Quick way to populate a new field across many records
I just learned this, though it's probably been in FileMaker for a long time. Never seen it any any of the documentation. In the past, if I needed to add a new text or number field to a table, and wanted it populated with some data, I would show all records and create a script to loop through them, setting the field value with Set Field. Depending on the number of records it could take up to a half hour.
But apparently you can create the field as a stored calculation, exit the Manage Database screen, then go back to Manage Database and change the field to Text or Number. When you exit Manage Database again, the field is now modifiable, but the previously calculated data is still there. I had no idea.
1 comment
Apr 03, 2009
Brian Ginn said...
I think that is news to me also. Great tip.
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