. It's a picture. You could scan a photograph and how's the computer to know who is in the picture. A scanned check is a picture. The file name is the key. The file name connects the right picture with the right client. Naming the file is imperative to instant retrieval of the document.

Back to connecting the two. The picture of the check needs to be selected to be a part of the database. This is bad news for how you want to automate this process. The best FM will do this is perform an import graphic script which opens a dialog where the user needs to select the correct file name. Very time consuming. I don't see any other way to streamline this.

The only other option is a plugin. A programmer writes a plugin in C++. The file name issue is still on deck, but a plugin could be programmed to retrieve the correct file name. I think a SETFIELD function with a plugin would do what you want.

I know a great programmer that has done some plugin work for me if you get to that point and you'd like to ask him some questions.

If you think about it, what you want to do is what many banks do with checks, imaging them and having them available for customers for viewing. The difference is their scanner is reading the account numbers at the bottom of the check and using that as a file number, allows them to collate the clients’ checks.

None of the solutions are without user interaction or what you might call easy.

Sorry

Marty