"This field is not modifiable"

[Nattani]

I have tried everything I can to fix this! All I want is to create a new record via a portal in another table...SIMPLE! Why am I getting the message? Please list all of the reasons this would happen, because I just can't seem to find it.

 

I have tried switching check boxes, changing related fields etc... Switching the layout base and I'm getting a headache!

 

And yes, the 'allow deletion of portal records' is checked as is 'allow creation/deletion' in the relationship.

 

Please help,

 

Nat

[Maarten Witberg]

It's a message that usually appears when you try to enter data in a calculation field.

 

kjoe

[Nattani]

Yes, I do know this, the field I am trying to add a record to via a portal isnt a calculation field, its one of the first things I made sure of, that the field was appropriate... It had to be something to do with the relationship.

 

Between posting the initial message and now, I figured out what the problem was. You cannot make a relationship based upon calculation fields and use a portal to create new records across that relationship. This seems to be the only restriction to using a calculation field as a relater, but it's an annoyingly prominant one, especially since those calculation fields are my primary keys and link EVERY table.

 

One alternative is to use the two fields creating this primary key as the relators, which can get quite messy. Another alternative is to create the primary key manually, which seems to defeat the purpose of a database.

 

Or use a text field and have the primary key field calculated through validation. This is working, so I'll see how it goes and hopefully I don't run into any problems in the future because my primary key field is no longer static.

 

Thanks,

 

Nattani

[Ender]

No, a calc field can't be used as a match field for a relationship you need to create records through. But since you're talking 'tables', it sounds like you're using FM7. In FM7, you can use multi-criteria relationships instead of concatonated keys. With 'Allow creation of records through this relationship' turned on, each of the match criteria will get populated in the new related record as records are created through the relationship.