User manual

Chapter 3
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Working with related tables and files 73
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 clients database has two tables: Clients, which
stores names and addresses, and Phone Numbers, which stores phone
numbers and types of phone numbers, such as work, home, fax, and
so on. The data is split between two tables because a single client can
have multiple phone numbers.
The tables have the following fields:
The Client ID field is the match field in the relationship between the
two tables. In the Clients table, the Client ID field is set to
automatically enter a serial number, giving each record in the Clients
table a unique ID number. In the Phone Numbers table, the Client ID
is just a simple number field.
Because the relationship is defined to allow the creation of related
records in the Phone Numbers table, the Client ID number from a
Clients record will be automatically inserted in the Client ID field in
the Phone Numbers table in each new related record. This allows
many records in the Phone Numbers table to be related to a single
record in the Clients table.
Users will be able to enter a phone number in an empty portal row, and
FileMaker Pro will automatically create a related record for that phone
number.
Multi-criteria relationships
In a multi-criteria relationship, you increase the number of match
fields, which increases the criteria that FileMaker Pro evaluates before
successfully joining related records. In a multi-criteria relationship,
FileMaker Pro compares the values from each match field on each
side of the relationship in the order in which the fields appear. This is
known as an AND comparison; to match successfully, every match
field must find a corresponding value in the other table.
Use a multi-criteria relationship when you want to relate two tables
based on more than one common value, such as a client ID and a date.
Table Field name Comment
Clients Client ID Number field, auto-enter serial
number. Match field for the Clients
table
First Name Text field
Last Name Text field
Address1 Text field
Address2 Text field
City Text field
State Text field
Phone Numbers Phone Number Text field
Phone Number Type Text field
Client ID Number field. Match field for the
Phone Numbers table
Enter a phone number in empty portal row
Portal