FileMaker Pro 10: The Missing Manual

Chapter 8. Advanced Relationship Techniques

FileMaker Pro 10 was built to work with related data and make it seem easy. In the last chapter you learned that related fields work just like ordinary fields. Not only can you put them on layouts, but you can use them in Find mode and the Sort dialog box too.

In this chapter you’ll learn how to take advantage of FileMaker’s relational capabilities. You’ll learn how to create related records and make value lists from those related records. Once you have related tables, you’ll want to move quickly between them. FileMaker gives you extra organizing power by letting you create multiple versions of your related tables, so you can keep your complex relationship graphs clear.

Creating Related Records

The first thing you probably noticed with the database you worked on in Chapter 7 is that getting the records to relate is a tedious affair. To add a job record, for example, you had to go to the Customers layout, copy the Customer ID, and then go to the Jobs layout, add the record, and paste in the ID. That’s a pain. Since FileMaker is all about relieving the pain of working with databases, it gives you a better way—a couple of better ways, in fact. In the last chapter you learned how to use a portal to display related records. Here you’ll learn how a portal can also create related records. But first, you’ll learn how to create a value list to help you enter appropriate data into a key field.

Value Lists Based on Fields

You’ve already seen value lists ...