Bilingual value list

[SlimTech]

Hi,

 

I'm only just discovering what a pretty useful product FileMaker Pro 7 could be in my business although I've a background in programming / analysing for the mainframe! smiley-smile

 

I'm trying to make a database relating my Clients to on-line Specifications for their website requirements. I've made two layouts for the spec. One asks questions in English while the other, in Dutch. Much of the information provided by the client will be common to both layouts since I use checkbox sets or pop-up lists.

 

For example the answer to the checkbox question, "Do you want us to reserve your domain name for you?" needs to be stored in one table only. However the text for the check boxes needs to vary dependent upon the language of the layout being used. For this question, each layout has three checkboxes either:- "Yes, No, Have already" or "Ja, Nee, Hebben al".

 

Would someone please explain how I could create a dynamic check box as is referred to above?

[Jack Rodgers]

One method:

 

Create a table for the results and two fields or one for each language you use:

English value

Dutch value

 

Add a field for Language and some method of determining that.

 

A calculated field is then used to create the working value list:

 

If english use English value, use Dutch value

 

Your value list is then grabbed from the calculated field.

[SlimTech]

Thanks for your reply, Jack. I must be quite a newbie I think, as I still can't quite get my head around what you're describing!smiley-frown

 

So, I have two layouts ("Website spec EN" and "Website spec NL") and two identically named tables containing,

Country cd

Company

Date quoted

Register domain

website languages

etc.

 

The two tables are related by Country cd, Company and Date quoted. "Website spec EN" contains all of the fields common to both layouts. Apart from the match fields, "Website spec NL" only contains edit fields in which Dutch text will be entered.

 

"Register domain" is one of the fields in common between both layouts. Regardless of which is being viewed, I want the same checkboxes to be selected in each. However, the text for the checkboxes should vary depending upon which layout is being used - it would be either:-

"Yes, No, Have already" or "Ja, Nee, Hebben al".

 

My text table is called, "Text" smiley_cool and contains:-

Country cd

Layout id (as I want to obtain text for other layouts, later)

Text id

Text - contains value list values separated by carriage returns.

 

Currently, it's only related to "Website spec EN" by "Country cd". In an earlier attempt, this table had a self-joining relationship...

 

You suggest Jack I think, that I should make "Register domain" a calculation field incorporating, "ValueListItems" except I don't know how to access the required record in the Text table. Somehow, I need to pass parameter or match values (Country cd, Layout id, Text id) to find the right record and then to format (?) the value list. A sort of text "Lookup" would be ok here, also. Could you Jack, or someone else help further please?

[David Head]

I have moved this to a new thread rather than having it tacked onto another.

[SlimTech]

Jack, I tried to follow your instructions but couldn't. smiley-frown

 

One problem I had was in understanding why I'd put fields in the Results table to hold text in different languages AND put a language field in the same table. Shouldn't I try to pass the language as a parameter / match-value in order then to obtain the correct text? Should I use a self-joining relationship?

 

Please could you or someone help further with this and with what the calculation should look like? smiley-smile