Very Computer

This is for a point of sale cash system.

I have one file for customer info, another for invoice and a line item
file for information created in an invoice portal.

I would like to have a client purchase history in the client screen. To
do this I have created a portal which looks up information from the line
item file. In order for the portal to find the correct information, I
need to have the line item file also record the client number
information from the original invoice. I created a field that is
supposed to look up the client number from the invoice. Unfortunately, I
can't seem to trigger the file to look up the information. If I go into
the mode menu and replace the field with a calculation, it enters the
correct information. But that is not a practical method to update the
files in "real time". I have also tried other methods which place the
correct information in the file, but they don't work for the portal in
the client history screen.

A work-around idea is to have the line file pop open with just the
client data, but again I run into the same problem of having to find
from a field that is not looking up the information from the original
related record.

If I was the only person using the system, I could manually perform a
find from a placed related field, but the system is used by several
others that have a problems doing anything technical like that.

Thank you in advance.

Quote:> I created a field that is supposed to look up the
> client number from the invoice. Unfortunately, I
> can't seem to trigger the file to look up the information.

In Line Items, go to Define Fields and make sure the Client Number field
is set to auto-enter Invoice::Client Number. One possible drawback of
this is when line items are entered on an invoice before a client number
has been entered. There are ways to get around this, but sorry no time
to detail that right now and it may not even be an issue for you.

Tom Fitch
Fitch & Fitch
Portland, Oregon

The file is set for Auto Enter, Lookup, Invoice::Customer Number.

I have tried using Auto Enter, Calculation, Invoice::Customer Number
with the same results. Something needs to trigger the look up.

I have also tried changing the field definition from Text to
Calculation, which does produce the desired result of populating the
field with the correct data, but I can't use it in my Client File
Portal, because I can't index that field.

My work around approach is to set up my Line Item file to search for the
records based on the client number, but that search takes over five
minutes to perform, because it is searching through over 35,000
un-indexed records - each time I perform find, not just the first time.

I don't know if this helps, but I am using version 3 of Filemaker Pro.
The client number in the Invoice file is copied from the client file
then pasted into the Invoice file, which then correctly looks up the
Customer Name info (the copy and paste function is performed with a script).

Quote:> The file is set for Auto Enter, Lookup, Invoice::Customer Number.

> I have tried using Auto Enter, Calculation, Invoice::Customer Number
> with the same results. Something needs to trigger the look up.

The creation of a new (related) record will trigger the lookup (or the
auto-entered calculation).  If the Invoice number and Customer number are
both present in the Invoice database when the line items are created, both
should be transfered to the line items database when line items are entered.
If your problem is previous records, use Replace or Relookup to fill them
in.

Quote:> I have also tried changing the field definition from Text to
> Calculation, which does produce the desired result of populating the
> field with the correct data, but I can't use it in my Client File
> Portal, because I can't index that field.

Right.

Quote:

> My work around approach is to set up my Line Item file to search for the
> records based on the client number, but that search takes over five
> minutes to perform, because it is searching through over 35,000
> un-indexed records - each time I perform find, not just the first time.

> I don't know if this helps, but I am using version 3 of Filemaker Pro.

Always good to know.  Stops me from suggesting use of conditional value
lists and the ValueListItems function in the Customers database to define a
relationship to line items based upon invoice number.

Quote:> The client number in the Invoice file is copied from the client file
> then pasted into the Invoice file, which then correctly looks up the
> Customer Name info (the copy and paste function is performed with a
script).