FileMaker Pro 8: The Missing Manual

Chapter 8. Advanced Relationship Techniques

FileMaker 8 was built to work with related data and make it seem easy. Related fields, for example, work just like ordinary fields. Not only can you put them on layouts, but you can use them in Find mode and the Sort dialog box too. When you do, it just works exactly the way you’d expect.

Now you’re ready to learn how to take advantage of FileMaker’s relational capabilities to make the best database system possible. You can make data entry a breeze, minimize double-entry, show data from different tables side by side, and easily move from one kind of data to another. You can also give each relationship you create special powers given it to make creating, deleting, and displaying related records easier. This chapter shows you how to do all these things.

Creating Related Records

The first thing you probably notice with the database you worked on in Chapter 7 is that getting the records to relate is a tedious affair. To add a job record, for example, you go to the Customers layout, copy the Customer ID, and then go to the Jobs layout, add the record, and paste in the ID. That’s a pain. Since FileMaker is all about relieving the pain of working with databases, it gives you a better way—a couple, in fact. In the last chapter you learned how to use a portal to display related records. Here you’ll learn how a portal can also create related records. But first, you’ll learn how to use a value list to help you enter appropriate data into a key field. ...