User manual

86 FileMaker Pro User’s Guide
About updating existing records
With this option, you replace data in your file with data from the
source file. For each field you import into, data from the first
importable record (or row of data) in the source file overwrites fields
in the first record in the target file. Data from the second importable
record (or row of data) in the source file overwrites fields in the second
record in the target file, and so on. When you replace data,
FileMaker
Pro doesn’t examine or compare the data in the files.
You can choose whether to replace or not replace data on a field-by-
field basis.
Records in the target file are replaced with the same number of records
from the source file. If there are more importable records in the source
file, data from the extra records in the source file will not be imported
unless you also choose
Add remaining data as new records. If there are
more records in the target file, data in the extra records in the target
file will not be replaced.
About updating matching records
You can update matching records and fields in your target file with
data from another file. For example, you might have a copy of a
database on your desktop computer and another copy on your laptop
computer. You can update the file in your office with the changes you
make on the road.
You determine which records in the source file update which records
in the target file by choosing one or more match fields in each file. If
data in the match field(s) of a record in the target file matches data in
the match field(s) of a record in the source file, the record in the target
file will be updated with data from the source file.
Match fields must uniquely identify each entity in your database. For
example, in a database of people, you could use one match field such
as
Employee Number, or multiple match fields such as Last Name, First
Name
, and Phone Number. Using Last Name alone might identify more
than one person, so it isn’t a good match field to use by itself.
You also specify the fields you want to import. The contents of all
fields you select to import, in all matching records, will overwrite data
in the target file, even if the field in the source file is blank.
When the target file contains a found set, only the found records are
updated. (If the source file is another FileMaker Pro file, you can also
import only from a found set.)
The following example shows how a record in a target file appears
before and after being updated by a matching record in a source file.
About the importing process
The basic steps for importing records are:
1. Make a backup copy of the target file you’re importing into.
2. If the source file is a FileMaker Pro file, perform a find so that the
found set in the current window contains only the records you want to
import.
3. Open the target file, and if it has multiple tables, select a layout that
shows records from the table you want to import data into.
4. If you’re updating existing or matching records, make sure the
found set in the target file contains only the records you want to
change or update.
–>
=
–
–>
–>
–>
–
–>
–
= indicates a match field
–> indicates to import the field
– indicates to not import the field
123-456-7890
Source file
John
Q
Smith
456 New Rd.
Newtown
USA
123-456-7890
Target file
John
Smith
123 Main St.
Anytown
USA
3/3/1960
408-555-6789
123-456-7890
After updating
John
Q
Smith
456 New Rd.
Newtown
USA
3/3/1960
Before updating matching records
Target file