Clive Might I suggest that you invest a lot if time and a few (more) coins in several ways.
1.. Upgrade your version of Filemaker to the latest available, FM 10. 2.. Invest in a DVD based training course - I purchased the VTC course for FM9 in beginner, intemediate, advanced and expert. You can then learn at your own pace and have the DVD for constant referral in times future 3.. Buy at least 4 books on using Filemaker and read them from cover to cover - this will take 6 months. In this way you will find that each author will cover the same topic with different emphasis and convey knowledge to you that you comprehend and can use. You will also need to refer to the books for guidance on the more obscure topics that are not used very frequently. 4.. Practice building simple flat file (single table) databases so that you understand the principles of good design 5.. Ask your users what they would like your existing database to do. Find out what features they like, why some features are not used and if there is anything that fustrates them. Those are the areas that need attention. You may find that your database is just fine, but it needs to be given a facelift so that it looks prettier and easier to work with. Calculations and scripts are your friends. Finds and manipulating data need not be a nightmare, but you need to understand what it is that you are trying to find 6.. Be critical of your database and assess where it could be simplified or make more productive 7.. If you have never built a relational database, don't panic. 8.. When you have re-built your database, make 3 clean copies of it stored in different locations. I am writing now from bitter experience as I had a massive server crash which corrupted 30 database in one fell swoop. Sure I had backups of the data, but not of the design. It has taken me 6 months so far to re-write the raw design for 1 of these database and I have yet to import the data, so I and my staff are continuing to work with corrupted data and cannot actually recover the data and re-import it into a clean database. The difficulty of working with corrputed data, is that the moment that you have opened a corrupted database, corruption seems to migrate into any new databases that you are building and it seems to maifest itself in many different ways. A drop down list might not work or references to tables report errors and things are a nightmare. All that aside, if I can be of help, please let me know. I am by no means expert, I am perhaps at best, of intermediate standard and am learning all the time. During the last year, I have built roughly 100 database, each of which is tailored for the specific job to be accomplished (our company look after sales promotions) and the shelf life of the promotion is somewhere from 3 weeks to 6 months. The short lifespan for each database, the more important it is for the build to be right first time so that production is not hampered. Good luck. Angus ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clive Read" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 9:24 PM Subject: Re: Need Your Help With Best of 2009 FileMaker Newsletter Hi Stephen If you remember, I wrote and told you of a problem I had with a Filemaker v5 database that had been poorly designed (by me) and for which I was seeking help to make it work. You suggested I take one of the seats at the training school, but said I would have to rush. I did, and I paid, but no help was forthcoming, leaving the charity I run worse off than before. I doubt you'll want that for your Newsletter? But if you do, you have my permission to do so. Bless you Clive (in Spain) On 04/01/2010, at 21:42, Stephen Knight wrote: > Hi Everyone, Happy New Year! > > We need your help with articles for the FMWebschool Best of 2009 Newsletter. > We currently have over 9400 subscribers. We hope for 10,000 by Valentines day! > > This month we will be releasing the BEST of 2009 Issue - this will include > the best articles and sample files from our last 12 newsletters. We would > also like to include some additional articles and sample files. > > If you have any articles, how-to's, sample files that you would like to see > created, let us know! We have expert developers "waiting" to write and > create excellent sample files for you! Simply email me at > [email protected] with your ideas. > > > *** 3rd party developers *** > > If you are a 3rd party vendor and you would like your logo to be on the BEST > of 2009 website, let me know. We have room for 6 advertisers. > > This newsletter and webpage will be seen by thousands of people and the 6 > spots will sell out quickly. > > Email Stephen Knight if you are interested in advertising. > > > In Kindness > Stephen Knight > FileMaker Hosting Made Easy > 800.353.7950 Ext 87 > Follow Me on Twitter @stephenknight -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.725 / Virus Database: 270.14.124/2599 - Release Date: 01/04/10 08:24:00
