Filemaker Pro 9 (77)

Question 1

This set entered on 5-23-14.

5. 20.14.2
6. p 371. UNDERSTANDING TABLE OCCURRENCE GROUPS. Since DATA TUNNELING involves relating existing TABLE OCCURRENCES in MULTIPLE NEW WAYS, you can easily create a TANGLED MASS OF ARROWS. How do you solve this?

Answer 1

Because you can create as many TABLE OCCURRENCES as you want, you solve this problem by creating an ENTIRELY NEW GROUP OF OCCURRENCES.

Question 2

2. What is the name given to an ENTIRELY NEW GROUP OF OCCURRENCES?

Answer 2

TABLE OCCURRENCE GROUP, or TOG

Question 3

3. What are the benefits of creating a new TABLE OCCURRENCE GROUP?

Answer 3

You can assemble and connect the new TABLE OCCURRENCES for the TOG somewhere else in the GRAPH, without COMPLICATING THE EXISTING GROUP.

Question 4

4. How much does the database grow every time you add a new TOG?

Answer 4

TABLE OCCURRENCES ARE NOT TABLES. You can create as many TOGs as you want without making your database any bigger. The GROUPS ARE FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY, each showing you a “SNAPSHOT” of your database FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

Question 5

5. TO FIGURE OUT which TABLE OCCURRENCE you need to use to make the new layout (Figure 8-17) work, think about what you need it to do: you’re looking at an EXPENSES RECORD on the EXPENSES LAYOUT and you want to:

Answer 5

attach it to a a Line Item.

Question 6

6. You need to get to the new ASSIGN LINE ITEMS layout (p 371), via a button, perhaps. After you choose the LINE ITEM, FileMaker puts:

Answer 6

a VALUE in the LINE ITEM ID field, right there on the ORIGINAL EXPENSE RECORD.

Question 7

7. Every step of the way, the INTERFACE takes place from the viewpoint (context) of:

Answer 7

an EXPENSE RECORD.

Question 8

8. Since the new layout is ALL about modifying an EXPENSE record, you need to:

Answer 8

ATTACH it to an OCCURRENCE of the EXPENSES table.

Question 9

9. The other tables you need are:

Answer 9

JOBS
INVOICES
LINE ITEMS

Question 10

10. Since those tables already have RELATIONSHIPS to all the other tables in your database, but in order to keep a manageable, organized RELATIONSHIP GRAPH, you need to:

Answer 10

use a TOG, with NEW Table Occurrences for JOBS, INVOICES, LINE ITEMS, and EXPENSES.

Question 11

11. The new GRAPH with the new TOG lets you work with:

Answer 11

TWO DISTINCT SETS OF RELATIONSHIPS SEPARATELY.

Question 12

12. Since the two TOGs SHARE NO RELATIONSHIPS, FileMaker can:

Answer 12

put the relevant Table Occurrences in the ASSIGN EXPENSES TOG, and SEPARATE everything else in the UNRELATED tables group

Question 13

13. There is a DOWNSIDE to this approach of multiple TOGs

Answer 13

Since each LAYOUT is attached to a SINGLE TABLE OCCURRENCE, if you CREATE A NEW GROUP, you NEED a NEW LAYOUT to use it. Small price to pay for the simplicity granted to the database’s users.