User manual

Chapter 4 | Working with related tables and files 105
Use a single-criteria relationship when you want to relate two tables based on a single common
value, such as a serial number or an ID number. For example, a database has two tables:
Customers, which stores names and addresses, and Contacts, which stores phone numbers,
types of phone numbers (such as work, home, fax, and so on), and email addresses. The data is
split between two tables because a single customer can have multiple phone numbers and email
addresses.
The tables have the following fields:
The Customer ID field is the match field in the relationship between the two tables. In the
Customers table, the Customer ID field is set to auto-enter a serial number, giving each record in
the Customers table a unique ID number. In the Contacts table, the Customer ID is a simple
number field.
Because the relationship is defined to allow the creation of related records in the Contacts table,
the Customer ID number from a Customers record will be automatically inserted in the Customer
ID field in the Contacts table in each new related record. This allows many records in the Contacts
table to be related to a single record in the Customers table.
You can then add a portal to the Contacts table on the Customer layout. When you enter a phone
number or an email address in an empty portal row in the Customers table, FileMaker
Pro creates
a related record for that phone number or email address in the Contacts table.
Table Field name Comment
Customers Customer ID Number field, auto-enter serial number; this will be the match
field in the Customers table
First Name Text field
Last Name Text field
Address1 Text field
City Text field
State Text field
Country Text field
Contacts Phone Number Text field
Phone Type Text field
Email Address Text field
Email Type Text field
Customer ID Number field; this will be the match field in the Contacts table
Match field
Match field