Importing records and serial # incrementation

[Database Administrator]

I am redesigning my DB, and I am using FMP 8.5 Advanced. I am trying to
imports records into the newly designed DB which I can do with no problems.
Where I am having the trouble is I have the Master DB then I have the
Picture DB that is linked using the relationship of a numeric field called
'Record Number'.

I have a button set up to run a script to make sure the 'Record Number' in
the Master DB is copied to the 'Record Number' field in the Picture DB.

When I import records into the Master DB it add them and incremets the
'Record Number' accorddingly, but not in the PIcture DB.

I know it is probably a simple fix but I am overlooking it.

Thanks,
Carl

[Database Administrator]

"Iced Tea" wrote in message
news:8QGQk.4250$532.1888@newsfe01.iad...
> I am redesigning my DB, and I am using FMP 8.5 Advanced. I am trying to
> imports records into the newly designed DB which I can do with no
problems.
> Where I am having the trouble is I have the Master DB then I have the
> Picture DB that is linked using the relationship of a numeric field called
> 'Record Number'.
>
> I have a button set up to run a script to make sure the 'Record Number' in
> the Master DB is copied to the 'Record Number' field in the Picture DB.
>
> When I import records into the Master DB it add them and incremets the
> 'Record Number' accorddingly, but not in the PIcture DB.
>
> I know it is probably a simple fix but I am overlooking it.
>
> Thanks,
> Carl

During the Import process one of the windows asks if you want to perform
Auto-enter options. Turn that option OFF and FileMaker will import the old
Record Number, so the Relationship links will be correct.

Once the Import has finished you can work out what the highest current
Record Number is (Show All, Sort by Record Number) and then reset the
Field's Auto-enter definition to start with the next value.

Helpful Harry
STILL stuck on a s-l-o-w old Windows PC thanks to an ISP just voted about
fourth to last in the country. :-(

[Database Administrator]

I am not importing the 'Record Number' from the old file, I am letting the
new DB create a new one. It does in fact do that but it is not adding the
new 'Record Number to the Picture DB.

Carl


"Your Name" wrote in message
news:gevigo$6ik$1@lust.ihug.co.nz...
>
> "Iced Tea" wrote in message
> news:8QGQk.4250$532.1888@newsfe01.iad...
>> I am redesigning my DB, and I am using FMP 8.5 Advanced. I am trying to
>> imports records into the newly designed DB which I can do with no
> problems.
>> Where I am having the trouble is I have the Master DB then I have the
>> Picture DB that is linked using the relationship of a numeric field
>> called
>> 'Record Number'.
>>
>> I have a button set up to run a script to make sure the 'Record Number'
>> in
>> the Master DB is copied to the 'Record Number' field in the Picture DB.
>>
>> When I import records into the Master DB it add them and incremets the
>> 'Record Number' accorddingly, but not in the PIcture DB.
>>
>> I know it is probably a simple fix but I am overlooking it.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Carl
>
> During the Import process one of the windows asks if you want to perform
> Auto-enter options. Turn that option OFF and FileMaker will import the old
> Record Number, so the Relationship links will be correct.
>
> Once the Import has finished you can work out what the highest current
> Record Number is (Show All, Sort by Record Number) and then reset the
> Field's Auto-enter definition to start with the next value.
>
> Helpful Harry
> STILL stuck on a s-l-o-w old Windows PC thanks to an ISP just voted about
> fourth to last in the country. :-(
>
>

[Database Administrator]

On 2008-11-06 19:01:01 -0800, "Iced Tea" said:

> I am not importing the 'Record Number' from the old file, I am letting the
> new DB create a new one. It does in fact do that but it is not adding the
> new 'Record Number to the Picture DB.

This is a very common misconception, that creating a parent record will
automatically fill in or create a child record. It does not. Nor does
one need to explicitly set the key field value into the child record.
The relationship itself does this.

The relationship from parent to child must allow creation of records.
Then put either a portal (if multiple pictures per parent are allowed)
or a single related field (NOT the key field) on the parent layout. For
example, if a picture has a title field, you could put that on the
portal/layout.

Then simply fill in the title field and commit the record. A related
child record be created, and the key value will be automatically
entered in the key field in the child table.

If you need the picture record(s) to be automatically created when a
parent records is created, you can fill in that non-key field through a
script but ONLY after the parent record is committed. If you create
child records from an uncommitted parent, the child records will not be
properly linked to the parent.

I hope this will get you part of the way there. I don't know at this
point if you're trying to import legacy picture data or if all data is
in the parent file.
--
Lynn Allen
--
www.semiotics.com
Member Filemaker Business Alliance
Long Beach, CA

[Database Administrator]

"Iced Tea" wrote in message
news:XbOQk.37$aj1.12@newsfe01.iad...
> I am not importing the 'Record Number' from the old file, I am letting the
> new DB create a new one. It does in fact do that but it is not adding the
> new 'Record Number to the Picture DB.

If there is an actual necessity to renumber the main records, then you will
have to use a separate Field for that and still import then old numbers (in
both Tables) into another Field. You will also need an second Relationship
defined to match the old number Fields between the two Tables. Then you can
run a Script to loop through all the main records renumbering their related
records to the new number.

You need to maintain the old links so that the Script can create the new
ones.

Helpful Harry
Still in Windows "wonder"land

[Database Administrator]

In article <8QGQk.4250$532.1888@newsfe01.iad>,
"Iced Tea" wrote:

> I am redesigning my DB, and I am using FMP 8.5 Advanced. I am trying to
> imports records into the newly designed DB which I can do with no problems.
> Where I am having the trouble is I have the Master DB then I have the
> Picture DB that is linked using the relationship of a numeric field called
> 'Record Number'.
>
> I have a button set up to run a script to make sure the 'Record Number' in
> the Master DB is copied to the 'Record Number' field in the Picture DB.
>
> When I import records into the Master DB it add them and incremets the
> 'Record Number' accorddingly, but not in the PIcture DB.
>
> I know it is probably a simple fix but I am overlooking it.
>
> Thanks,
> Carl

I read other responses to this post.

I have the impression that you are creating a converted database in FMP
8.5 from an older version, possibly older than FMP7, and that the older
version has multiple files, one for each data table, in the manner of
pre-FMP7 databases.

In order to convert from an older Filemaker database to a .fp7 database
(Filemaker 7 and later), you have to drag all the old filemaker database
files at once, in a single operation, onto the FMP 8.5 icon, thus
forcing FMP 8.5 to convert them all at once into .fp7 files. This will
replicate the entire structure of the old database in the new .fp7
files, including the relationships and key fields. There is no need to
do an import at this point. All the data and all the structure and
functionality of the old pre-.fp7 database will now be present in a
collection of new .fp7 files.

The next step, should you wish to do it, is to redesign the new database
to take advantage of the features that are new in FileMaker 8.5. That
may involve creating new tables in one of the .fp7 files, then importing
data into those new tables from the appropriate files of the converted
multi-file .fp7 solution.

When you do an import of data in a relational database, it is ESSENTIAL
to import all the key field values that are used in any relationship, so
that the relationships will be preserved. DO NOT allow the database to
create new key field values in the import process; that will break the
relationships.

There is a white paper on the Filemaker web site (perhaps more than one
such paper by now) about converting and migrating a database from a
pre-.fp7 solution to FileMaker 7/8/9. You should read, indeed study,
that white paper so that you will better understand how to do this.

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"