Defining repeating fields
You can store more than one value in a text, number, date, time, container, calculation, or global field by making the field a repeating field.
For example, you can create a text field named Color that stores the colors available for each product you sell. If you make Color a repeating field, you can enter all the colors for each product into the Color field.
Note Instead of using a repeating field, it is often easier to use a related table and a portal to sort or insert data, or create a summary report.
To define a repeating field:
- Choose File menu > Manage > Database.
- Click the Fields tab.
- If your database contains more than one table, select the appropriate table from the Table list.
- Select the field you want to repeat, or define a new field.
- Click Options (or double-click the field name).
- In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Storage tab.
- In the Repeating area, enter a number for Maximum number of repetitions.
If the field is a calculation field, you see the Specify Calculation dialog box instead of the Options for Field dialog box. For Number of repetitions, enter a number.
- Click OK, then click OK.
Notes
- Use the Data tab in the Inspector to change the number of repetitions displayed on a layout.
- In a repeating field, there's a separate display area for each repetition. If you define a field to repeat, all repetitions have the same size and other field characteristics.
- Some FileMaker Pro features (like calculation and summary fields, and find requests) include all the values in a repeating field. For example, when you create a find request, FileMaker Pro searches for values in all repetitions, even those that aren't visible in the current layout. Other features, like sorting, only use the first value in a repeating field. For information about how a feature works with repeating fields, see the Help topic for that feature.
- Values in a repeating field cannot be easily summarized to create a report. You can, however, define a calculation that uses an aggregate function, which is similar to summarizing data on a record-by-record basis.