Evaluate in field, like excel?

On 2008-02-21 21:20:45 -0800, Helpful Harry
said:

> In article , Sasha
> wrote:
>
>> Is there a way to have a field "self-evaluate", similar to a cell in
>> excel, so that the user is able to perform simple calculation in a
>> field?
>
> Nope.

Harry, you REALLY need to get a current version of FM. Rumor is you can
download a 30 day trial version at www.filemaker.com.

Yes, Sasha, there is now an Evaluate function. I recommend exploring
the list of functions and operators available in the online Help. In
fact, that might have been a good move before posting, as it's much
faster. I always rely heavily on the online help for assistance with
syntax.

If you write a calculation using Evaluate, a user can type 2+3 in the
field and the result will be 5. Please read the help, as there is a
difference in the calc whether you use quotes around the field name or
not.
--
Lynn Allen
--
www.semiotics.com
Member Filemaker Business Alliance
Long Beach, CA
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

On Feb 21, 10:30 pm, Lynn Allen wrote:
> On 2008-02-21 21:20:45 -0800, Helpful Harry
> said:
>
> > In article , Sasha
> > wrote:
>
> >> Is there a way to have a field "self-evaluate", similar to a cell in
> >> excel, so that the user is able to perform simple calculation in a
> >> field?
>
> > Nope.
>
> Harry, you REALLY need to get a current version of FM. Rumor is you can
> download a 30 day trial version atwww.filemaker.com.
>
> Yes, Sasha, there is now an Evaluate function. I recommend exploring
> the list of functions and operators available in the online Help. In
> fact, that might have been a good move before posting, as it's much
> faster. I always rely heavily on the online help for assistance with
> syntax.
>
> If you write a calculation using Evaluate, a user can type 2+3 in the
> field and the result will be 5. Please read the help, as there is a
> difference in the calc whether you use quotes around the field name or
> not.
> --
> Lynn Allen
> --www.semiotics.com
> Member Filemaker Business Alliance
> Long Beach, CA

I'm not the only one that finds loading the online version of the Help
file faster than calling it up from Filemaker itself?
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

On 2008-02-22 00:30:24 -0500, Lynn Allen said:

> On 2008-02-21 21:20:45 -0800, Helpful Harry
> said:
>
>> In article , Sasha
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Is there a way to have a field "self-evaluate", similar to a cell in
>>> excel, so that the user is able to perform simple calculation in a
>>> field?
>>
>> Nope.
>
> Harry, you REALLY need to get a current version of FM. Rumor is you can
> download a 30 day trial version at www.filemaker.com.
>
> Yes, Sasha, there is now an Evaluate function. I recommend exploring
> the list of functions and operators available in the online Help. In
> fact, that might have been a good move before posting, as it's much
> faster. I always rely heavily on the online help for assistance with
> syntax.
>
> If you write a calculation using Evaluate, a user can type 2+3 in the
> field and the result will be 5. Please read the help, as there is a
> difference in the calc whether you use quotes around the field name or
> not.

Sorry I wasn't more clear - I understood the Evaluate function, I was
having trouble with where to use it.

I ended up creating a "price" field as a Number and then checking the
Calculated Value box in the options. Then I used the formula
Evaluate(price) as the calculate value. Now the user can enter a
formula or the end result number in the price field and the field will
calculate it for them.
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

On Feb 21, 6:28 pm, Sasha wrote:
> Is there a way to have a field "self-evaluate", similar to a cell in
> excel, so that the user is able to perform simple calculation in a
> field?

Not quite like in excel, no, but pretty close.

There is an evaluate function, as others have said. And if you let
people type in one field, and have another set to evaluate(thatfield),
you can use the two fields in tandem to get close to what you want.

So... you could enter... (4+5)*10 and get 90 in the second field for
example, or enter sqrt(table::fieldnameX) to get the square root of
the value in the field "table::fieldnameX" displayed in the second
field.

You could reduce it to one field, where the field is set to auto-enter
the evaluation of itself, which would work, but you'd lose the
expression each time, which would probably be pretty annoying. Because
FM, unlike excel would -replace- the expression with the result.

-cheers,
Dave
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

In article , Lynn Allen
wrote:

> Harry, you REALLY need to get a current version of FM. Rumor is you can
> download a 30 day trial version at www.filemaker.com.

Unfortunately, as I've said before, even if I could waste the MANY MANY
hours downloading the 30-day trial via my dial-up connection, it
wouldn't work on my computer anyway.

Helpful Harry
Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships ;o)
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

where do you find the onlune help???

guy
;o)
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

On 2008-02-23 21:42:43 +0100, "Guy" said:

> where do you find the onlune help???
>
> guy
> ;o)

http://filemaker.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/filemaker.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php

or
go to
http://www.filemaker.com
then select
support
and then
knowledge base

Tomislav
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

In article , Tomislav Tomašić
wrote:

> On 2008-02-23 21:42:43 +0100, "Guy" said:
>
> > where do you find the onlune help???
> >
> > guy
> > ;o)
>
> http://filemaker.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/filemaker.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php
>
> or
> go to
> http://www.filemaker.com
> then select
> support
> and then
> knowledge base

If it's anything like FileMaker Inc's own example files, then you're
best to stay away. ;o)

Helpful Harry
Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships ;o)
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:14:26 +1300, Helpful Harry
wrote:

>In article , Lynn Allen
> wrote:
>
>> Harry, you REALLY need to get a current version of FM. Rumor is you can
>> download a 30 day trial version at www.filemaker.com.
>
>Unfortunately, as I've said before, even if I could waste the MANY MANY
>hours downloading the 30-day trial via my dial-up connection, ...

Jeez, Harry, I'd be glad to send it to you on a disk. No more or less
than I've done for others.

>... it
>wouldn't work on my computer anyway.

This dates me, I guess, but my first exposure to FileMaker was version
4, and it ran on an 80486 50MHz clone. I'm guessing you run an older
Apple, or ...? Sorry to pry, sir, but I'm a gearhead and I'm dying to
know.

--
FW

FileMaker Pro 8.5 on Windows XP Pro SP2
FileMaker Server 8.0 on Windows 2003 Server

Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

FastWolf wrote:
> On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:14:26 +1300, Helpful Harry
> wrote:
>
>> In article , Lynn Allen
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Harry, you REALLY need to get a current version of FM. Rumor is you can
>>> download a 30 day trial version at www.filemaker.com.
>> Unfortunately, as I've said before, even if I could waste the MANY MANY
>> hours downloading the 30-day trial via my dial-up connection, ...
>
> Jeez, Harry, I'd be glad to send it to you on a disk. No more or less
> than I've done for others.
>
>> ... it
>> wouldn't work on my computer anyway.
>
> This dates me, I guess, but my first exposure to FileMaker was version
> 4, and it ran on an 80486 50MHz clone. I'm guessing you run an older
> Apple, or ...? Sorry to pry, sir, but I'm a gearhead and I'm dying to
> know.
>


I still have FM 1.0v1 (October 1990) running on a Mac SE ( 4096K RAM,
all of 8 MHz!) in the office just for occasional amusement.
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

In article , FastWolf
wrote:

> On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:14:26 +1300, Helpful Harry
> wrote:
>
> >... it wouldn't work on my computer anyway.
>
> This dates me, I guess, but my first exposure to FileMaker was version
> 4, and it ran on an 80486 50MHz clone. I'm guessing you run an older
> Apple, or ...? Sorry to pry, sir, but I'm a gearhead and I'm dying to
> know.

That dates you?!? My first use of FileMaker was probably something like
FileMaker 1 or 2 on an old Mac LC II or III, possibly even the Mac
Classic with a 9" mono screen - doing DTP work on that was fun )
but I've been using Apple computers since long before the Mac even
existed.

My computer here is a beige PowerMac G3 266MHz running Mac OS 9.2 with
FileMaker 5.5 and 4.1. It's nearly 10 years old, but everything works
fine for all FileMaker and simple website and DTP design work (using
InDesign 2) that I need to do. It's only just starting to show it's age
now, and only with some of the fancier websites that I visit in my
leisure time which don't working properly or not working at all.

Helpful Harry
Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships ;o)
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

On Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:51:04 +1300, Helpful Harry
wrote:

>In article , FastWolf
> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:14:26 +1300, Helpful Harry
>> wrote:
>>
>> >... it wouldn't work on my computer anyway.
>>
>> This dates me, I guess, but my first exposure to FileMaker was version
>> 4, and it ran on an 80486 50MHz clone. I'm guessing you run an older
>> Apple, or ...? Sorry to pry, sir, but I'm a gearhead and I'm dying to
>> know.
>
>That dates you?!?

Of course it dates me, sir, just not as far back in the misty reaches
of FM history as yourself!

>My first use of FileMaker was probably something like
>FileMaker 1 or 2 on an old Mac LC II or III, possibly even the Mac
>Classic with a 9" mono screen - doing DTP work on that was fun )
>but I've been using Apple computers since long before the Mac even
>existed.
>
>My computer here is a beige PowerMac G3 266MHz running Mac OS 9.2 with
>FileMaker 5.5 and 4.1.

As a matter of fact I used to have one of those myself. Damn good
system.

> It's nearly 10 years old, but everything works
>fine for all FileMaker and simple website and DTP design work (using
>InDesign 2) that I need to do.

Seems to me if it'll run InDesign 2 it'll run FileMaker 8.

> It's only just starting to show it's age
>now, and only with some of the fancier websites that I visit in my
>leisure time which don't working properly or not working at all.

In my experience, you're not missing a whole lot. Anyway, if you'd
like to send me a shipping address (off the ng -- just drop the NOSPAM
from my address) I'd be only too happy to send you the demo on a disk.
It's certainly worth a try. And as much help as you are around here,
it's time someone helped you out a little.

--
FW

FileMaker Pro 8.5 on Windows XP Pro SP2
FileMaker Server 8.0 on Windows 2003 Server
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel? 

In article , FastWolf
wrote:

> On Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:51:04 +1300, Helpful Harry
> wrote:
>
> >In article , FastWolf
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:14:26 +1300, Helpful Harry
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> > ... it wouldn't work on my computer anyway.
> >>
> >> This dates me, I guess, but my first exposure to FileMaker was version
> >> 4, and it ran on an 80486 50MHz clone. I'm guessing you run an older
> >> Apple, or ...? Sorry to pry, sir, but I'm a gearhead and I'm dying to
> >> know.
> >
> >That dates you?!?
>
> Of course it dates me, sir, just not as far back in the misty reaches
> of FM history as yourself!

Sorry, I meant if using FileMaker 4 dates you, what does using
FileMaker 1 / 2 do for me? ;o)



> > My first use of FileMaker was probably something like
> > FileMaker 1 or 2 on an old Mac LC II or III, possibly even the Mac
> > Classic with a 9" mono screen - doing DTP work on that was fun )
> > but I've been using Apple computers since long before the Mac even
> > existed.
> >
> > My computer here is a beige PowerMac G3 266MHz running Mac OS 9.2 with
> > FileMaker 5.5 and 4.1.
>
> As a matter of fact I used to have one of those myself. Damn good
> system.

Yep. The only problem is that soon afterwards Apple changed all the
ports to USB, etc. That means upgrading to a new computer also requires
upgrading EVERYTHING: scanner, printer, etc. \



> > It's nearly 10 years old, but everything works fine for all
> > FileMaker and simple website and DTP design work (using InDesign 2)
> > that I need to do.
>
> Seems to me if it'll run InDesign 2 it'll run FileMaker 8.

Nope, it's InDesign *2*, not "CS2" which is actually InDesign 3 (if I
remember correctly). FileMaker 8 won't run in Mac OS 9.

I could update to an older version of Mac OS X, but it's an expense
that really isn't worth doing. Better to save that money for when I do
eventually HAVE to upgrade.



> > It's only just starting to show it's age now, and only with some of
> > the fancier websites that I visit in my leisure time which don't
> > working properly or not working at all.
>
> In my experience, you're not missing a whole lot. Anyway, if you'd
> like to send me a shipping address (off the ng -- just drop the NOSPAM
> from my address) I'd be only too happy to send you the demo on a disk.
> It's certainly worth a try. And as much help as you are around here,
> it's time someone helped you out a little.

Thanks for the offer, but as above, it won't run so it would only be
wasting your time and postage. )



Helpful Harry
Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships ;o)
 >> Stay informed about: Evaluate in field, like excel?