This set entered on 5-23-14
- 20.14.1
- p 368. What is the term used to describe how you can manage data that’s MULTIPLE HOPS (tables) away on the Relationship Graph?
DATA TUNNELING
- What does the concept of DATA TUNNELING mean?
It means that you don’t have to navigate over to a Layout based on the table where your data’s stored TO CREATE OR DISPLAY IT.
- How does DATA TUNNELING work?
If there’s a path to the TABLE OCCURRENCE you need on the RELATIONSHIP GRAPH, you can stay right where you are and tell FileMaker to tunnel through your graph and bring back the data you need.
- Relationships like the one you made between EXPENSES and LINE ITEMS that was created by adding another Table Occurrence (T.O.) (Expenses__LINE ITEMS) are FUNCTIONAL, but they are not very easy to work with. Why?
you could create a Value List that lets you choose form all the INVOICE LINE ITEMS and connect them to EXPENSES, but the VALUE LIST could have THOUSANDS of items with LINE ITEMS that don’t have very descriptive names.
- What is a better option than having the VALUE LIST with thousands of items mentioned on the last card?
It would be better if you could type in an INVOICE ID first, and you could PICK FROM A LIST OF ITEMS ON JUST THAT ONE INVOICE.
- p 370. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR DATA TUNNELING INTERFACE? You will create a process to match LINE ITEM RECORDS to EXPENSE RECORDS so you can track WHETHER OR NOT THEY’VE BEEN BILLED, using a SPECIAL SET OF TOOLS called:
an INTERFACE
- What is an INTERFACE?
a SPECIAL SET OF TOOLS to expedite a CERTAIN PROCESS.
- The PROCESS that the INTERFACE will expedite is MATCHING LINE ITEM RECORDS to EXPENSE RECORDS so you can track whether or not they’ve been billed. What are the TOOLS (or BASIC SUPPLIES) needed?
a. A FIELD TO TYPE IN THE INVOICE ID
b. A VALUE LIST THAT SHOWS LINE ITEMS ON THAT INVOICE
c. A RELATIONSHIP FOR THE VALUE LIST.
- A FIELD TO TYPE IN THE INVOICE ID. Since this field does not hold information about any particular entity in your database, it is a good candidate for:
GLOBAL STORAGE
- A VALUE LIST THAT SHOWS LINE ITEMS ON THAT INVOICE:
Value Lists based on fields come in TWO FORMS: Those that show ALL RECORDS, and those that show RELATED RECORDS. Choose the second type because YOU DON’T WANT TO PICK FROM EVERY LINE ITEM IN THE DATABASE.
A RELATIONSHIP FOR THE VALUE LIST. This relationship needs to show:
the LINE ITEMS that match the INVOICE ID in the NEW GLOBAL FIELD.
- To get these THREE ELEMENTS to work together, you first have to:
revisit the RELATIONSHIP GRAPH and decide which TABLE OCCURRENCES to connect.
