Database Reference
In-Depth Information
POWER USERS' CLINIC: RELATED VALUE LISTS
On
Creating a Value List Based on a Related Field
, you saw how to make value lists that change
when you add, edit, or delete records in a table. You can also decide whether the list includes values
from every record in the table, or only from the related records. You start creating both types of
value lists the same way: You choose a field to base the value list on and then tell FileMaker wheth-
er you want to use values from a second field in the value list (you can even use a related field for
the second value). Like regular field-based lists, you can sort the list by the first field or by the
second one.
But when you select the “Include only related values” radio button, the value list behaves differ-
ently. The list shows only the records related to the one you're sitting on. For example, you can use
this option to show only a specific customer's Job ID on the Invoice layout. (But you'd have to add
a Customer ID field to the Invoices table to make it happen.) Then when you enter a Customer ID
on an Invoice, the related value list for Job ID would show only the Jobs that have the same Cus-
tomer ID value as the one you just entered.
For this method to work, FileMaker has to know which table occurrence you're using the value list
on (there's that concept of
context
again). In other words, if you ask for only the related Jobs, do you
mean jobs related to the Customer record or to the Invoice record? It can get confusing, but in this
example, you want to use the jobs that are already related to the Customer table, even though you're
using the value list on a layout that uses the context of the Invoice table occurrence. That way, the
list's values change if you change the Invoice's Customer ID.
Careful, though: When you create a value list using related values only, the list works properly only
when it's attached to a field on a layout associated with the same table occurrence selected in the
“related values starting from” menu. If you try to use it on a layout that shows records from a differ-
ent TO, it will be out of context, and FileMaker can't show the right values.
