2 questions :) - portal questions

[John Weinshel]

Say the portal displays a relationship that uses the Box_ID field as the
match field on both sides. In the child file (items in the box), add two
fields: 'In', a number field defined to auto enter with a value of 1, and
'BoxID_In', a stored calculation, returning text, defined as:

Box_ID & " " & In

....so, an item whose Box_ID is '4578' and is still in the box would return
4578 1. In the parent file ('Boxes'), create a similar text calc
('BoxID_1'--need not be stored) defined as:

Box_ID & " 1"

....and create a portal that displays a relationship ('Full') from BoxID_1
to BoxID_In. You can display In in the portal row, formatted with a single
checkbox (using a value list with 1 as the only value). When an item's In
field is toggled off, it will fall out of the relationship.

You can use the Aggregate functions (Sum and Count) across the two
relationships to count items and boxes. Thus:

Sum(Full::In)

....will return a count of items, as will, in this case, Count(Full::In). If
there is a quantity field, i.e., 6 of an item, then:

Sum(Full::Quantity)

....will return that total.

--
John Weinshel
Datagrace
Vashon Island, WA
(206) 463-1634
Associate Member, Filemaker Solutions Alliance


"gwmbox" <gregatwork@NOSPAMPLEASEhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3f12092c$1@quokka.wn.com.au...

> Hi
>
> Fm Dev 5.5v1 on Win Xp Pro
>
> I have two related files, one is the details about a box and the other is
> the items within the box - they are seperate as we track the box and the
> contents seperately.
>
> Anyway we have the ability to remove items from a box and when these are
> done they are marked removed which is fine (they however remain on the
> system for tracking and are still linked to the box, but how do I in the

box

> view in the portal view only display the items that have not been removed,
> i.e. to not list the items removed.
>
> Also is it possible to do a count on portal items - i.e. how many items

are

> in the box and if it reaches zero then we can identify on the system the

box

> is empty and then allow us to mark the box as removed.
>
> Thanks
>
> Greg
>
>

[gwmbox]

John

many thanks - that fixed it :)

Just one more question - I have a portal that will also now show those that
are in and are removed at the same time, is there a way to change the text
colour of the record displayed in the portal for the removed items.

That being is if removed = yes display that record with grey text or
background grey or something that will show in a list those that are listed
as removed

Thanks

Greg

"John Weinshel" <john@datagrace.biz> wrote in message
news:vh44a9l4f13ef7@news.supernews.com...

> Say the portal displays a relationship that uses the Box_ID field as the
> match field on both sides. In the child file (items in the box), add two
> fields: 'In', a number field defined to auto enter with a value of 1, and
> 'BoxID_In', a stored calculation, returning text, defined as:
>
> Box_ID & " " & In
>
> ...so, an item whose Box_ID is '4578' and is still in the box would return
> 4578 1. In the parent file ('Boxes'), create a similar text calc
> ('BoxID_1'--need not be stored) defined as:
>
> Box_ID & " 1"
>
> ...and create a portal that displays a relationship ('Full') from BoxID_1
> to BoxID_In. You can display In in the portal row, formatted with a single
> checkbox (using a value list with 1 as the only value). When an item's In
> field is toggled off, it will fall out of the relationship.
>
> You can use the Aggregate functions (Sum and Count) across the two
> relationships to count items and boxes. Thus:
>
> Sum(Full::In)
>
> ...will return a count of items, as will, in this case, Count(Full::In).

If

> there is a quantity field, i.e., 6 of an item, then:
>
> Sum(Full::Quantity)
>
> ...will return that total.
>
> --
> John Weinshel
> Datagrace
> Vashon Island, WA
> (206) 463-1634
> Associate Member, Filemaker Solutions Alliance
>
>
> "gwmbox" <gregatwork@NOSPAMPLEASEhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:3f12092c$1@quokka.wn.com.au...

> > Hi
> >
> > Fm Dev 5.5v1 on Win Xp Pro
> >
> > I have two related files, one is the details about a box and the other

is

> > the items within the box - they are seperate as we track the box and the
> > contents seperately.
> >
> > Anyway we have the ability to remove items from a box and when these are
> > done they are marked removed which is fine (they however remain on the
> > system for tracking and are still linked to the box, but how do I in the

> box

> > view in the portal view only display the items that have not been

removed,

> > i.e. to not list the items removed.
> >
> > Also is it possible to do a count on portal items - i.e. how many items

> are

> > in the box and if it reaches zero then we can identify on the system the

> box

> > is empty and then allow us to mark the box as removed.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Greg
> >
> >

>
>

[John Weinshel]

Unfortunately, you cannot control any text format attributes (color, font,
etc.) with calcs or scripts. All you can do is place a calculated container
field 'behind' the field in question. For that, you need to create (in the
child file) one or two global container fields (two if you want two
different backgrounds, one if you want to toggle between no background and
the container background), and then create a calculation, returning a
container, defined roughly as:

Case(In =1, Container1, Container2)

or

Case(In <>1, Container2)

....for one color.

Note that this calc, because container fields cannot be stored, will itself
be unstored, and be wary of displaying tall portals with them, particularly
in a shared environment, as you are likely to see long screen re-draws.

If you do use this technique, format the foremost field (the one with the
text, not the calculated container) to not allow entry; otherwise, the
containers will not display properly when the portal is scrolled.

--
John Weinshel
Datagrace
Vashon Island, WA
(206) 463-1634
Associate Member, Filemaker Solutions Alliance


"gwmbox" <gregatwork@NOSPAMPLEASEhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3f122789$1@quokka.wn.com.au...

> John
>
> many thanks - that fixed it :)
>
> Just one more question - I have a portal that will also now show those

that

> are in and are removed at the same time, is there a way to change the text
> colour of the record displayed in the portal for the removed items.
>
> That being is if removed = yes display that record with grey text or
> background grey or something that will show in a list those that are

listed

> as removed
>
> Thanks
>
> Greg
>
> "John Weinshel" <john@datagrace.biz> wrote in message
> news:vh44a9l4f13ef7@news.supernews.com...

> > Say the portal displays a relationship that uses the Box_ID field as the
> > match field on both sides. In the child file (items in the box), add two
> > fields: 'In', a number field defined to auto enter with a value of 1,

and

> > 'BoxID_In', a stored calculation, returning text, defined as:
> >
> > Box_ID & " " & In
> >
> > ...so, an item whose Box_ID is '4578' and is still in the box would

return

> > 4578 1. In the parent file ('Boxes'), create a similar text calc
> > ('BoxID_1'--need not be stored) defined as:
> >
> > Box_ID & " 1"
> >
> > ...and create a portal that displays a relationship ('Full') from

BoxID_1

> > to BoxID_In. You can display In in the portal row, formatted with a

single

> > checkbox (using a value list with 1 as the only value). When an item's

In

> > field is toggled off, it will fall out of the relationship.
> >
> > You can use the Aggregate functions (Sum and Count) across the two
> > relationships to count items and boxes. Thus:
> >
> > Sum(Full::In)
> >
> > ...will return a count of items, as will, in this case, Count(Full::In).

> If

> > there is a quantity field, i.e., 6 of an item, then:
> >
> > Sum(Full::Quantity)
> >
> > ...will return that total.
> >
> > --
> > John Weinshel
> > Datagrace
> > Vashon Island, WA
> > (206) 463-1634
> > Associate Member, Filemaker Solutions Alliance
> >
> >
> > "gwmbox" <gregatwork@NOSPAMPLEASEhotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:3f12092c$1@quokka.wn.com.au...

> > > Hi
> > >
> > > Fm Dev 5.5v1 on Win Xp Pro
> > >
> > > I have two related files, one is the details about a box and the other

> is

> > > the items within the box - they are seperate as we track the box and

the

> > > contents seperately.
> > >
> > > Anyway we have the ability to remove items from a box and when these

are

> > > done they are marked removed which is fine (they however remain on the
> > > system for tracking and are still linked to the box, but how do I in

the

> > box

> > > view in the portal view only display the items that have not been

> removed,

> > > i.e. to not list the items removed.
> > >
> > > Also is it possible to do a count on portal items - i.e. how many

items

> > are

> > > in the box and if it reaches zero then we can identify on the system

the

> > box

> > > is empty and then allow us to mark the box as removed.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > > Greg
> > >
> > >

> >
> >

>
>

[Helpful Harry]

In article <3f122789$1@quokka.wn.com.au>, "gwmbox"
<gregatwork@NOSPAMPLEASEhotmail.com> wrote:

> John
>
> many thanks - that fixed it :)
>
> Just one more question - I have a portal that will also now show those that
> are in and are removed at the same time, is there a way to change the text
> colour of the record displayed in the portal for the removed items.
>
> That being is if removed = yes display that record with grey text or
> background grey or something that will show in a list those that are listed
> as removed

Unfortunately you can't change the colour of text in a field (or any
other format options) except when in Layout mode. :o(

The best you can do is to replace each normal data field in the portal
with two calculated fields that are placed on top of each other (the
top one needs to be transparent). One field equals the normal data only
when it's in the box and is formatted on the layout as green text. The
other field equals the normal data only when it's removed from the box
as is formatted on the layout as red text.

This would work, but would make it difficult if you're using the portal
for entering/editing data.

A better way is to use the background colour idea. First you need to
have a global container field (gRemovedBackground) in the related file
into which you paste a small grey-filled and grey-bordered square - or
whatever colour you want. Once you've stored the coloured square in
this field you can delete it from the layout.

Now create a new calculated in the related file field and put it behind
the portal row that returns a container result.
eg.
Background = If(Removed="Yes", gRemovedBackground, "")

Make sure this field has the graphic format option set to Enlarge and
NOT keep the proportions.

Helpful Harry
"Just trying to help whenever I can." :o)