How do I know when to use the "Case" script steps as opposed to the
"If/Else" script steps?
I have experimented with both and seem to have more success with
"Case" but don't know when each is indicated.

Well, there is no Case script step, so I would suggest always using If/Else.

As for functions, I see no reason to EVER use the If() function since
Case() covers all possibilities all the time.


CRC123 wrote:
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Howard Schlossberg (818) 883-2846
FM Professional Solutions, Inc. Los Angeles

FileMaker 8 Certified Developer
Associate Member, FileMaker Solutions Alliance

On Feb 7, 11:15 pm, Howard Schlossberg
<how... (AT) antispahm (DOT) fmprosolutions.com> wrote:
Generally programmaticially speaking, If/Else is generally slower to
compile then CASE or its SWITCH equivalents. WIth that said, I've
never bothered to benchmark the differences in FM let alone mimicking
a caluculation to perform its equivalent script, but i would think
those calculations would have to be slower (unless calcs have some
optimization--i have no idea) as you to still wrap them in a call to
perform script or the ilk. Bit off topic, but does make me wonder
*how* to benchmakr scripts or calcs in FM?

"MaximalVariance" <StephenTGallagher (AT) gmail (DOT) com> a écrit dans le message de news: > Generally programmaticially speaking, If/Else is generally slower to
I, once had a client with a so complex set of calculations that it took several seconds for the layout (FMP6) to appear. So I transformed that into a set of concatenated scripts - almost exactly the same formulas that the one used in the calculated fields - and I got instantaneously the layout showing. The price to pay though was to hit a button instead of having directly the results. But my guess was that the scripting method was somewhat in the range of 10 times faster than the multi intricate calculations method.
Remi-Noel

Some people will recommend that you don't use If() ever again. I still like
If() in the situations where there are two possible results, or a chain of
such results, and Case() when the logic is more like a dial or "radio
button" sort of behavior.

For example, I find:

If(a>b; Result1; If(c=d; Result2; Result3))

quicker/easier to understand than

Case(a>b; Result1; c=d; Result2; Result3)

Even though both have the same result.

However, Case() is the clearly better choice for:

Case(
a=1; Result1;
a=2; Result2;
a=3; Result3;
a=4; Result4;
a=5; Result5;
Result6
)

Having said that, Case() clearly is capable of doing everything If() can do.
So, if that is what you're comfortable with, go for it.


"CRC123" <wndsngap (AT) island (DOT) net> wrote

Thanks all - very helpful.
And apologies to M. Sclossberg for my sloppy language, however, my
question was well answered.