FileMan Tips
 

Auto-numbering FileMan ".01" fields
 

Sorting in the order the developer wanted
 

Crosstabs in  FileMan V22

Avoiding the "Save changes?" ScreenMan prompt
When a ScreenMan user finishes a page, and the cursor  is in the COMMAND LINE at the bottom of the screen, he types "E" if he wants to  ""save and "exit".  He is then asked
                  Save changes before leaving form (Y/N)?
There is a very small patch that can eliminate this question.  At E+3^DDS3, add
a line that says:
                                SET Y=1 GO EX
 
 

Auto-numbering FileMan ".01" fields
Greg Kreis offers a technique to "permit the user to enter a + symbol when they are at the 'Select Prompt'.  They are then presented with the next available number in the question that asks if they want to add this new record.  Presto chango, the + is transformed into the next number..".

1.  Set up a 7.5 pre-lookup transform on the .01 field, as shown below:

^DD(<file number>,.01,7.5) =
I X="+" S X=""""_$$AUTONUM^<routinename>(X)_""""

2.  Write the logic that you use to derive record names:

AUTONUM(X) ; generate a unique number for a record
      N %,NUM
      I X="+" D
      .S %=$$PARAM ; derive the site parameter record number
      .I % D
      ..L +^XYZ(%,10)
      ..S NUM=1+$S($D(^XYZ(%,10)):$P(^(10),U,1),1:0)
      ..F NUM=NUM:1 Q:'$D(^XYZ("B",NUM))
      ..S $P(^XYZ(%,10),U,1)=+NUM
      ..L -^XYZ(%,10)
      Q NUM

3.  As a little trick, define the field that holds the 'next number' as the only field on the node - a FM feature that is not often used.  In this case, node 10.

    NODE;PIECE:   10;E1,245

The advantage of this lone field on the node, is that it is easier to lock the
node, etc. and know that it has no other purpose.

Alternatively, store the counter in a node among the xrefs.  For example,

  ^XYZ("AUTONUM")= 6

The advantage of the above is that it stores the count with the file.  The first approach requires a site parameter file and a node for every file being "auto-numbered".

Sorting in the order the developer wanted
Marianne Follingstadt discovered that the FileMan output module may sometimes change the sorting order of a Template that you have created.  It does this because it has "computed a better search efficiency".  But it may happen that you, the developer, absolutely need the Sort Logic to work just as you specify.

Marianne discovered a solution.  It is just a matter of editing two fields that pertain to any Sort Template:

Select OPTION: 1  ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: SORT TEMPLATE//

EDIT WHICH FIELD: 1621  SORT FIELD DATA  (multiple)
   EDIT WHICH SORT FIELD DATA SUB-FIELD: ALL// SEARCH EFFICIENCY RATING
   THEN EDIT SORT FIELD DATA SUB-FIELD: PROBABILITY RATING
   THEN EDIT SORT FIELD DATA SUB-FIELD:
THEN EDIT FIELD:

Select SORT TEMPLATE: <Your Template name>
Select FILE OR SUBFILE NO.: <The file number>
  SEARCH EFFICIENCY RATING: 999
  PROBABILITY RATING: 999

Crosstabs in FileMan V22
Many FileMan users need to produce cross-tabulations of data.  FileMan's "PRINT" option has always offered a powerful sub-totalling capability, but no way to "pretty-print" the resulting subtotals.

For example, let's take the DIALOG file that comes pre-installed with FileMan.  Suppose we want to do a two-way breakdown of all the entries: by the PACKAGE each belongs to, and by TYPE of Dialogue.

We do this in the following FileMan interaction:

Select OPTION: 2  PRINT FILE ENTRIES

OUTPUT FROM WHAT FILE: DIALOG   (513 entries)
SORT BY: DIALOG NUMBER// +PACKAGE
START WITH PACKAGE: FIRST// @
GO TO PACKAGE: LAST//
  WITHIN PACKAGE, SORT BY: +TYPE
  START WITH TYPE: FIRST//
    WITHIN TYPE, SORT BY:
FIRST PRINT FIELD: !.01  DIALOG NUMBER
THEN PRINT FIELD:
Heading (S/C): DIALOG STATISTICS//
START AT PAGE: 1//
DEVICE:   CONSOLE    Right Margin: 80//

The resulting output would look something like --
 

DIALOG STATISTICS         FEB  8,2000  16:48    PAGE 1            DIALOG NUMBER ------------------------------------------------------         PACKAGE:   EMPTY            TYPE: ERROR SUBCOUNT              14            TYPE: GENERAL MESSAGE SUBCOUNT             138 SUBCOUNT             152         PACKAGE: MAILMAN            TYPE: ERROR SUBCOUNT              23            TYPE: GENERAL MESSAGE SUBCOUNT              17 SUBCOUNT              40         PACKAGE: VA FILEMAN            TYPE: ERROR SUBCOUNT             176            TYPE: GENERAL MESSAGE SUBCOUNT             103            TYPE: HELP SUBCOUNT              42 SUBCOUNT             321 COUNT                513

Not too easy to read.  But with the release of a recent FileMan patch, sequence #10 of the VA releases of FileMan V22.0, these results can be prettied up enough to be entered into a spreadsheet:

Select OPTION: OTHER OPTIONS
Select OTHER OPTION: STATISTICS
Select STATISTICAL ROUTINE: 1 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

and voila --

DIALOG FILE: COUNTS                            FEB 8,2000    Page 1     PACKAGE                             TYPE                       ERROR   GENERAL MESSAGE              HELP  TOTAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------      EMPTY              14               138                 0    152    MAILMAN              23                17                 0     40    VA FILEMAN          176               103                42    321                    --------      ------------      ------------  ----    TOTALS              213               258                42    513

Note that, as usual, statistics need to be printed out from the same terminal that called for the output.  Single-level and triple-level subtotals can also be pretty-printed using the newly-revised DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS option.

The patch enabling these outputs is part of our FileMan download, and also part of the Hardhats' distribution of "Diamond 2.0" for Cache.