Comments on: The Secret Life of Find Mode: Symbols http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/ smart business solutions Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:54:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Geoff Coffey http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-1385 Geoff Coffey Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:29:54 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-1385 Suzanne: FileMaker's symbol-less behavior is to search for "words" in the field that <em>start with</em> your criteria. So in a text field, 000250 would not be found by searching for just <code>250</code>, as you have discovered. There's no direct way I know of to change this automatic behavior, but there are several possibilities you might consider: <ul> <li>You could use a script that goes to find mode, pauses, then puts a "*" in front of the job number if the field isn't empty. It would finish by performing the find. Then, you would run this script rather than using Find mode directly (via a button or even by overriding the Find menu command and keyboard shortcut with custom menus). The mechanism will ensure that the field gets fixed up before the find occurs.</li> <li>If you search by job number often, you could write a script just for that purpose. If would use the Show Custom Dialog script step to ask for the job number, then go to find mode, put the search value in place, complete with *, and perform the find. You could then run this script to quickly look up a job number.</li> <li>Some people like to build a calculation field that is based on the job number field, but includes several versions of it, like this: <pre><code> 0 50 250 0250 00250 000250</code></pre> Then you search that field instead of the normal job number field. I don't like this kind of thing much, but some people swear by it.</li> </ul> There are probably lots of other ways to streamline your job number search... Geoff Suzanne:

FileMaker’s symbol-less behavior is to search for “words” in the field that start with your criteria. So in a text field, 000250 would not be found by searching for just 250, as you have discovered.

There’s no direct way I know of to change this automatic behavior, but there are several possibilities you might consider:

  • You could use a script that goes to find mode, pauses, then puts a “*” in front of the job number if the field isn’t empty. It would finish by performing the find. Then, you would run this script rather than using Find mode directly (via a button or even by overriding the Find menu command and keyboard shortcut with custom menus). The mechanism will ensure that the field gets fixed up before the find occurs.
  • If you search by job number often, you could write a script just for that purpose. If would use the Show Custom Dialog script step to ask for the job number, then go to find mode, put the search value in place, complete with *, and perform the find. You could then run this script to quickly look up a job number.
  • Some people like to build a calculation field that is based on the job number field, but includes several versions of it, like this: 
    
0
50
250
0250
00250
000250

    Then you search that field instead of the normal job number field. I don’t like this kind of thing much, but some people swear by it.

There are probably lots of other ways to streamline your job number search…

Geoff

]]> By: Suzanne http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-1384 Suzanne Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:58:58 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-1384 For some reason filemaker is not being very forgiving on searches except with I use the *symbol. For instance, I am trying to look up any jobs that have the numbers 250 in it, I HAVE to type *250 to bring up 000250 or *250* to get 0025010. Is there a way to set up my find for all fields to be relaxed without having to use the asterisks? For some reason filemaker is not being very forgiving on searches except with I use the *symbol. For instance, I am trying to look up any jobs that have the numbers 250 in it, I HAVE to type *250 to bring up 000250 or *250* to get 0025010.

Is there a way to set up my find for all fields to be relaxed without having to use the asterisks?

]]> By: Mike http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-955 Mike Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:52:16 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-955 When interacting with FM via XML/PHP/etc the @ needs to be escaped, then encoded, so your final query string looks something like user%5C%40company.com When interacting with FM via XML/PHP/etc the @ needs to be escaped, then encoded, so your final query string looks something like user%5C%40company.com

]]> By: The Secret Life of Find Mode: Requests : SFR FileMaker Blog http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-562 The Secret Life of Find Mode: Requests : SFR FileMaker Blog Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:02:42 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-562 [...] Find symbols [...] […] Find symbols […]

]]> By: Montana http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-489 Montana Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:34:04 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-489 @ Darryl Oliver >> I developed a script as a workaround if anyone is interested. Yes please. TIA @ Darryl Oliver

>> I developed a script as a workaround if anyone is interested.

Yes please.

TIA

]]> By: Geoff Coffey http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-436 Geoff Coffey Fri, 24 Aug 2007 22:13:46 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-436 @darryl: It is a little annoying. I'm pretty sure the "@" symbol in FileMaker predates prevalent use of email addresses, so I give FMI a pass here :) There are several ways to work around it. The article mentions two: put the address in quotes: <code>"mr_magoo@sixfriedrice.com"</code> or put a space instead of the <code>@</code> sign. Your method will work too: <code>\@</code>. Finally, you can use the exact match operator: <code>==mr_magoo@sixfriedrice.com</code>. If your sample script is available on line, send me the URL (use the Contact Us form on this site) and I'll add it to your comment. Thanks! @darryl: It is a little annoying. I’m pretty sure the “@” symbol in FileMaker predates prevalent use of email addresses, so I give FMI a pass here :)

There are several ways to work around it. The article mentions two: put the address in quotes: "mr_magoo@sixfriedrice.com" or put a space instead of the @ sign. Your method will work too: \@. Finally, you can use the exact match operator: ==mr_magoo@sixfriedrice.com. If your sample script is available on line, send me the URL (use the Contact Us form on this site) and I’ll add it to your comment.

Thanks!

]]> By: Darryl Oliver http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-435 Darryl Oliver Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:26:13 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-435 One of the consequences of the alpha wildcard symbol (@) is that you can't do a literal search for an email address. FileMaker will interpret an email address as an invalid Find request. Although you can search by entering the text on either side of the @, it's a little disappointing that you can't just paste an email address into a field in FileMaker's Find mode and perform a search. You have to insert a backslash (\) before the @ in order to have FileMaker accept the email address in a Find request. I developed a script as a workaround if anyone is interested. One of the consequences of the alpha wildcard symbol (@) is that you can’t do a literal search for an email address. FileMaker will interpret an email address as an invalid Find request.

Although you can search by entering the text on either side of the @, it’s a little disappointing that you can’t just paste an email address into a field in FileMaker’s Find mode and perform a search. You have to insert a backslash (\) before the @ in order to have FileMaker accept the email address in a Find request.

I developed a script as a workaround if anyone is interested.

]]> By: Florence Ross http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-423 Florence Ross Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:01:03 +0000 http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/the-secret-life-of-find-mode-symbols/#comment-423 Well done! I've used Filemaker for years and hadn't made good use of the new search capabilities as they evolved over the years. (I've been around since Filemaker II). Thanks for this. I'll do a session in our office for the personnel that use our database daily in their work. Well done!
I’ve used Filemaker for years and hadn’t made good use of the new search capabilities as they evolved over the years. (I’ve been around since Filemaker II). Thanks for this. I’ll do a session in our office for the personnel that use our database daily in their work.

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