Range Creation through Unique Looping

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You need to allow your users to create a range of numbers, but you don't want the range to have duplicates. You need to write a script that will create the range automatically. Ensuring the unique values is something the script should do - not the user.

The solution must be efficient and fast. So, how many ways can you accomplish this? Many, so watch this video to find out which might be the best method!

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UniqueLooping.zip93.66 KB

Auto-Reducing Value Lists

There's a number of ways to enforce good data entry. When it comes to making sure that only one of each selection can be made in a value list, how do you remove an option after it has already been selected?

This video and technique file starts off with the problem of making schedules for meeting rooms. When a person is added to the meeting, their name should be removed from the value list. Watch this movie and use the associated files to learn how it's done.

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Reducing_Value_Lists.zip275.44 KB

Popup Navigation

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Moving from one place to another, within a database application, is more of an issue than software dedicated to a singular focus. Database software tends to be larger and needs to accommodate more than a few types of users.

Popup navigation is a method of moving to different locations within the database system. It requires less real estate and the technique can be used for more purposes than just navigation. This technique adds a twist that makes the process of navigation much easier to administer and grow.

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POPUP_NAVIGATE.zip79.6 KB

Interface Tips: A Better Look & Feel

No preview video available.

Giving your interface a bit more depth is what creates an attractive look and feel. There are more than a few tips to making things look great in a FileMaker Pro layout - this video covers a few of them.

Watch this video to learn how to break down your interface and improve its usability. Learn how to make quick and easy divider lines and how to give your fields that extra "breathing room" they so often desire.

Video Data Rate = 18.5 K bytes/sec

Dynamic Portal Display

You don't always have the screen real estate necessary to show all the data you might otherwise pack into a portal. But that's ok, you can always use a dynamic portal display to show only the data a user chooses to view.

This powerful technique optimizes how you show information within a portal and allows you to maximize your screen real estate. You'll also learn a very easy method for sorting portals.

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DYNAMIC_PORTAL_501.zip76.82 KB

A Universal Portal Search

No preview video available.

You're not always in the correct file, within a list view that allows for easy searching. Even beyond that, not all users of FileMaker Pro are familiar with creating multiple request searches.

The easiest solution in this situation is to provide Universal Portal Searching. It's like Google for your portals. The user enters search criteria into one field and results are provided based on searching many fields. Use this video article to learn a powerful technique for searching portals.

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PortalSearch_496.zip187.04 KB

Date Ranges: The Best Solution

Figuring out the sum total of hours an employee has worked for a specific range of dates seems like an easy thing to do. You know how to use the Sum() function but you're finding it hard to break down the dates according to pay periods.

It sounds easy, but it's actually a bit harder than it sounds. A few companies have released plug-ins that generate ranges of dates. But then there's that limitation that FileMaker has with text fields only able to support 64,000 characters. Wouldn't it be nice if you could span across a date range as wide as 1/1/0001 through 12/31/3000? Well, watch the video and you'll learn how to support a range of over 3,000 years!

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TimeCards_495.zip281.98 KB

Secured Access: The Simple Way

You've wondered what the Halt, Exit, Resume and Pause options are when assigned to a button with Perform Script. You also need basic password access to lock off certain areas of your user interface. What do you do?

You watch this video and use the associated file to learn about the easiest solution to add secured access to your files. You can lock off areas of your interface, such as configuration and controls or you can limit access to layouts with sensitive data. By forcing the user through a locked process you can exercise the control you know you need.

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PasswordDialog_494.zip94.79 KB

Operation Code Cleanup

No preview video available.

How do you make calculation code more clean? Have you ever seen the CodeCleaner 3000 for FileMaker Pro? Probably not. This means it's up to you to both write and format clean code.

In this video article I walk through a cleanup process where I take some original code and make it more clean. I remove some redundancy and also tighten things up. Making your code more readable is what this article is about and along the way you'll learn how to work with time values that calculate past 12:00 midnight.

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CleanCode.zip91.74 KB

The Other Parent/Child Relationship of Databases

In this video article you'll find information about one of the most fundamental aspects of linking records together to create a hierarchical chain of associated records. Ever wonder how you can keep track of a part that has many subparts in which those subparts may have many subparts themselves? This is the article to teach you.

Watch this video and comb through the associated file to gain a solid understanding of working with hierarchies in databases.

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ParentChild_492.zip93 KB

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