karibarikix Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Hello All, I have a pretty complicated issue and any insight would be greatly helped. So bare with me as I explain... My company makes specialty orders that can include many different components. A customer makes an order and in the order specifies how many components and how many of each component, and what specifications/dimensions are critical and need to be measured. I see I can make infinite number of components or infinite number of specifications but how do I make the DB robust enough to very depending on the order. To clarify... I have attached an image of how we currently deliver the data on a component using excel. The yellow is the specifications (1 thru 8) and dependent on the component this number of specifications can vary. The green is the number of parts (1 thru 6) of this type of component. And again this number of parts can vary. Thanks again... and let me know if this is unclear sometimes I tend to ramble. Kari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techphan Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 For starters, make each of your Excel headers into Filemaker fields. If there are a limited number of entry items for any field you can use a value-list with either a drop-down or pop-up to fill in the field in a consistent manner. If some of the fields are derived by calculation then FM can do that for you (or you can program it to be done). Then you might want to add order date, foreign key (relating back to Customer file), # units ordered, part number (maybe that was from your Excel spreadsheet), unit cost, sale price, discount, date manufactured, and so on. I don't know if I have answered your question... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karibarikix Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Not really I need a more dynamic solution... that the excel # of headers can change... but if I make them into set fields... there is no way to make the current record have more than the number defined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techphan Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Well, it is the same as the patient's we treat. Some patients can have only three BILLING procedures per visit and others can have 50 or more. We have to be flexible enough to be able to put the proper procedural codes on each patient's billing form. So make a SPECIFICATIONS table and then your each of your Excel headers becomes one entry into the table. Make as many fields in that table as are necessary to adequately describe each item. You may have 12 entries for a "simple" widget and 89 for a "complex" one. You will still have an OrderDate field and a ForeignKey field relating back to the Customer that placed the order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karibarikix Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 very interesting idea. I think i can make that work. thanks, Kari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norma_Snockurs Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I see I can make infinite number of components or infinite number of specifications but how do I make the DB robust enough to very depending on the order.Check out the technique presented here. It may be of some interest to you regarding your problem. There is a downloadable video too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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