Changing Default Field List in Sort Dialog

Hello -

I'm wondering if anyone has a solution to the way the sort dialog
opens when users choose Sort Records... (this is FM 9, Mac &
Windows). The dialog that opens appears to always default to the
Current Layout set of fields rather than Current Table, whereas the
Current Table field set would be much better for my users (organized
according to function with specific sort fields at the top).

I know I can script the sort function using custom menus etc. to
always open with a specific set of fields on the right-hand side, but
that can be frustrating for users who do a custom sort, realize they
wanted it done slightly different and reopen the sort dialog only to
find all the fields they'd dragged over to the right-hand box have
reverted to the scripted default. Is there a simple work-around so
Current Table always shows in the left-hand box? Any suggestion would
be great.

Thanks.

-Jahn

Re: Changing Default Field List in Sort Dialog

"jahn" schreef in bericht
news:39c11119-e9c6-4816-afd2-4bffbf655108@y18g2000pre.google groups.com...
> Hello -
>
> I'm wondering if anyone has a solution to the way the sort dialog
> opens when users choose Sort Records... (this is FM 9, Mac &
> Windows). The dialog that opens appears to always default to the
> Current Layout set of fields rather than Current Table, whereas the
> Current Table field set would be much better for my users (organized
> according to function with specific sort fields at the top).
>
> I know I can script the sort function using custom menus etc. to
> always open with a specific set of fields on the right-hand side, but
> that can be frustrating for users who do a custom sort, realize they
> wanted it done slightly different and reopen the sort dialog only to
> find all the fields they'd dragged over to the right-hand box have
> reverted to the scripted default. Is there a simple work-around so
> Current Table always shows in the left-hand box? Any suggestion would
> be great.
>
> Thanks.
>
> -Jahn

Jahn,

Create a script that does the sorting. Specify the sort order, don't tick
the 'perform without dialog' box. This defaults to current table, or can be
made to default to any layout you might need.
Disable the sort from the menu with a custom menu, so your users can't use
that any more. Then make a button on your layout-that fires the script. If
you only need onbe table to be referenced you could also re-route the ctrl-s
with a custom menu, so ctrl-s will trigger your script instead of the
standard sort.. If your are a bit into scripting you could make it so that
ctrl-s always fires a main script, which then branches out for each table
you need.

something like:

if current layout is A
do this sort
if current layout is B
do that sort
etc
end if

Remember to NEVER work on your original menu-set, but always start out with
making a copy and working on that. If you screw up using the original set
you might loose access to you file.

Keep well, Ursus

Re: Changing Default Field List in Sort Dialog

On Apr 15, 12:51=A0am, "E W P Appeldoorn" wrote:

> Create a script that does the sorting. Specify the sort order, don't tick
> the 'perform without dialog' box. This defaults to current table, or can b=
e
> made to default to any layout you might need.

Hi, Ursus -

Thanks for answering. The thing is, if I specify a sort order in a
script, then any time a user tries to sort (whether through custom
menu or button), my specified order overwrites any sort order he might
have used previously.

For example, let's say he opens the database; decides to sort by last
name, company, zip code; goes through the steps of moving those fields
from one side of the sort dialog to another; and sorts. Then he
realizes he actually wants to sort by last name, company, state
(instead of zip), and reopens the sort dialog (custom menu or
button). What does he find? The sort order I specified in my script
instead of the one he just used, so instead of just changing one field
(or more if it's a more complicated sort), he has to clear all fields
that I specified, find each field in the list, move them over again,
etc. In other words, instead of being able to use the sort dialog the
way we do in an unscripted sort -- building progressively on what he's
done before -- his work gets erased each time and replaced with the
specified script.

Instead, I'd simply like it so the left-hand side of the sort dialog
defaults to Current Table, where you'll see a beautiful list of user
fields organized by function in plain English, with all the developer
fields way down below where it doesn't confuse him. Isn't there a way
to do this? Or does FileMaker always default to Current Layout with
no way to specify default to Current Table -- except by overwriting
the user's previous work?

Let me know what you think.

Best,
Jahn

Re: Changing Default Field List in Sort Dialog

If you've put your files on a server or other host machine, then the
default sort order on those files will be the last sort you did on those
files before opening them on the server or host.

jahn wrote:
> On Apr 15, 12:51 am, "E W P Appeldoorn" wrote:
>
>> Create a script that does the sorting. Specify the sort order, don't tick
>> the 'perform without dialog' box. This defaults to current table, or can be
>> made to default to any layout you might need.
>
> Hi, Ursus -
>
> Thanks for answering. The thing is, if I specify a sort order in a
> script, then any time a user tries to sort (whether through custom
> menu or button), my specified order overwrites any sort order he might
> have used previously.
>
> For example, let's say he opens the database; decides to sort by last
> name, company, zip code; goes through the steps of moving those fields
> from one side of the sort dialog to another; and sorts. Then he
> realizes he actually wants to sort by last name, company, state
> (instead of zip), and reopens the sort dialog (custom menu or
> button). What does he find? The sort order I specified in my script
> instead of the one he just used, so instead of just changing one field
> (or more if it's a more complicated sort), he has to clear all fields
> that I specified, find each field in the list, move them over again,
> etc. In other words, instead of being able to use the sort dialog the
> way we do in an unscripted sort -- building progressively on what he's
> done before -- his work gets erased each time and replaced with the
> specified script.
>
> Instead, I'd simply like it so the left-hand side of the sort dialog
> defaults to Current Table, where you'll see a beautiful list of user
> fields organized by function in plain English, with all the developer
> fields way down below where it doesn't confuse him. Isn't there a way
> to do this? Or does FileMaker always default to Current Layout with
> no way to specify default to Current Table -- except by overwriting
> the user's previous work?
>
> Let me know what you think.
>
> Best,
> Jahn

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard Schlossberg
FM Professional Solutions, Inc. Los Angeles

FileMaker 8 Certified Developer
Member, FileMaker Business Alliance

Re: Changing Default Field List in Sort Dialog

"jahn" schreef in bericht
news:d63f5942-3f9e-430c-95fb-596cc707160d@k1g2000prb.googleg roups.com...
On Apr 15, 12:51 am, "E W P Appeldoorn" wrote:

> Create a script that does the sorting. Specify the sort order, don't tick
> the 'perform without dialog' box. This defaults to current table, or can
> be
> made to default to any layout you might need.

Hi, Ursus -

Thanks for answering. The thing is, if I specify a sort order in a
script, then any time a user tries to sort (whether through custom
menu or button), my specified order overwrites any sort order he might
have used previously.

For example, let's say he opens the database; decides to sort by last
name, company, zip code; goes through the steps of moving those fields
from one side of the sort dialog to another; and sorts. Then he
realizes he actually wants to sort by last name, company, state
(instead of zip), and reopens the sort dialog (custom menu or
button). What does he find? The sort order I specified in my script
instead of the one he just used, so instead of just changing one field
(or more if it's a more complicated sort), he has to clear all fields
that I specified, find each field in the list, move them over again,
etc. In other words, instead of being able to use the sort dialog the
way we do in an unscripted sort -- building progressively on what he's
done before -- his work gets erased each time and replaced with the
specified script.

Instead, I'd simply like it so the left-hand side of the sort dialog
defaults to Current Table, where you'll see a beautiful list of user
fields organized by function in plain English, with all the developer
fields way down below where it doesn't confuse him. Isn't there a way
to do this? Or does FileMaker always default to Current Layout with
no way to specify default to Current Table -- except by overwriting
the user's previous work?

Let me know what you think.

Best,
Jahn

Filemaker always replaces the stored sort with the current sort. Therefor if
you create a script and leave the perform without dialog unchjecked, the
script at least will open up with current table, But you will still see the
last stored sort. Sorting can (allas) not be defined by a calculated result,
so if you want various sorting abilities built in, you could all create them
as a script and let the user decide by clicking the right button. I don't
see any other way.

Keep well, Ursus