FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual

Changing Multiple Records

Sometimes the whole reason you performed a find is to change something in several records. If one of the companies you work with changes its name, you may have several records that need to be updated. The first step to fixing them is to find them. Once your found set includes the people at that company, you could change the Company Name field one record at a time (especially if you’re billing by the hour). But a better use of your time is to use the Replace Field Contents command. Here’s how it works:

1. Click in the Company Name field (it doesn’t matter which record), and correct the company name.

   You’ve just fixed one of the records. All the others in the found set need the same fix. (Make sure you’re still in the Company Name field or the next step won’t work.)

2. Choose Records → Replace Field Contents.

   The Replace Field Contents dialog box appears (Figure 2-6). It has a handful of options that may not make sense to you yet. That’s OK; just choose the first one: “Replace with.” The new data you just typed is listed beside this option.

   

   Figure 2-6. The Replace Field Contents dialog box has three options: “Replace with,” “Replace with serial numbers,” and “Replace with calculated result.” The first option is the only one you’re concerned with right now. It replaces the contents of the current field in every record in the found set with whatever is in the current record ...