Single Field Quick Search
Searching for data, is one of those features which is constantly updated and tweaked. Especially as technology gets better. In all the time I've used FileMaker to create solutions, I can't count the number of times I've created a user-friendly search feature.
The goal, as always, is to make the search easy for your users, yet powerful enough that you don't have to create custom search requests each time someone needs something different.
For quick access to information, FileMaker has always provided an easy, but quickly confusing, query-by-form method of searching. This simply means you use the form you're looking at in order to create your search. The problem with this method is the fact that users don't know how to go beyond the first request. Having a user ask why a search for "CA" and "85201" won't return all the records for customers in California and in the zip code within Arizona, is based on knowing FileMaker's AND versus OR.
With some creativity and foresight, this new technique has been created to allow you to quickly implement a single field search on any layout you wish. This technique has just become my most favorite method for searching for data in FileMaker.
Comments
Multi-user
How can the solution be changed to all the user to save search fields? Currently, when a user (in a shared solution) closes the file, his search fields are lost.
... Great stuff BUT:
This otherwise really cool solution does not (well I can't get it to work) when you have 1 physical file that contains all the layouts but no actual data AND all your data files lying behind this layout file. It works 100% when I do the setup on one layout, specifying 1 table occurence from which I wish to retreive data. But when I try to do the setup on another layout, looking at another set of data, and a different set of serachable fiedls.. the "...change" button, where you specify which fields you're enabling as searchable seem to loose data, and you'll have to start all over again - sadly. I really like this solution, but as it is now, it just won't do the trick. Hopefully there will be a "revisited" version. ;-)
Excellent video and solution
This is clearly one of Matt's best, not only in terms of the solution itself, but also as a teaching video. Matt proceeds through this in an unusually well-organized way, diving into not only the what and how but also why. I learned a lot. Highly recommended.
Morley Chalmers
Morley Chalmers
--
Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. -- Henry David Thoreau