Filemaker Pro 9 (112)

Question 1

This set entered on 8-3-14
8.2.14.1

VALIDATE DATA ENTRY WITH CALCULATION

1. What if you want to make sure you enter a Zip Code with only 5 OR 10 characters?

Answer 1

You use the VALIDATE BY CALCULATION option. You could use the validation MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CHARACTERS, but then you could enter a zip with 7 digits….

Question 2

2. To get a Zip Code with only FIVE OR TEN CHARACTERS, you need to:

Answer 2

create a calculation with a Boolean result, that returns a TRUE when the data is valid and a FALSE otherwise.

Question 3

3. How do you VALIDATE [the zip code] BY CALCULATION?

Answer 3

a. Click on the Zip Code field
b. In the VALIDATION TAB, turn on VALIDATE BY CALCULATION
c. Choose TEXT FUNCTIONS
d. Choose Length (Text )

Question 4

4. What does the LENGTH FUNCTION do?

Answer 4

It returns the LENGTH of a text value. You use it here to see how many characters are in the Zip Code field.

Question 5

5. So you put the Zip Code Field inside the LENGTH FUNCTION, where it becomes:

Answer 5

the PARAMETER of the LENGTH FUNCTION.

Question 6

6. Now that you have a FUNCTION to tell you how long the zip code is, you need to:

Answer 6

use the COMPARISON OPERATOR to compare it to something. In this case, use the “=” operator and type a 5 after it.

Question 7

7. Now, if the Zip Code is 5 characters long, the LENGTH FUNCTION returns:

Answer 7

a TRUE. But you also WANT TO ACCEPT A ZIP CODE WITH 10 CHARACTERS. So in the Operator List, choose “or.”

Question 8

8. What does the OR operator do?

Answer 8

It connects two Boolean values and returns TRUE if EITHER VALUE IS TRUE.

Question 9

9. Insert another LENGTH FUNCTION after the OR operator and:

Answer 9

type a “=10”

Question 10

10. The complete calculation looks like:

Answer 10

Length ( Zip Code ) = 5 or Length ( Zip Code ) = 10

Question 11

11. Most validations occur as soon as you leave the field, even if you’re just moving to another field in the record. But some Validation Types don’t happen until:

Answer 11

you LEAVE the record. This includes most calculations.