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From: Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com>
Newsgroups: comp.databases.filemaker
Subject: Re: Merging fields (for real)
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:15:05 +1300
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In article <0dad27ee-a9e3-45fd-95ee-7879663d6892@googlegroups.com>,
Neural magazine <a.ludovico.neural@gmail.com> wrote:

> I mean: I'd need to substitute the previous two fields with a new single one
> (or use one of the two) containing data from both.
> 
> Sorry if I've been unclear and thanks again anyway,
> a.

It is possible to get Filemaker to re-use one of the existing fields,
but it's safer to use a Calculation field as Christoph suggested ...
but you can the change it to a normal Text field to replace the
existing ones on the Layout(s).

  1.  Go into the Define Fields window and create a new 
      Calculation Field:
         CompleteName    Calculation, Text Result, Unstored
            = Name & " " & FamilyName

  2.  Exit from the Define Fields window and let FileMaker
      calculate the results for all the records (which might
      take a while on a huge database)

  3.  Go back into the Define Fields window and change the 
      CompleteName field into a Text field ... it will retain
      the existing calculated data.

  4.  Change the Layout(s) to use the new CompleteName field


Depending on what you're using the database for and how names are being
entered, keeping the names separated is usually best since it can be
difficult to get FileMaker to separate them (finding the first space
character is not always correct), but is easy for FileMaker to combine
them.

You can always enter the data into the separate fields, and use the
combined field when performing searches.


Helpful Harry   :o)