I like making databases. I enjoy the challenges my customers bring to me with each project. I really really don't care for data entry, however. Few people do, I expect. Data entry can be a protracted exercise in tedium, prone to error and apathy. Yet the garbage in, garbage out axiom remains; a database is only as good as the information you can get out of it. One of the most popular ways to simplify and standardize data input is to use drop-down lists, buttons, checkboxes, and the like. By letting the user select the desired information without typing it every time, you take the edge off some of that drudgery and get higher data quality, too. Here are a few of my favorite value list tips.
Figure 1: A new value list is born -- Here's where the value list adventure begins.
Figure 2: Pick a winner -- Alternatively, you can pick the field on which to base your value list.
Figure 3: Getting attached -- Attach the value list to a field in the Field Setup dialog.
Figure 4: All pretty now -- Your dynamic value list is cleaned, sorted, and ready to meet polite company.
Figure 5: A mystery -- I asked for checkboxes. Where are my checkboxes?
Figure 6: The line you don't see is the line that vexes -- Make sure your lines don't dissolve into the background.
Figure 7: Suit yourself -- If you don't like your choices, make your own.
Dynamic Value List
FileMaker Pro can build a value list for you based on the information already in a given field. Suppose you have a field called "color." Some records have "red" entered in that field, others have "blue" and "green." A value list based on the "color" field will display the values red, blue, and green. When a user manually enters a new color, say "purple," it's added to the list automatically.
To create a dynamic value list in FileMaker Pro 9, choose File > Manage > Value Lists. Click on the New button and give your list a name (figure 1). Select the "Use values from field" button, select the table and field you want to use (figure 2), and click OK in each of the three open dialogs.
Place a field on your layout and double-click on it while still in Layout mode to open the Field Setup dialog (figure 3). Next to "Display as" choose "Drop-down List," then select your color list from the "Display values from" list. Click on OK, switch to Browse mode, and click into your field to see the list (figure 4).
Your value list will sort based on the language your computer operates in. Although FileMaker Pro lets you select other languages for sorting, there are no other ways to influence the order the values appear in.
The box you can't check
FileMaker Pro provides four ways to display a value list: the drop-down list used in the previous example, pop-up list, check box set, and radio button set. When working with checkboxes and radio buttons, they can sometimes seem to go absent. I configured the field depicted in figure 5 to display as a checkbox set. So, where are the checkboxes? The answer lies with lines. If your field has its lines configured to be the same as the background color, transparent, or switched off entirely, you'll see no checkboxes or radio buttons. Figure 6 shows FileMaker Pro's line configuration options. Be sure your lines are opaque and a color that contrasts with the background.
I'll have what she's having
There are times you'll want to order off menu. There are two ways you can accommodate that guy who wants a hamburger even if he's dining with the Queen. In drop-down lists such as figure 2, pressing the ESC key will toggle the list on and off. When the list is not displayed, you can simply type in the value you want.
The second method applies to pop-up menus, checkboxes, and radio buttons. When configuring a field to display in one of these forms, there is an option to include "Other." Choosing "Other" from the list will open the dialog in figure 7 where the user can type the desired value.