Tim's right, Brad.
Using FileMaker's built-in functions that work with return-delimited
lists will make your life easier. Get to know all the functions that
have the words "list" or "value" in them. They are quite powerful.
I would be just as "you directed" as Tim was. The pipe does not do the
same thing. And that is simply not a matter of "preference."
j.
On Aug 15, 2009, at 9:33 AM, Brad Lowry wrote:
Hi Tim,
It is not a bug to use the Pipe character as delimiter. Nor is it an
enhancement to use the Return character instead. Using the Pipe
character as delimiter is a personal preference that is mine to
choose, and using the Return character as delimiter is a personal
preference that is yours to choose. (That FileMaker chooses to use
the Return character as delimiter would understandably tilt the
decision toward the Return character. I chose otherwise nonetheless.)
I could spend several paragraphs on why I personally prefer the
clean, precise, visible, rare (a good thing for a delimiter) and on
my keyboard Pipe character to the clumsy, context dependent,
invisible, ubiquitous (a bad thing for a delimiter) and nowhere on
my keyboard Return character. So please do not presume to tell me
what I will find easier.
This is the second consecutive response to one of my posts where you
offer nothing more than your opinion about my choices. You are
entitled to your opinion, and you are welcomed to express your
opinion here. However, please drop the condescending and patronizing
tone, rather express your opinion as that, and allow that others may
have good or not-so-good reasons to have another opinion that they
too are entitled to.
As you are free to express your opinion, I will offer mine that a
post to this list that presumes to tell another how they *should* do
something where that way of doing that something is really just
another equivalent form of the original without acknowledgment of
that fact is pointless.
Perhaps it was unintended and perhaps I am making too much of it --
that is always a possibility as I am sure we have all experienced
with email. But I do recommend that we all attempt to use what
psychologists call "self directed 'I' statements" in our posts --
that is, consider how different the tone of your post would have
been if instead of saying: "Brad you'll find it easier if you work
with return-delimited lists"; that you had simply turned that phrase
around to: "personally, I find it easier to work with return-
delimited lists"? Night and Day!
Thanks for your response.
Brad
On Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 8:25 PM, Tim Mansour <[email protected]>
wrote:
> (bug reports and enhancements welcomed..
For starters Brad you'll find it easier if you work with
return-delimited lists (otherwise known in FM as "values") because the
inbuilt Value functions simplify your parameter string parsing
considerably. It would also allow you to pass the results of the
GetLayoutObjectNames function, which is returned as values, plus use
the FilterValues function to narrow down your search.
--
Tim Mansour <[email protected]>
Neologica Print & Promotions (ABN 63 904 335 408)
Certified FileMaker 10 Developer
159 Commonwealth Street : Surry Hills NSW 2010 : Australia
Mobile 0405 500 846 : Sydney 02 9043 3223 : Melbourne 03 9012 7441
--
Sincerely,
Brad
--
Jonathan Fletcher
FileMaker 9 Certified Developer
FileMaker 10 Certified Developer
Project Foreman
NewMedia Construction Co.
[email protected]
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