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Are There Examples to Look At?

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  Are There Examples to Look At? csampson@inetworld.net (Charles H. Sampson) - 2014-11-16 11:46 -0800
    Re: Are There Examples to Look At? Martin Τrautmann <t-usenet@gmx.net> - 2014-11-16 20:01 +0000
    Re: Are There Examples to Look At? Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com> - 2014-11-17 13:19 +1300
    Re: Are There Examples to Look At? clkaufmann@gmx.ch (Christoph Kaufmann) - 2014-11-18 09:04 +0100

#1927 — Are There Examples to Look At?

I think I'm getting a handle on FileMaker, but I'm not sure if it's the
"right" handle. I'm able to generate pretty elaborate reports by using
scripts to populate special tables and layouts to display the tables'
data. Is this the "right" way? The database program I'm coming from uses
a function based language that allows a pretty complex specification of
a subset of a database, which in FileMaker would require multiple finds,
expands, and constrains. Then there's a similar language that can be
used at the report level to operate on such a subset.

I think I'm at the point where I need to learn from the masters. Are
there any examples of fairly complex databases lying around that I could
look at?

Charlie
-- 
Nobody in this country got rich on his own.  You built a factory--good.
But you moved your goods on roads we all paid for.  You hired workers we
all paid to educate. So keep a big hunk of the money from your factory.
But take a hunk and pay it forward.  Elizabeth Warren (paraphrased)

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#1928

On Sun, 16 Nov 2014 11:46:14 -0800, Charles H. Sampson wrote:
>  I think I'm getting a handle on FileMaker, but I'm not sure if it's the
>  "right" handle. I'm able to generate pretty elaborate reports by using
>  scripts to populate special tables and layouts to display the tables'
>  data. Is this the "right" way?

It is.

>  The database program I'm coming from uses
>  a function based language that allows a pretty complex specification of
>  a subset of a database, which in FileMaker would require multiple finds,
>  expands, and constrains. Then there's a similar language that can be
>  used at the report level to operate on such a subset.
> 
>  I think I'm at the point where I need to learn from the masters. Are
>  there any examples of fairly complex databases lying around that I could
>  look at?

No. It's difficult to find and understand the topics you are interested
in within complex applications. 

But it's rather simple and straight forward to build and find solutions
on your own.

Summaries can be a little bit tricky to get the hold on. But otherwise
just do what you want to do, and ask if you get lost with a certain
problem.

Whatever you can put within an ongoing list is easy to build. Merging
multiple topics on a single page may become very hard.

- Martin

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#1929

In article <1lv7c6t.1lox3van4r94jN%csampson@inetworld.net>, Charles H.
Sampson <csampson@inetworld.net> wrote:
> 
> I think I'm getting a handle on FileMaker, but I'm not sure if it's the
> "right" handle. I'm able to generate pretty elaborate reports by using
> scripts to populate special tables and layouts to display the tables'
> data. Is this the "right" way? The database program I'm coming from uses
> a function based language that allows a pretty complex specification of
> a subset of a database, which in FileMaker would require multiple finds,
> expands, and constrains. Then there's a similar language that can be
> used at the report level to operate on such a subset.

FileMaker's Find Requests are good at finding subsets of records
without needing expands and constrains (personally I've never needed to
use either of those). It can be a bit complicated to get used to how
the "And", "Or" and "Not" requests work.

FileMaker's Summary fields and section are also good ways to get
reports summarised data. Although having said that, FileMaker is not a
"number cruncher" and it's often easier to to statistical reports via
Excel.




> I think I'm at the point where I need to learn from the masters. Are
> there any examples of fairly complex databases lying around that I could
> look at?

FileMaker does come with some database's, although in some cases they
unfortunately are are pretty shoddy examples and aren't perhpas
massively complex in their reporting options.

People do post examples and free Filemaker solutions on places like
FMForums.com

Helpful Harry   :o)

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#1930

Charles H. Sampson <csampson@inetworld.net> wrote:

> I think I'm getting a handle on FileMaker

Please state the version you are using.

>,I'm able to generate pretty elaborate reports by using
> scripts to populate special tables and layouts to display the tables'
> data. Is this the "right" way?

You'll find out how good it works for you. Obvious drawbacks: only one
user at a time may produce a report, redundant data, and performance
issues (you may need to create many records). OTOH, once you have the
report data in the redundant table and indexed, it will be fast, whereas
performance is a bitch if you work with calc fields that use data from
related tables.

> The database program I'm coming from uses
> a function based language that allows a pretty complex specification of
> a subset of a database,

If you are familiar with SQL, you, look into "virtual lists". If your
version is earlier than 12, you will need a plug-in that does SQL in
Filemaker.

> which in FileMaker would require multiple finds,
> expands, and constrains.

Nothing wrong with that. Also look at the "go to related record" script
step, the list function (from FMP 9 or so), and search in indexed fields
first, then contrain if you have to search in an unindexed field.

> Are
> there any examples of fairly complex databases lying around

No idea, but: methods and best practices are all over the internet.

-- 
Christoph Kaufmann
http://clk.ch

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