Hi, I have developed a database that currently has about 2000 entries
and is still growing. I has about 100 fields and a good portion are
numerical into which I import financial data monthly from Excel
spreadsheets.

This is working quite well and this is one of the main functions to
import this info and to keep a running total. When I do the import it
currently imports about 1000 entries. The problem I have is that some
times I need to make a manual entry into a monthly field and when I do
the large import of course it overwrites any information in the field.

Is there a way to import into the field and to sum the incoming with any
information already in the cell? This would be a great time saver if it
is possible.

I am using Filemaker versions 7 and 8 and will be using 8 exclusively on
this database soon.

Mark

In article <markgord-220ADD.04092327102005 (AT) corp (DOT) supernews.com>, Mark
<markgord (AT) dccnet (DOT) com> wrote:

I still use FM6, as I keep putting off the massive disryptio & headache
that will accompany converting my Really Big Solution and its 25 users.
This is how I'd handle the situation in 6, and I presume it would work in
7 or 8. Though there may be a kind of insert calculated result on import
function in 7/8 I don't know about.

I presume you import via script. Remap your import to go to a temporary
holding field, call it temp_data. Let's say you have these fields:

monthly_data (your official field)
temp_data (newly made field with same characteristics as above, number, etc.)

Right after your script imports the data to the new temp_data field, add a
couple of commands:

Go To Layout (Temp_work) ****a layout containing both fields as above****
Replace (No dialog, "monthly_data", "monthly_data + temp_data")
Replace (No dialog, "temp_data", "")
Go to Layout (user_home)

Be sure to test this with a small found set of one or two records first.
The operation cannot be undone. Don't forget to click "perform without
dialog" box on Replace functions. The second Replace clears the field for
next time. You will always have the field empty across all records unless
script is running.

I suggested a working layout to put both fields on for the script to go
to. While temp_data never needs to be visible to any user, the Replace
function will only work on fields on an active layout.

Steve Brown